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Tornadoes can develop quickly, tear apart buildings, overturn vehicles, snap trees and turn ordinary objects into dangerous flying debris. In some situations, you may have only minutes to move from normal activity to taking shelter.
Good tornado preparedness is not about trying to predict exactly where a tornado will go. It is about deciding where you will shelter before severe weather arrives, having more than one way to receive warnings, keeping essential supplies ready and knowing what to do whether you are at home, at work, traveling or caught away from shelter.
The most important rule is simple:
If a tornado warning is issued for your location, take shelter immediately.
Don’t wait until you see a funnel. Tornadoes can be hidden by darkness, rain, terrain or buildings, and waiting for visual confirmation can cost valuable time. Current CDC guidance recommends taking shelter immediately during a tornado warning.
Tornado preparedness works best as part of a larger household emergency plan. Our Five Pillars of Prepping guide shows how shelter, water, food, health, communication, transportation and other preparedness systems work together when normal services are disrupted.
Tornado Warnings: Know When to Take Action
Understanding the warning system is one of the most important parts of tornado preparedness.
1. Know the Difference Between a Tornado Watch and Warning
A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes in or near the watch area.
A watch is your opportunity to prepare. Monitor conditions, make sure everyone knows the shelter location, bring pets closer, charge phones and avoid unnecessary travel as storms approach.
A Tornado Warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar and there is an imminent threat.
When a warning includes your location, stop preparing and take shelter immediately.
The National Weather Service may also issue a Tornado Emergency when a confirmed tornado poses a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage is occurring or expected.
The National Weather Service explains the differences between tornado watches, tornado warnings and tornado emergencies. Knowing these terms ahead of time helps you recognize when conditions require increased awareness and when you need to take shelter immediately.
2. Don’t Depend on Outdoor Sirens Alone
Outdoor warning sirens can be helpful, but they should never be your only warning method.
Build redundancy into your alert system:
- Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone
- Local emergency-management alerts
- Weather apps
- Local television and radio
- NOAA Weather Radio
- Battery-powered or hand-crank emergency radio
Outdoor sirens are primarily intended to warn people who are outdoors. Depending on your location and building construction, you may not hear one clearly from inside your house.
This becomes especially important at night.
3. Know the Possible Signs of a Tornado
Official alerts should be your primary source of information, but tornadoes can sometimes develop rapidly.
Possible signs include:
- Rotating funnel-shaped cloud
- Approaching cloud of debris
- Dark or green-colored sky
- Large, dark, low-lying cloud
- Large hail
- Loud roar sometimes compared with a freight train
CDC lists these among the potential signs of an approaching tornado.
If conditions become dangerous, don’t go outside trying to get a better look.
Get to shelter.
Where Is the Safest Place During a Tornado?
There is no completely risk-free location during a violent tornado, but some shelter locations provide substantially better protection than others.
A practical shelter hierarchy is:
Purpose-built tornado safe room or storm shelter → basement or storm cellar → small windowless interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.
The National Weather Service identifies specially designed tornado shelters and FEMA safe rooms as the best shelter options, with basements and interior rooms in well-constructed buildings also providing protection.
4. Purpose-Built Tornado Safe Room
For households in tornado-prone areas, a properly designed safe room can provide a high degree of protection from extreme winds and wind-borne debris.
A safe room may be installed:
- Inside a house
- In a garage
- In a basement
- As a separate exterior structure
But simply putting a steel box or reinforced room in a house doesn’t automatically make it a compliant tornado safe room.
The walls, roof, door, connections, foundation and anchoring all matter.
FEMA publishes residential safe-room design guidance for structures intended to provide a high degree of protection during extreme wind events.
FEMA’s Taking Shelter from the Storm guidance explains how residential safe rooms can be designed and constructed to provide a high level of protection from tornadoes and hurricanes. If you’re considering installing a safe room, use FEMA guidance and qualified professionals rather than assuming any reinforced room will provide the same protection.
5. Basement or Storm Cellar
If you don’t have a purpose-built safe room, a basement or storm cellar is generally an excellent option.
Move toward an interior portion of the basement and stay away from windows.
When possible, avoid positioning yourself directly underneath especially heavy objects on the floor above, such as refrigerators or other large appliances.
Get beneath something sturdy if appropriate.
Then protect your head and neck.
6. Interior Room on the Lowest Floor
No basement?
Choose a small interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.
