With the advent of the tornado season in the Midwest, many residents hear a common refrain about what to do if the weather turns dangerous.

“The rule of thumb is [to get to] the lowest level with as many walls and doors between you and the storm as possible,” said Lori Morrissey, Emergency Maintenance Coordinator for Story County.

But for people who live in mobile-home courts and apartment buildings, this can be a challenge since their residences often don’t include individual basement shelters.

Some mobile-home parks provide emergency shelters to combat the problem.

LPM Homes, 6100 W. Lincoln Way, owns a shelter in the basement of a nearby home that residents are allowed to go to in case of inclement weather.

“We have advised them to come down, and the door is open any time they feel a danger of tornado in the area,” said Guy Lartiuous of LPM Homes.

Lartiuous said there’s never been a problem with safety during tornado season in LPM Homes, mostly because there’s many trees in the area that lessen the impact of heavy winds. However, he said his tenants, especially those with children, are naturally concerned.

“They are fully aware that there is a place for them to go,” Lartiuous said.

Crestview Mobile Home Park, 5615 Lincoln Way, has a similar plan, owner Paul Nelson said. The park also provides shelter in a nearby house for mobile-home tenants.

Nelson said his residents do not seem too concerned about tornado safety. “Most don’t ask until the sirens go off,” he said.

Shady Grove Mobile Home Park, 1006 S. Dayton Ave., also has an underground shelter available for park residents.

“It’s centrally located for access and is open 24 hours a day,” owner Jim Prudhomme said. “We’re in the process of expanding it to make it even bigger.”

Some residents who live in Old Orchard Trailer Park, 111 Mulberry Blvd., said bad weather can make for a tense situation.

“Get out of your trailer when there’s a tornado because these things can blow pretty easily,” said Rory Fischer, sophomore in veterinary medicine.

Fischer said he heads to the park’s shelter when the weather gets bad.

Even though the option is there, some residents choose to go elsewhere.

“The last couple of times there’s been warnings, I just go over to the Vet School,” said Todd Tedrow, junior in veterinary medicine.

Residents of apartments face a similar challenge when tornado season hits hard.

Ev Cochrane and Associates, 207 Stanton Ave., manages units throughout the city of Ames. Russ McCullough of Ev Cochrane and Associates said the company provides places for residents to take shelter underground in some of its properties.

For buildings that do not have this option, residents are encouraged to take cover in rooms without windows, McCullough said.

“When it gets to tornado season, we send out different fliers at different times and post notices in the apartments,” McCullough said.

Officials of Professional Property Management, 201 S. Fifth St. Suite 202, suggest going to a basement or center hallway, said Gary Denner of PPM.

“In general, for any apartment, not just ours, heed the National Weather Service and go to the lower level and avoid windows,” he said.