TOLEDO, Ohio — Finding shelter during tornado or thunderstorm warnings may not mean at home, especially if you're someone who works at one of the many factories or warehouses around northwest Ohio.
Six people were killed in an Edwardsville, Ill., Amazon warehouse when a tornado struck there in December. Just like Illinois, factories and warehouses are common in northwest Ohio.
"Those are places to avoid, like gymnasiums, warehouses, things like that because they primarily rely on exterior walls, not internal support so they're more prone to collapsing," Wood County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Erin Konecki said.
But severe weather can happen at any time and leaving work may not be an option.
So, what should you do if severe weather hits and you're on the clock?
"Some of the safest locations are a basement if your workplace has one. Some sort of interior room, like a hallway or potentially a bathroom. Wherever there's an interior space with few windows as possible," Lucas County Emergency Management Agency Director, Abby Buchhop said.
Most places have designated shelters or safety protocols for people to find safety.
If you happen to be working when severe weather hits, workplaces should also have at least one person in charge of making sure everyone is accounted for and that things do not turn chaotic.
"It definitely adds to the intensity of the situation when it's not just you. When you have to corral or coordinate with several other bodies, whether it be small ones or employees. At the same time, it's a matter of a crisis so it intensifies the situation," Toledo Federation of Teachers President Kevin Dalton said
They also say it's especially important to go over the protocols and procedures with every new employee and altogether every couple of months.
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