How to Prepare for a Tornado: A Guide for Homeowners

The United States suffers 1200 tornadoes every year, causing death and many more injuries.

This statistic is especially concerning if you live in a tornado-prone area—and this statistic is rising.

But though tornadoes are fierce, your preparations can be just as persistent. So if you’re wondering what to do during a tornado, we’ll provide some essential tips.

Keep reading to understand how to prepare for a tornado. Afterwards, you’ll be ready to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your finances.

Know When It’s Coming

Although you may have preparations stashed away, know when tornadoes are just around the corner. That will give you enough time to move your loved ones to a safe area and pack any necessary items.

Tornadoes typically occur between 4 pm and 9 pm. When they come, tornadoes bring about dark clouds, heavy humidity, rain, and wind pressure.

You’ll probably receive a text message or radio signal of the impending tornado. If your area is prone to tornadoes, then you’ll most likely also hear a siren.

Reinforce Your Home

This is one of the overlooked tips for staying safe. When you can, contact a professional to reinforce your home’s supporting structures. Professionals will be able to visit your home and determine what parts of your home need extra support.

Home reinforcement takes longer than a tornado does to warn you of its presence. So while you have the time and resources, reinforce your home not to suffer a more significant loss after the disaster.

Build a Storm Shelter

Reinforced homes will help you continue your livelihood after the tornado passes. But storm shelters will better ensure that you and your loved ones are safe while the tornado is happening.

While most homeowners opt for their basement, tornado shelters shield against wind pressure and debris. It will also be a great place to store a tornado and safety kit beforehand.

Instead of haphazardly clearing out storage to make space, place sleeping bags and an emergency radio in there beforehand. You might also want to store insurance records here. You’ll need them after the tornado to compensate for any damage to your property.

Prepare a Tornado and Safety Kit

A tornado and safety kit is crucial for tornado safety. You might want to keep multiple portable kits, especially if your area is prone to tornados.

Set up your tornado kit with water bottles and nonperishable foods like granola and protein bars. You should also include some cash, a battery-powered radio, and a battery-powered flashlight. A change of clothes and an extra blanket will also come in handy.

Make a safety kit for everyone in your family — this includes your pets, as some human-directed medication is unsafe for them. Bring along a first aid kit to treat any minor injuries during the storm and any prescription medicine they need.

Do You Know How to Prepare for a Tornado?

While you can’t control a tornado, you can manage your preparations for it. So to protect your safety and your assets, you should understand how to prepare for a tornado.

We hope this guide provided insight into what to do during a tornado warning. If it did, then check out the rest of our site for other information like this!