Tornado's, Sirens and Stairs Oh My!!!

On Sunday February 27 we had a thunderstorm that had conditions to produce a tornado. Its night, its dark and I am putting Malachi to bed. Just as I am closing his blinds because I didn't want the lighting to bother him the sirens blow. I am in panic mode, Mike is gone to Walmart getting light bulbs for me with a friend. I grab Malachi out of his bed, grab my phone and run to the neighbors. At this point Malachi has no idea what I am doing. I am shaking. I get there and we decide to go to the next house over because she has a bigger basement and why not. We get down there and this is where Malachi begins to have a meltdown. He doesn't understand why we are down here and that we can't go home. He kept saying "go home, go to bed". How do you explain to this little child what a tornado is and why we have to take cover.
I started thinking well maybe if he had something he was familiar with, that this might help. I hand him to Diane, our neighbor and run back to the house in the rain to grab Mr. Sippo (Malachi's sippy cup). I come back and realize that this isn't going to work. I feel bad. I don't know what to do. He doesn't understand. I just try to stay calm and hope that the "all clear" comes soon. He is now crying for daddy who isn't there. We try several things. He doesn't want to get down because there is a dog in the basement which only complicates things. He just wants to look out the basement windows which isn't a smart idea. But to help him calm down we do. After awhile which seemed longer than it probably was we get the all clear. We leave and by the time we get home daddy is there and all is right with the world again. He wants daddy to put him to bed and he does and he sleeps the rest of the night with no recollection of the previous nights activities. However the next time it happens he might remember which will hopefully help in the future.