Good possibilities include:
- Interior bathroom
- Interior closet
- Center hallway
- Other small windowless interior room
Put as many walls as practical between yourself and the outdoors.
Stay away from windows and exterior doors.
CDC recommends a basement or an inside room without windows on the lowest floor when sheltering in a home.
7. Should You Shelter Under a Staircase?
An interior space beneath stairs may sometimes provide a protected location, but don’t assume every staircase is automatically the safest place in a house.
Use the same shelter principles:
- Lowest floor
- Interior location
- No windows
- Away from exterior walls when possible
- Multiple walls between you and outside
If you have a basement, storm shelter or purpose-built safe room, use that instead.
8. Stay Away From Windows
Don’t open windows to “equalize the pressure.”
That is old tornado advice.
The National Weather Service advises people not to waste time opening windows. Your priority is getting into shelter.
Broken glass and wind-driven debris are serious hazards.
Use those seconds to protect yourself instead.
Protect Yourself From Tornado Debris
Extreme wind is only part of the danger.
Flying and falling debris causes many tornado injuries.
Once you reach the safest shelter available, add another layer of protection.
9. Protect Your Head and Neck
Once sheltered:
- Get low.
- Cover your head and neck with your arms.
- Get beneath sturdy furniture if appropriate.
- Use blankets, sleeping bags or a mattress for additional protection if they’re already nearby.
Do not delay entering shelter because you’re searching the house for protective equipment.
Shelter first.
10. Should You Wear a Helmet During a Tornado?
Some households keep bicycle or sports helmets with their tornado supplies.
Head protection can be an additional layer, but CDC emphasizes that a helmet should never replace proper shelter or delay you from reaching it.
If your family wants helmets available, store them directly inside or beside the shelter.
Don’t run upstairs looking for them after a warning begins.
Tornado Safety for Mobile and Manufactured Homes
Mobile-home residents need a different tornado plan.
11. Do Not Ride Out a Tornado in a Mobile Home
A mobile or manufactured home should not be treated as a tornado shelter.
CDC advises residents to leave a mobile home and go to a nearby sturdy building, preferably one with a basement.
Identify your destination beforehand:
- Community storm shelter
- Neighbor’s sturdy house
- Nearby permanent building
- Designated public shelter
Know how you’ll get there and approximately how long it takes.
12. Leave Early Enough to Reach Shelter Safely
If your safe location requires going outside or driving, waiting until the tornado is almost on top of you creates another danger.
When severe weather threatens:
- Monitor warnings closely.
- Keep shoes and keys ready.
- Keep pets accessible.
- Have essential medications with you.
- Keep transportation available.
- Know exactly where you’re going.
People with longer travel times or mobility limitations may need to act earlier as severe weather approaches. The National Weather Service specifically notes that people with lower mobility may need to take action before a warning, such as during a tornado watch.
Tornado Safety in Apartments and Condos
Apartment living requires some advance planning because the safest location may not be inside your individual unit.
13. Identify Your Building’s Best Shelter
Possible shelter locations include:
- Designated storm shelter
- Basement
- Interior stairwell
- Interior hallway
- Small interior room on the lowest accessible floor
Avoid areas with extensive glass and large open rooms.
If your building has an emergency plan, learn it before severe weather occurs.
14. High-Rise Buildings Require a Realistic Plan
If you live many floors above ground level, you may not have enough time to descend the entire building after a warning arrives.
Ask building management where residents are expected to shelter.
If you cannot safely reach a lower designated shelter in time, move toward the best interior area available, away from windows and exterior walls, and protect your head and neck.
Tornado Safety at Work, School and Public Buildings
15. Follow the Building’s Tornado Plan
Schools and workplaces should have designated shelter locations.
When instructed to shelter, move there quickly.
CDC advises people in workplaces and schools to stay away from windows and avoid large open rooms such as cafeterias, gyms and auditoriums.
Don’t leave a sturdy building and run to your vehicle.
16. Stores, Malls, Theaters and Large Buildings
Large public buildings can have areas with long-span roofs that are more vulnerable to collapse.
Move toward the designated shelter area or an interior location on the lowest accessible level.
Avoid:
- Exterior glass
- Skylights
- Large open atriums
- Gymnasiums
- Auditoriums
- Wide-span rooms
Follow instructions from employees or emergency personnel when available.
Tornado Safety While Driving
The original version of this article included the old recommendation to drive at right angles to a tornado.
