Tornado Emergency Kit + Preparedness Checklist

Build your tornado preparedness kit

Tornado kits are shorter than hurricane kits because the event itself is shorter; what matters more is that everything lives inside the shelter area already. If you have to run across the house to find a flashlight during a warning, the kit failed before the storm hit. Tap each item once it is in the shelter area; your checks stay on this device.

Tornado response: before the season through after the all-clear

A tornado response plays out on five clocks: the season clock (months), the watch clock (hours), the warning clock (minutes), the storm clock (seconds), and the recovery clock (days). Knowing what to do on each is the whole game. If the watch-versus-warning distinction is new to you, start with our plain-language guide to what each alert means.

1. 1

   Before the season

   Identify your shelter: a basement, storm cellar, or safe room if you have one; otherwise a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest floor with no windows. Stock the shelter with the kit above. Brief every household member on the route to the shelter and practice it once.

2. 2

   When a tornado watch is issued

   A watch means tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Move the kit to the shelter if it is not already there. Charge phones and battery packs. Bring pets inside. Stay aware of the sky and the NOAA radio. Do not leave the house for errands until the watch expires.

3. 3

   When a tornado warning is issued

   A warning means a tornado is indicated or spotted in your area. Take shelter NOW. Put on helmets and sturdy shoes. Cover yourselves with the mattress or blankets. Stay away from windows. Keep the NOAA radio on. Do not open windows; it is a myth that pressure equalization helps.

4. 4

   During the storm

   Stay low, cover your head, and stay put until the all-clear is announced on the radio. A loud, continuous roar or rumble that does not fade like thunder can be a tornado close by; the Storm Prediction Center says the most common tornado sound is a continuous rumble, like a nearby train. Stay down; it is not the time to look.

5. 5

   After the all-clear

   Wait for explicit NOAA or local emergency all-clear before leaving shelter. Check everyone for injuries. Put on sturdy shoes and gloves. Avoid downed power lines and gas lines. Photograph damage before moving anything for insurance. Do not use lighters or candles until you have confirmed there is no gas leak.

Where to shelter: the hierarchy that actually works

The best shelter is the lowest, most interior, most structurally protected space you can reach quickly. Rank your options now so you are not making the decision during a warning - our room-by-room shelter guide walks the house you already live in, and if you want to go further, a budget safe-room conversion hardens the room you pick.

Special cases: mobile homes, cars, and being outside

Wireless emergency alerts (WEA) for tornadoes

Outdoor tornado sirens are designed only to alert people who are outside, and siren policy is set locally, so indoors you need your own warning. The National Weather Service sends tornado warnings as Wireless Emergency Alerts, which arrive with a unique tone and vibration, both repeated twice.

You do not need to sign up for WEA, but alerts can be switched off in phone settings, so verify:

• iPhone: Settings → Notifications → scroll to Government Alerts and enable every category, especially tornado.
• Android: Settings → Notifications → Wireless Emergency Alerts and enable every category.

For true belt-and-suspenders redundancy, pair WEA with a NOAA Weather Radio configured for SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) so it only sounds for your area. The National Weather Service recommends a NOAA Weather Radio for alerts indoors, and it does not depend on your phone.

Tornado preparedness FAQ

Sources

The safety guidance on this page follows the National Weather Service and the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. If a National Weather Service warning for your county disagrees with anything here, the warning comes first.

• The Online Tornado FAQ — NOAA Storm Prediction Center

  Supports: that opening windows does not help — the SPC calls it "absolutely useless, a waste of precious time, and can be very dangerous"; the watch versus warning definitions; the helmet and debris advice ("Flying debris is the greatest danger in tornadoes", "A helmet can offer some protection against head injury"); the after-storm hazards ("broken glass, nails, and other sharp objects"); the bathtub note ("If you have a metal bath tub, that may offer a shell of partial protection, but not plastic or fiberglass ones"); the basement advice (do not go under heavy objects on the floor above, which "may fall down through a weakened floor"); the mobile-home advice ("Get out! Even if your home is tied down, it is not as safe as an underground shelter or permanent, sturdy building"; "Most tornadoes can destroy even tied-down mobile homes"); the vehicle advice ("There is no safe option when caught in a tornado in a car, just slightly less-dangerous ones"; "If the tornado is visible, far away, and the traffic is light, you may be able to drive out of its path by moving at right angles"); the overpass deaths of 3 May 1999; the outdoors advice ("lie flat and face-down on low ground, protecting the back of your head with your arms"); the tornado sound ("The most common tornado sound is a continuous rumble, like a nearby train"; "Loud, continuous roar or rumble, which doesn’t fade in a few seconds like thunder"); that lead time "can be a negative number in reality"; and that "Siren policy is local and varies from place to place."

• Prepare! Don't let Tornadoes Take You by Surprise — National Weather Service

  Supports: the advice to plan a safe room before a warning is issued: "Pick a safe room in your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows."

• What to do During a Tornado — National Weather Service

  Supports: the during-the-event actions (basement, safe room, or an interior room away from windows) and the vehicle options: "Being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe. The best course of action is to drive to the closest shelter. If you are unable to make it to a safe shelter, either get down in your car and cover your head, or abandon your car and seek shelter in a low lying area such as a ditch or ravine."

• Outdoor Warning Sirens: Frequently Asked Questions — National Weather Service, Quad Cities office

  Supports: the siren claim: "Sirens are an outdoor warning system designed only to alert those who are outside that something dangerous is approaching"; and "For alerts indoors, every home and business should have a NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards."

• Weather warnings on the go! (Wireless Emergency Alerts) — National Weather Service

  Supports: that NWS sends tornado warnings as WEA, and "WEA messages include a special tone and vibration, both repeated twice."

• Tornado Safety — National Weather Service

  Supports: that "Tornadoes can occur at any time of day or night and at any time of the year."

• Tornadoes — Ready.gov

  Supports: the preparedness checklist framing and the guidance to identify a community shelter in advance.

Deep dives from our article library

These articles go deeper on the parts of tornado preparedness that need their own treatment.

For the rest of storm season, our tornado and other storm guides are in one place, and you can set up tornado-season alerts for your home.

How to Create a Safe Room on a Budget

How to turn an interior room into a safer shelter space on a budget: what to reinforce and what to skip.

How to Create a Family Emergency Communication Plan

How to build a family communication plan for when you are separated and phone service is unreliable.

Essential Documents Checklist for Family Emergencies

A checklist of the documents to keep copied and protected, and which ones belong in the shelter container.

Complete Tornado Safety and Preparedness Guide

The pillar guide: how tornadoes form, what the risk is where you live, and every step from watch to all-clear.

Tornado Watch vs Warning: What Each Means and How to Respond

A watch means conditions are possible; a warning means take shelter now. What to do in each case, and where to go.

Where to Take Shelter During a Tornado: Room-by-Room Guide

No basement is not the same as no options. The safest spot in each room, ranked, for the house you already live in.