The first home I looked at in Iowa looked like a great fit for my family. My wife frowned. "There's no basement," she said.
"So what?" I remarked. "The price is right."
My wife explained to me about the importance of basements during tornadoes. Entire homes can be destroyed above ground while the basements remain intact. My wife knows this first-hand as she spent many hours in the basement during her childhood in Iowa. The other night, we spent several hours camped out in our friend's basement while we waited for a monstrous storm to pass.
Once I understood the value of a basement, it was added to my home shopping list as a must-have. Our new home has a walk-out basement which eliminates that "underground" feeling you get when you enter most basements. The backyard dips at the rear of our home, allowing us to reach it from a sliding door. In case of a tornado, the family can retreat to an area that is safe until the storm passes.
Do you have any stories to share about being caught in a tornado, hurricane or earthquake? Please share below. I may be reading your comments from the basement as our first big storm approaches our town.
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