We’re removing that advice.
Current CDC guidance says motorists should not try to outrun a tornado and should drive to the closest safe shelter when possible.
17. Get to a Sturdy Shelter
If severe weather is approaching while you’re driving, pay attention to warnings before conditions become critical.
If a tornado threatens, your priority is reaching a sturdy building or designated tornado shelter.
Vehicles can be overturned or thrown by extreme winds.
18. If You Cannot Reach a Safe Building
There is no ideal last-resort situation when you’re caught in a vehicle without access to a sturdy shelter.
CDC currently identifies options that can include getting down inside the vehicle and protecting your head and neck, or leaving the vehicle for a low-lying location such as a ditch or ravine when safe shelter cannot be reached.
Conditions matter.
Traffic, flooding, flying debris, visibility and the tornado’s location can all change the situation.
This is one reason avoiding unnecessary driving during an active severe-weather threat is so important.
19. Never Use an Overpass as a Tornado Shelter
Don’t stop underneath a highway overpass.
Don’t climb into the structure.
And don’t block traffic trying to shelter there.
CDC and the National Weather Service both advise against using overpasses or bridges for tornado shelter.
Severe weather is one of many emergencies that can leave you stranded between work and home. Our Commuter Emergency Plan covers alternate routes, vehicle supplies, communication and practical ways to get home when normal roads or transportation systems are disrupted.
What to Do if You’re Outdoors During a Tornado
20. Get Into a Sturdy Building
Your first objective is to reach substantial shelter.
A picnic shelter, tent, lightweight shed or similar structure should not be treated as tornado protection.
21. If No Sturdy Shelter Is Available
Being outdoors without shelter is a last-resort situation.
CDC advises moving to a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine and lying flat while protecting your head and neck when shelter isn’t available.
But remember that severe thunderstorms can also produce flash flooding.
The better strategy is to avoid getting caught outside by responding early to watches, warnings and changing weather conditions.
Nighttime Tornado Preparedness
Nighttime tornadoes create an obvious problem:
You may be asleep when the warning arrives.
22. Make Sure an Alert Can Wake You
When severe weather is expected overnight:
- Charge your phone.
- Keep Wireless Emergency Alerts enabled.
- Turn the volume up.
- Keep sturdy shoes beside the bed.
- Keep a flashlight or headlamp nearby.
- Make sure children know the shelter location.
- Keep pets accessible.
- Consider a NOAA Weather Radio with an audible alert.
A dedicated weather radio gives you another way to receive emergency information when you’re asleep or when cellular service becomes unreliable. The Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather Radio provides NOAA weather alerts and multiple power options, making it a practical addition to a tornado shelter or household emergency kit.
23. Don’t Go Outside Looking for the Tornado
You don’t need visual confirmation.
Rain and darkness may completely obscure a tornado.
If a tornado warning includes your location, take shelter.
Tornado Preparedness for Children
24. Make the Plan Simple
Children don’t need a complicated meteorology lesson to understand what to do.
Teach them:
- What the warning means
- Where the family shelter is
- How to reach it
- To stay away from windows
- How to protect their head and neck
- To remain in the shelter until an adult says it’s safe
Practice periodically.
The goal is to make the correct response familiar.
25. Keep Child-Specific Supplies Nearby
Depending on your household, that might include:
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Formula
- Necessary medications
- Comfort item
- Hearing protection
- Sturdy shoes
A tornado may pass quickly, but structural damage and debris could keep you in the shelter longer than expected.
Tornado Preparedness for Pets
26. Include Pets in the Plan
Don’t wait until a tornado warning to start searching for a frightened cat or trying to find a dog leash.
When severe weather is expected, keep pets somewhere you can reach them quickly.
Keep appropriate supplies near your shelter:
- Leash
- Carrier
- Water
- Small amount of food
- Medication
- Identification information
If you have several animals, practice moving them into the shelter.
Tornado Planning for Disabilities and Mobility Limitations
27. Plan Around the Time You Actually Need
A technically excellent shelter isn’t much help if a household member cannot reach it before the storm arrives.
Determine:
- Most accessible shelter location
- Who will provide assistance
- How mobility equipment will be handled
- Where necessary medications are stored
- How emergency warnings will be received
- Whether an earlier shelter trigger is necessary
CDC provides specific tornado guidance for people using wheelchairs and for those who cannot move from a bed or chair without assistance.
Practice and time the route.
