How to Prepare Your Home for a Tornado

The Federal Emergency Management Agency reports that 1,000 tornadoes strike the United States each year, with winds reaching up to 300 miles per hour.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Candle Pantry
• Waterproof Matches
• Battery Radios
• Waterproof Boxes For Valuables
• Canned Foods
• First Aid Kits
• Can Openers
• Cellular Phone Batteries
• Cellular Phone Covers/carrying Cases
• Cellular Phone Minutes
• Cellular Phone Services
• Cellular Phones

1. Understand the danger involved and take it seriously. The worst tornado ever to hit the nation killed 606 people in Illinois in 1925.
2. The safest place to be when a tornado hits is inside.
3. Identify a safe spot in your house where you can take cover if you need to. Basements are a good choice because they are below ground. Other options include closets, bathrooms or hallways on the first floor, as long as they are away from windows.
4. Make you sure you have insurance for your home.
5. During a tornado watch, store your car in a garage or underneath a carport to protect it from hail or flying debris.
6. Bring outdoor furniture and yard equipment into the garage or house so it does not get blown around in the heavy winds and injure someone.
7. Find out what kind of tornado warning signals are used in your community and what they mean.
8. Practice a tornado drill with your family so you can see how you will respond if a tornado warning is issued.
9. Educate an existing neighborhood group about safety procedures and set up a plan to alert senior citizens in case of a warning. Or start a new group with your neighbors.
10. Prepare supplies in a waterproof container for an emergency, including candles, matches and a battery-operated radio.
11. Order a free copy of a booklet called "Taking Shelter from the Storm" from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or view it online at www.fema.gov/mit/tsfs01.htm.
12. Many injuries or deaths resulting from tornadoes occur when buildings collapse. If you are building a new house or remodeling, include a "safe room" - a room built below ground out of reinforced concrete or wood and steel walls that are anchored by a concrete slab foundation or floor.

Tips & Warnings

• After a tornado occurs, do an inventory of the damage for your insurance company.
• Repair any serious problems right away to prevent further ruin from rain, wind or vandalism.
• Double-check your utility lines and appliances to be sure they were not harmed.
• If you smell gas, do not light any matches and take care of the problem right away.