How to Prepare for a Tornado: A Calm Checklist

Tornadoes give you minutes, not days — so tornado prep isn't about supplies, it's about knowing your safe spot and getting the warning in time. The calm version, built on the National Weather Service, Ready.gov and the CDC.

The quick version (5-minute scan)

• Watch = get ready. Warning = take cover now.
• Safe spot: lowest floor, small interior room, no windows. Pick it today.
• Alerts: a NOAA weather radio and phone emergency alerts — don't rely on outdoor sirens.
• Cover up: protect your head and neck; helmets genuinely help.
• Mobile homes: leave for a sturdy building before it arrives.

1. Watch vs. Warning

• Tornado Watch: conditions are favorable. Stay alert, know where you'll shelter, keep your phone and radio close.
• Tornado Warning: one has been spotted or shown on radar. Take cover immediately — don't wait to confirm it yourself.

2. Where to shelter

The goal is to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible, on the lowest level:

• Best: a basement or a dedicated safe room/storm shelter.
• No basement: a small interior room on the lowest floor — bathroom, closet, or centre hallway — with no windows.
• Get under sturdy furniture if you can, and cover your head and neck with your arms, a blanket, or a mattress. A bike or sports helmet meaningfully reduces head injury (CDC).
• Stay away from windows; most injuries are from flying debris and glass.

Not sure your household has the basics covered? The free Resilience Score takes about three minutes, no sign-up wall. → Take the Resilience Score

3. Special cases

• Mobile/manufactured homes: they offer almost no protection — leave for a sturdy building or community shelter before the storm, not during.
• In a car: don't try to outrun a tornado in traffic. Drive to a sturdy building if clearly possible; otherwise, as a last resort, get below road level in a ditch and cover your head — and never shelter under an overpass (wind accelerates there).

4. Get a warning that actually wakes you

Many tornado deaths happen at night, when sirens (which are designed for people outdoors) won't wake you. Set up two layers: a NOAA Weather Radio with an alarm, and Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone (on by default for most). If skies turn dark and greenish, hail falls, or you hear a continuous roar like a freight train, don't wait for confirmation — shelter.

5. After

Watch for downed power lines, gas leaks, and broken glass; don't enter damaged buildings. Check on neighbours, especially the elderly. Keep a communication plan so your household can reconnect if cell service is down.

Tornado readiness comes down to two habits: a safe spot everyone knows, and an alert that reaches you in time. Set both up on a calm afternoon — see how to make a family emergency plan.

Frequently asked questions

What's the safest place during a tornado?
The lowest floor, in a small interior room with no windows — a basement or storm shelter is best; otherwise an interior bathroom, closet, or hallway. Cover your head and neck. (NWS)

Watch vs warning — what's the difference?
A watch means conditions are favorable, so be ready; a warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected, so take cover immediately. (Ready.gov)

Should I shelter under a highway overpass?
No. Wind speeds up under overpasses and you're exposed to debris. Get to a sturdy building, or lie in a low ditch as a last resort. (NWS)

Sources: NWS — Tornado Safety; Ready.gov — Tornadoes; CDC — Tornado Safety (head protection); American Red Cross — Tornado Safety. Educational reference — not professional advice; for any acute emergency, contact your local emergency number.