If it takes longer than expected, change the plan now.
Build a Tornado Shelter Kit
You don’t need to fill your tornado shelter with hundreds of dollars of survival equipment.
Keep a compact collection of supplies that can help during the warning and immediately afterward.
28. Emergency Lighting
Keep reliable flashlights or headlamps in the shelter.
A headlamp is particularly useful after a tornado because it leaves both hands free while navigating a dark building, helping another person or handling first-aid supplies.
A headlamp is especially useful after a tornado because it keeps both hands free while checking for damage, helping another person or moving carefully through a dark building. The Energizer Universal LED Headlamp 2-Pack is a practical option for keeping with your tornado shelter supplies.
Keep appropriate spare batteries or charging options available.
Avoid relying on candles after a tornado because structural damage and gas leaks can create fire hazards.
29. Emergency Communications
Keep:
- Charged phone
- Power bank
- Weather radio
- Emergency contact information
Cellular systems may become overloaded or damaged after a major storm.
30. First-Aid Supplies
Keep a practical first-aid kit in or near the shelter.
Include supplies appropriate for:
- Bleeding control
- Cuts and scrapes
- Bandaging
- Cleaning minor wounds
- Personal medical needs
Keep necessary prescription medications accessible.
For a ready-made option, the EVERLIT 250-Piece Survival First Aid Kit combines basic first-aid supplies with several additional emergency items in a portable organized bag. It’s a practical kit to keep near your tornado shelter, in a vehicle or with your larger household emergency supplies.
31. Sturdy Shoes
This is easy to overlook.
After a tornado, your house or yard may contain:
- Broken glass
- Nails
- Splintered wood
- Sheet metal
- Roofing material
- Other sharp debris
Keep closed-toe shoes or boots near the shelter.
32. Emergency Water
Keep drinking water available.
Tornadoes and the thunderstorms that produce them can damage water systems, electrical infrastructure and pumps.
A tornado can damage electrical systems, pumps and municipal water infrastructure, so having water stored before severe weather arrives gives your household an important backup. Our Home Water Storage System guide explains how much water to store, suitable containers, treatment and rotation for longer emergencies.
33. Whistle
A whistle weighs almost nothing and takes up virtually no room.
If you become trapped, it can help rescuers locate you without forcing you to yell continuously.
34. Work Gloves and Basic Dust Protection
Keep sturdy gloves available for dealing with debris after the storm.
Basic eye and respiratory protection can also be useful around damaged drywall, insulation, dust and debris.
A durable pair of work gloves belongs with your cleanup supplies before severe weather ever arrives. HANDLANDY Work Gloves provide hand protection and grip for handling branches, damaged materials and general cleanup tasks while remaining flexible enough for everyday work around the house.
Prepare Your Home Before Tornado Season
35. Choose Your Shelter Now
Walk through the house and answer one question:
Where exactly will everyone go?
Don’t settle for “somewhere downstairs.”
Pick the exact room.
Show everyone.
36. Practice Getting There
Run a household tornado drill from different places:
- Bedrooms
- Living room
- Kitchen
- Garage
- Backyard
You may discover problems you hadn’t considered.
Perhaps the hallway is cluttered.
Maybe the dog hides during storms.
Maybe someone can’t reach the basement quickly.
Fix those problems before a real warning.
37. Keep the Shelter Accessible
Don’t let the safest closet in the house become packed floor-to-ceiling with storage.
You need to be able to enter quickly.
Keep the route clear.
38. Know Your Utilities
Learn where electrical, gas and water shutoffs are located and follow your utility providers’ instructions about when and how to use them.
If you suspect a gas leak after a tornado, get out of the building and contact emergency services or the utility from a safe location.
What to Do During a Tornado Watch
A watch doesn’t mean a tornado is about to hit your house.
It means conditions are favorable and you should become more alert.
Use that time.
- Monitor weather information.
- Charge phones and power banks.
- Test the weather radio.
- Bring pets closer.
- Put sturdy shoes nearby.
- Review the shelter plan.
- Check medications.
- Make sure children know where to go.
- Avoid unnecessary travel as conditions deteriorate.
- Make sure the shelter remains accessible.
If severe damage forces you to leave home after the storm, having essential supplies already packed can save valuable time. Our 72-Hour Go-Bag Checklist covers practical water, food, first aid, clothing, documents, lighting and other emergency gear you can keep ready for a short-notice evacuation.
This is ready mode, not panic mode.
