Shelter Protocol

Part of Weather Forecasting

Where to go and what to avoid during lightning, tornadoes, flash floods, and severe wind.

Core Principle

The wrong shelter is worse than no shelter. A single tree in a lightning storm, a vehicle in a flood, or a mobile structure in a tornado all increase your risk. Knowing what to avoid matters as much as knowing where to go.

Lightning Shelter Protocol

Lightning seeks the shortest path to ground, which usually means the tallest conductor in the area.

Seek:

• Interior of a substantial building (wood or masonry with wiring and plumbing — these conduct the strike safely to ground)
• A hard-topped metal vehicle with windows closed (the metal body conducts around occupants)
• Dense forest of uniform height (you are not the tallest object)
• Low ground — ravines, ditches, depressions

Avoid:

• Isolated tall trees (lightning targets them; ground current radiates outward)
• Open fields, hilltops, ridgelines (you become the tallest object)
• Water — swimming, wading, boating, fishing (water conducts current over long distances)
• Metal structures — fences, poles, scaffolding, chain-link (excellent conductors)
• Open shelters — pavilions, bus stops, tents, lean-tos (provide no electrical protection)
• Cave entrances (ground current can arc across the opening)

If caught in the open with no shelter:

1. Move away from tall objects by at least twice their height
2. Crouch on the balls of your feet, feet together
3. Minimize ground contact — do not lie flat (ground current travels through your body)
4. Hands over ears to protect hearing from thunder
5. If in a group, spread out at least 5 meters apart (reduces multiple casualties from a single strike)

Tornado Shelter Protocol

Tornadoes destroy structures from the outside in. Interior rooms on the lowest floor are the last to fail.

Seek:

• Basement or cellar (best option by far)
• Interior room on the lowest floor — bathroom, closet, hallway (no exterior walls, no windows)
• Under heavy furniture (tables, workbenches) for falling debris protection
• Storm shelter or safe room if available

Avoid:

• Rooms with windows or exterior walls
• Upper floors (more exposure to wind and debris)
• Mobile homes, trailers, sheds — leave them entirely and seek a ditch or depression
• Highway overpasses — wind accelerates through the gap, debris is funneled through
• Vehicles — a tornado can lift and roll vehicles easily

If outdoors with no structure:

1. Find a ditch, culvert, or depression
2. Lie face down, protect your head and neck with your arms
3. Stay as low as possible — flying debris is the primary killer
4. Move perpendicular to the tornado’s path if you can (most move SW to NE in the Northern Hemisphere)

Flash Flood Shelter Protocol

Water is heavier and more powerful than people expect. One cubic meter of water weighs 1,000 kg. Moving water exerts enormous lateral force.

Seek:

• High ground — any terrain above the drainage path
• Upper floors of solid buildings (concrete or masonry)
• Ridgelines, hillsides, elevated terrain

Avoid:

• Low ground — valleys, dry washes, arroyos, canyon bottoms
• Basements (they flood and trap occupants)
• Vehicles in moving water (two feet of water floats most vehicles; the vehicle then becomes a deathtrap)
• Walking through moving water above ankle depth
• Areas downstream of dams, levees, or retention basins

Critical rules:

• If water is rising, move uphill immediately. Do not pack belongings. Do not wait
• Never drive through flooded roads. The roadbed may be washed out under the water
• At night, flooding is especially dangerous because you cannot see water depth or current speed. Listen for roaring water and move to high ground at the first sign

Severe Wind Protocol

Straight-line winds from thunderstorms can exceed 100 km/h (60 mph). Derechos — organized lines of storms — produce sustained destructive winds over wide areas.

Seek:

• The leeward side (downwind side) of solid structures
• Dense, healthy forest (trees share wind load; avoid standing dead trees)
• Natural windbreaks — hillsides, rock outcroppings, embankments
• Low-profile positions — sitting or lying behind solid cover

Avoid:

• Windward exposure (facing into the wind)
• Isolated trees (they snap or uproot in high wind)
• Tents, tarps, and temporary shelters (become projectiles)
• Standing dead trees or trees with large dead branches
• Open areas with no windbreak

Windward vs leeward: Face into the wind to determine direction. The side of any object facing you is windward. Walk around to the opposite side — that is the leeward, sheltered side. Wind wraps around objects, so the best shelter is close to the object, not far behind it.

Building a Shelter Decision Matrix

For any fixed camp or settlement, map out in advance:

Hazard	Primary Shelter	Secondary Shelter	Evacuation Route
Lightning	Main building interior	Vehicle	Stay in place
Tornado	Basement / interior room	Ditch or low ground	Perpendicular to storm path
Flash flood	High ground location	Upper floor of solid building	Uphill route
Severe wind	Leeward of building	Dense forest	Stay in place

Post this somewhere visible. Rehearse it. In an emergency, clear prior planning saves lives that real-time decision-making does not.

Response Timing

Hazard	Warning Time	Action Threshold
Lightning	10-30 minutes	Thunder audible (flash-to-bang under 30 seconds)
Tornado	5-20 minutes	Wall cloud rotation visible, hail arriving, green sky
Flash flood	Minutes to none	Water rising, upstream rain, roaring sound
Severe wind	10-30 minutes	Darkening sky, distant rumble, temperature drop

Flash floods give the least warning. If you are in a flood-prone area during heavy rain, do not wait for confirmation — move to high ground preemptively.

Group Protocols

• Assign a weather watcher during any outdoor activity
• Establish a clear signal that means “shelter now” — whistle pattern, bell, horn
• Designate a meeting point for headcount after the event
• Keep first aid supplies and light sources in shelter locations
• Practice with children so their response is automatic, not dependent on adult instruction