Tornado Organization

So we've had a few recent tornado scares, nothing serious in our area but we've realized that we really should get the basement organized a bit better if the real deal ever does happen. Plus it will help us maximize our space, which is always a plus in a house as small as ours (and the amount of crap we accumulate!).

The first dilemma I needed to deal with was the fact that we get water in our basement. Not a ton, but a nice size stream does appear from time to time that runs across the floor to the sub pump. So I had wire crates placed strategically throughout the basement to avoid the water, however it made walking through the basement a bit of a maze. :) So I had to pick a spot to center efforts which has remained dry.

Another annoying fact about my basement is that after the 1993 floods, the owners had buttresses installed about every 5 feet on all the walls. Seriously. And they stick out about 3-4 feet. So I don't have a ton of open wall space because of these cement 'partial' walls sticking out everywhere. Very annoying. At least we were lucky in that we had a perfect spot (in between buttresses) along a wall that has always remained dry.

Now I didn't want to push my luck, so I had to think of some way to keep the crates off the ground in case the floor did get wet over there. Knowing us, we'd move everything and then next weekend it'd rain and that damn area would get wet :). I don't want the metal to rust any faster than it already does and I didn't want to be moving around crates while we were expecting tornadoes. Especially since Bourbon and Baron can't be loose together, which is always something we have to factor in when we are emergency planning.

Since we moved offices last week for work, there were a few left over pallets that were going to be pitched. PERFECT! I grabbed up those pallets and we stopped at Lowe's on Friday to grab some cement blocks to put under them. Now we have ready-made platforms to keep the crates off the ground! And it got them out of the middle of the basement, which was nice for walking around down there :).

The two large crates and a food storage bin.

It has a nice cozy feel :). Now I just to have get a sheet of plywood to put on top of the kennels to protect them if the window shatters (and to store stuff on!).

What are your emergency plans? Do you have an area set up that is safe for your dogs?