What to Do During a Tornado Warning
A warning is different.
This is the time to act.
39. Stop What You’re Doing
Don’t finish mowing the lawn.
Don’t finish cooking dinner.
Don’t walk outside to see whether you can spot the funnel.
Don’t start filming.
Move to shelter.
40. Get Everyone Into the Shelter
Move children and pets with you when they are immediately accessible.
Get into the safest shelter available.
Close the door.
41. Get Low and Protect Yourself
Once sheltered:
- Get low.
- Stay away from windows.
- Protect your head and neck.
- Get beneath sturdy furniture when appropriate.
- Use nearby blankets or padding for additional debris protection.
- Continue monitoring warnings if possible.
42. Don’t Leave Shelter Too Soon
The sudden return of quiet conditions doesn’t necessarily mean the entire threat is over.
One severe thunderstorm can produce multiple tornadoes.
Continue monitoring official alerts and remain sheltered until the warning expires or authorities indicate the immediate threat has passed.
What to Do After a Tornado
The tornado may be gone, but the emergency isn’t necessarily over.
Damaged structures, downed power lines, gas leaks, exposed nails, broken glass and unstable debris can all cause serious injuries after the storm.
43. Check for Injuries
Check yourself first.
Then help others when it is safe.
Avoid moving someone who appears seriously injured unless remaining where they are presents an immediate threat.
Call for medical assistance when available.
44. If You’re Trapped
If debris traps you:
- Text for help if possible.
- Use a whistle.
- Bang on a wall or pipe.
- Protect your face from dust.
- Conserve your energy.
45. Treat Damaged Buildings as Dangerous
Don’t wander through a heavily damaged house looking for belongings.
Watch for:
- Unstable walls
- Damaged ceilings
- Broken stairs
- Exposed nails
- Broken glass
- Electrical hazards
- Gas leaks
46. Stay Away From Downed Power Lines
Treat every downed electrical line as energized.
Keep people and pets away.
Report the hazard to emergency services or the utility provider.
47. Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Extended outages frequently follow destructive storms.
Generators and other fuel-burning equipment can then create another emergency if they’re used incorrectly.
Never operate a portable generator inside a house, garage, basement or other enclosed space.
48. Prepare for an Extended Power Outage
A destructive tornado may damage electrical transmission lines, substations, utility poles and neighborhood distribution systems.
Even if your house remains standing, you could be without electricity for hours or days.
A tornado can damage utility poles, substations and neighborhood electrical systems even when your home escapes major structural damage. Our Extended Power Outage guide explains what can happen during the first 48 hours without electricity and how to prepare for lighting, food, water, communications and other essential needs.
49. Use Flashlights Instead of Candles
Damaged buildings can contain leaking gas and other fire hazards.
Use battery-powered lighting rather than open flames.
50. Pay Attention to Drinking-Water Advisories
Storm damage may affect water infrastructure.
Follow local instructions about drinking and cooking water.
If authorities issue a boil-water or do-not-use advisory, follow it until officials announce that normal service is safe.
51. Wear Protective Clothing During Cleanup
Before handling debris, put on:
- Sturdy boots
- Work gloves
- Long pants
- Long sleeves
- Eye protection when appropriate
Don’t let the urgency to clean up cause a preventable injury.
52. Document Property Damage
Once immediate safety needs are handled, photograph damage to:
- House
- Outbuildings
- Vehicles
- Furniture
- Appliances
- Personal property
Contact your insurer when practical.
Make temporary repairs only when they can be performed safely.
A heavy-duty tarp can be useful for temporarily protecting damaged roofing, broken openings, equipment or exposed belongings from additional rain after a storm. The GUARD SHIELD 12 × 16 ft Heavy Duty Tarp is a 10-mil waterproof tarp with reinforced edges and grommets that can be kept with your home emergency repair supplies. Never climb onto a damaged or unstable roof to install a tarp if conditions are unsafe.
Common Tornado Preparedness Mistakes
Waiting Until You See the Tornado
Don’t.
Tornadoes can be obscured by darkness, heavy rain or terrain.
Respond to the warning.
Opening the Windows
Don’t waste valuable time trying to equalize air pressure.
Take shelter instead.
Sheltering Under an Overpass
Overpasses are not tornado shelters.
Trying to Outrun the Tornado
Your objective while driving is reaching sturdy shelter—not racing a storm.
Staying in a Mobile Home
Have a separate shelter location identified beforehand.
