Tornado close by! Question too!

[Olliebirb]

A tornado just went through my area! Had to take the birds and the cat to the basement to be safe. Luckily nothing is damaged and it passed by quickly. I’ve had to go in the basement twice this year already for tornados!

My question is will the short time in the basement be bad for my birds if I keep having to take them down there? We have our laundry room in the basement and there is a lot of laundry detergents and laundry bleach. My basement is big and I keep the laundry room door closed. I don’t even smell a difference in the basement than I do in my room because it’s well ventilated. I can’t smell any of the chemicals but I’m still worried about my birds. Anyone have any advice?

 

[flyzipper]

Glad you and your crew are safe.

From the sounds of it, your birds will be perfectly fine downstairs while the weather blows by.

Keeping the detergent and bleach containers closed will prevent them from off-gassing, and since the area is well ventilated it should dissipate any small quantities released while doing laundry.

Tornado risk > laundry room risk, would be the calculus I'd apply.

 

[Olliebirb]

Thanks for the reply! This makes me feel better about the future (although hopefully I will not have to take them down there in the future!)

 

[FeatheredM]

Just make sure everything has its lid and everything should be okay. of course worry about lids last. The information in tiny text is not really revalent to your question but might be useful. So you don't have to read it if you don't want to. I live in the tornado alley, I have experienced many funnel clouds. Many of which touch almost touch the ground. Two of those times the tornado alarm did NOT GO OFF. I have studied the science of weather, so I do know about tornadoes. It has made me extra cautious about tornadoes. Have you learned early signs of tornadoes? It will help keep you ready for an emergency. I have learned these signs:1.super calm and weather is too perfect and wind will suddenly pick up and have a dramatic temp. change. mushroom clouds, like those that are upside down, or a supercell/wall cloud. Or criss crossing clouds/clouds that are overlaying but going in different directions. The clouds may also have a strange color.

 

[flyzipper]

The information in tiny text is not really revalent to your question but might be useful. So you don't have to read it if you don't want to. I live in the tornado alley, I have experienced many funnel clouds. Many of which touch almost touch the ground. Two of those times the tornado alarm did NOT GO OFF. I have studied the science of weather, so I do know about tornadoes. It has made me extra cautious about tornadoes. Have you learned early signs of tornadoes? It will help keep you ready for an emergency. I have learned these signs:1.super calm and weather is too perfect and wind will suddenly pick up and have a dramatic temp. change. mushroom clouds, like those that are upside down, or a supercell/wall cloud. Or criss crossing clouds/clouds that are overlaying but going in different directions. The clouds may also have a strange color.

Quoting this to enlarge it.

 

[Clueless]

Thanks @FeatheredM

Thanks @flyzipper wish I'd seen your enlargement first!!!

@Olliebirb somebody on here used to keep pillowcases under the bird cage for emergency runs to the basement

 

[Olliebirb]

@FeatheredM thanks for the information!
@Clueless i haven’t heard of the pillowcase idea that’s interesting. I would have never thought of that. Although my birds cages are too large and they also get into the travel cage fairly quickly.