Tornado Safety Tips: What to Do Before, During and After

How to prepare for a tornado

Follow these tornado safety precautions to ensure the safety of your family and property.

1. Create an emergency kit

The first step in mastering how to prepare for a tornado is creating an emergency kit for your household. Your kit should include:

Water and non-perishable food to last at least three days.
Medications and essential medical supplies.
Flashlights, batteries, and battery-powered lanterns.
Important documents, family contact details, and emergency cash.
First aid supplies and instructions on how to use them.
Work gloves, long pants, and thick-soled shoes for clean-up.
Adequate food, water, and supplies for pets.

2. Sign up for notifications

Stay informed about what to do during a tornado by signing up for alerts from your community’s warning system. If sirens are part of your local emergency alert system (EAS), ensure all family members know the warning tone to listen out for so they can act swiftly.

Additionally, you should utilize NOAA weather radio for real-time updates. Local news and official tornado watch social media accounts may also provide critical information, and NOAA’s National Weather Service offers live updates on all current tornado watches.

3. Have a tornado safety plan

A tornado emergency can occur at any time, so your plan should be designed based on the unique needs of your family routines and the type of home you live in. You may need plans that cover the following:

What to do during a tornado at home

Moving quickly to a pre-planned, safe location is essential. If you don’t have access to a dedicated safe room, storm cellar, or storm shelter built to ICC 500 standards, select a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and make sure all family members know to meet there when a tornado strikes.

What to do in a tornado in a car

If the tornado is visible yet far away, you may be able to avoid its path by driving at a right angle. However, it’s best not to take unnecessary chances, as fallen power lines and flying debris can significantly impact driving conditions.

Therefore, the best tornado safety tips while driving are to park your car and seek safe shelter immediately. If that’s impossible, find a low-lying area to pull up in, keep your seat belt on, cover yourself with a coat or blanket, and position your head below window level until the danger has passed.

What to do during a tornado in a mobile home

Mobile homes offer little protection. So, if a tornado warning is issued, you should leave and seek shelter immediately in the nearest safe location, which is likely a nearby building or community storm shelter. Wear thick-soled shoes to avoid injuries from debris such as broken glass, and wrap up in a coat or blanket to avoid breathing dust.

4. Practice your plan

Regularly practicing your plan ensures everyone in your household knows what to do during a tornado watch and where to go should a tornado come your way. Conduct drills to reinforce essential actions like:

Moving to safe shelter points in the designated interior room or storm shelter
Making phone calls to warn family members who are out of the house
Taking adequate personal protection to stay warm and avoid breathing dust

It’s also advisable to regularly check that each household member has access to the most up-to-date weather reports and apps on their cell phones. Storm Shield is a particularly good choice, as it’s a free app the whole family can use.

How to stay safe during a tornado

Let’s recap and help get your tornado safety plan finalized with this quick list of top tornado safety tips:

Seek safe shelter immediately in a storm cellar, shelter, or small interior room on the lowest floor
Stay clear of windows and outside walls
Shield yourself with furniture or blankets
Cover your head and neck with your arms
Avoid using charcoal-burning devices or gas-fired generators in enclosed spaces, as this may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning

How to stay safe after a tornado

Sustained caution is required even after a tornado passes to ensure ongoing safety and efficient recovery. Top safety tips for a tornado’s aftermath include the following action points:

Never reenter damaged buildings until you’re told it’s safe to do so
Inspect your home for broken utility lines and natural gas leaks, and notify the relevant authorities if you detect an issue
Wear thick-soled shoes, long pants, work gloves, and a face covering to avoid breathing dust and mold during clean-up
Avoid making phone calls unless it’s an emergency, so lines remain free for more essential community needs
Continue listening to EAS, NOAA Weather Radio, and local news reports for updated information

Why are tornado safety precautions important?

Texas resides within an area nicknamed “Tornado Alley” has more tornadoes than any other state, averaging 137 per year, one-third of which happen in May. However, regardless of where your home is located in Texas, advanced preparation is paramount in protecting human life.

Understanding tornado risks

Not every tornado watch will result in a tornado warning, so understanding the difference between these two terms is crucial:

A tornado watch indicates that conditions are favorable for tornadoes. If you live in a watch area, you should monitor weather reports, be prepared to act, and be ready to move if a warning is issued
Tornado warnings represent a more severe threat and require immediate action as they indicate a tornado has been sighted in your area or identified by radar

Affordable energy plans from BKVE

While knowing how to prepare for a tornado is essential, choosing the right energy provider is equally crucial.

At BKVE, we understand the importance of reliable electricity, especially during and after extreme weather events. Unlike many other providers, our plans don’t include extra fees, complex jargon, or marketing gimmicks. We offer simple, straightforward options with transparent, easy-to-understand terms.

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Written by Graham Lumley

Graham Lumley, Growth Product Manager at BKV Energy, leads digital and traditional marketing strategies, focusing on educating Texans about the state's deregulated energy market. With over 10 years of marketing experience, he creates content to help consumers understand and save on their energy bills, bringing a fresh and dynamic approach to the industry.