Running Upstairs for Supplies
Your emergency supplies should already be inside or near your shelter.
Standing Near Windows to Watch
Move away from glass.
Leaving Shelter Too Early
Continue monitoring warnings because another tornado or severe storm may follow.
Tornado Preparedness Checklist
Before Severe Weather
☐ Identify your safest tornado shelter.
☐ Make sure every household member knows where it is.
☐ Establish an alternate shelter if you live in a mobile home.
☐ Enable emergency alerts on phones.
☐ Have another method for receiving warnings.
☐ Practice your shelter route.
☐ Keep the shelter accessible.
☐ Store sturdy shoes nearby.
☐ Keep flashlights or headlamps ready.
☐ Keep basic first-aid supplies available.
☐ Keep emergency water accessible.
☐ Plan for children, pets and household members with mobility limitations.
During a Tornado Watch
☐ Monitor weather conditions.
☐ Charge phones and power banks.
☐ Bring pets closer.
☐ Review the shelter plan.
☐ Put shoes and essential medications nearby.
☐ Avoid unnecessary travel as conditions deteriorate.
During a Tornado Warning
☐ Take shelter immediately.
☐ Use a safe room, basement or small interior room on the lowest floor.
☐ Stay away from windows.
☐ Get low.
☐ Protect your head and neck.
☐ Continue monitoring alerts when possible.
After the Tornado
☐ Check for injuries.
☐ Watch for structural damage.
☐ Avoid downed power lines.
☐ Leave if you suspect a gas leak.
☐ Use flashlights rather than candles.
☐ Operate generators only in safe outdoor locations.
☐ Follow drinking-water advisories.
☐ Wear sturdy shoes and gloves around debris.
☐ Photograph property damage when safe.
☐ Continue monitoring official information.
Build Tornado Preparedness Into Your Larger Emergency Plan
A tornado may last only minutes.
The disruption it creates can last much longer.
A destructive storm may leave neighborhoods without electricity, close roads, damage vehicles, interrupt water service and overwhelm local emergency resources.
Your larger preparedness plan should address:
- Emergency water
- Food
- Backup lighting
- Power
- First aid
- Communications
- Transportation
- Temporary evacuation
- Home damage
- Family reunification
Tornado preparedness handles the immediate threat, but a major disaster can disrupt normal services much longer than the storm itself. Our 90-Day Survival Checklist provides a practical framework for expanding your household supplies for longer disruptions involving water, food, power, medical needs, sanitation and essential gear.
The stronger those systems are before the tornado, the less you’ll need to improvise afterward.
A Practical 30-Day Tornado Preparedness Plan
You don’t need to accomplish everything in one weekend.
Break it into four manageable steps.
Week 1 — Choose Your Shelter
Identify the safest shelter location available.
Clear the space.
Show every household member where it is.
If you live in a mobile home, identify the sturdy building or storm shelter you’ll use instead.
Practice getting there.
Week 2 — Build Your Warning System
Check emergency alerts on everyone’s phones.
Sign up for local alerts where available.
Consider adding NOAA Weather Radio as an independent warning method.
Make sure at least one warning method can wake you at night.
Week 3 — Build the Shelter Kit
Put together a compact kit containing:
- Flashlights
- Headlamps
- Weather radio
- First-aid kit
- Water
- Sturdy shoes
- Work gloves
- Whistle
- Power bank
- Necessary medications
- Pet supplies
Keep it where you’ll actually shelter.
Week 4 — Practice the Plan
Run a household tornado drill.
Start in the bedrooms.
Then try it from the living room or another part of the house.
Time how long everyone needs to reach shelter.
Practice bringing pets.
Identify anything that slows you down.
Then fix it.
Final Thoughts: Your Tornado Plan Needs to Work Fast
The most valuable part of tornado preparedness isn’t an expensive piece of survival gear.
It’s a plan everyone understands before the warning arrives.
Know where you’ll shelter.
Have multiple ways to receive warnings.
Keep that shelter accessible.
Protect your head and neck.
Don’t shelter in a mobile home, vehicle or beneath an overpass when a sturdy shelter is available.
Don’t wait to see the tornado before taking action.
And remember that the danger doesn’t necessarily end when the wind stops. Damaged structures, electrical lines, gas leaks, debris and extended utility outages can create serious hazards afterward.
Tornadoes can move quickly.
Your plan needs to be quicker.