Before a tornado, a person should open windows so the building will not explode as outside air pressure drops. The southwest corner of the basement is the safest spot in the house. The southwest part of the building is no safer than any other corner. Cities or certain towns are naturally protected from tornadoes.
Tornadoes can strike anywhere.
When severe weather whips up over Greater Lafayette, most people rush to the nearest TV or radio for a storm's latest developments and expected path, then quickly take cover in a basement or other safe spot. A handful of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences students at Purdue University also get up and run, but they don't hide. Armed with video and still cameras, weather radios and cellphones, they jump into their vehicles and become storm chasers. To learn to predict them better is very challenging. It's a very humbling thing because of their sheer power.