Essential Tornado Safety Tips You Need to Know Before It’s Too Late

Tornadoes can cause sudden and severe damage. However, with the proper preparation and some tornado safety tips, you can reduce risks and stay safe. This guide covers everything you need to know to handle each stage of a tornado emergency confidently.

Tornado safety tips before during and after

Tornado Watches and Warnings

Before figuring out some safety tornado tips, it is crucial to differentiate between a tornado watch and a warning, since they both signal very different threat levels.

Understanding them will help you respond appropriately and can save lives.

Tornado Preparedness Tips

Preventing and practicing safety tips before a tornado is essential. Being prepared allows you to respond immediately, reduces panic, and protects you and your loved ones. Follow these tips: 

Know the signs of a tornado

Weather forecasting science is imperfect, and some tornadoes strike without notice. Therefore, aside from the apparent tornado, below are some things to watch and listen for:

• The cloud base rotates strongly and persistently.

• Tornadoes don't always form a visible funnel; sometimes, they appear as swirling dust or debris near the ground under a cloud base.

Realize the signs of a tornado

• After hail or heavy rain, there may be a sudden stillness or a quick, forceful change in wind direction. Heavy rain can also obscure some tornadoes, making them hard to see.

• Continuous, loud rumble or roar does not disappear in several seconds like thunder.

Sign up for your community’s warning system

It is vital to stay informed when severe weather is approaching. Sign up for your local community’s warning system to receive updates quickly. 

You may get alerts through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) or a NOAA Weather Radio. If your town uses tornado sirens, ensure you know what the warning sounds like and what to do when you hear it.

Practice tornado drills

Tornado drills help you remain cool and respond fast in an emergency.  

Locate a secure spot inside your home, such as a windowless interior room or a basement. Practice heading to that place with everyone in your home. 

Repeating this frequently ensures everyone understands what to do if a tornado strikes.

Practice tornado drills

Assemble an emergency kit

Prepare bottled water, a flashlight, nonperishable food, additional batteries, and a first aid kit in your emergency bag.

You should also include personal items such as prescriptions, vital documents, and a phone charger. Put the kit in your shelter so it is readily available when needed.

Tornado Safety Tips

In case of a tornado warning, it means that a tornado has been seen or identified on radar. Then, you should seek cover immediately. 

Below are some necessary safety tips for tornado at home and tornado safety tips while driving if there is a tornado warning, and what you should not do.

Safety tips for a tornado

If you are inside

• In a small building or residence

Head to a designated safe spot such as a basement, storm cellar, or the lowest level of your building.

In case there is no basement, head to the center of a small interior room on the lowest level that is free of corners, doors, windows, and exterior walls. Also, place walls between yourself and the outside.

• In a hospital, school, or other public places

Go to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor.

Additionally, the National Weather Service recommends staying away from windows and avoiding large open spaces like gymnasiums, cafeterias, or auditoriums.

Tornado safety tips for apartments

• In a mobile home

Leave the mobile home instantly since it will offer little to no protection against a tornado. Rather, go to a community shelter, if available, or move as far away from your mobile home as possible.

Besides, one of the best mobile home tornado safety tips is lying in a low-lying place, covering your head with a blanket, hands, or other kind of protection.

If you are driving on the road or outside

If a tornado hits while you are driving, try to find a nearby building where you can take shelter.

If no shelter is available, stay in your car, fasten your seatbelt, and lower your head below the windows. Protect your head with your hands or a blanket.

Alternatively, lie flat in a low area or ditch and shield your head using your arms, a coat, blanket, or cushion.

Find a shelter immediately

NEVER hide behind an overpass. Meteorologists warn that wind speeds can increase in the narrow space beneath an overpass.

Instead of sheltering there, find a ditch, lie down, and protect your head. Stay as far from your vehicle as you can to avoid being thrown against it by strong winds.

What to Do After a Tornado

After a tornado passes, it’s important to stay cautious and assess your surroundings carefully. Follow these key safety tips after a tornado to ensure your safety and begin the recovery process:

Best tips for tornado safety

Conclusion

Understanding and following essential tornado safety tips can make a life-saving difference before, during, and after a storm. Keep yourself informed, respond promptly, and always put safety first to protect yourself and those around you!