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Even if you don’t live in the infamous Tornado Alley, your area could still be prone to tornadoes. In fact, every US state (except for Alaska) has seen at least one tornado over the past 10 years.
In Florida, Texas, and Louisiana, tornados can form within hurricanes. This means if you’re ready for a hurricane, you will have most of the supplies you need for a tornado.
INTERIOR ROOM
While this isn’t exactly a tornado supply, it should be a pre-determined location to all members of your household. Because once a tornado alert is issued, you may only have minutes before it strikes.
Decide in advance which room is going to be designated to go to in case of of tornado. It should be an interior room, with no windows or the smallest/least number of windows.
A bathroom, a closet, a laundry room, or even the basement are great locations. Just make sure there’s room for the entire family, including pets.
If you’re not at home, you’ll need to consider other interior room possibilities or low levels within a building.
For example, if you’re at a restaurant, the kitchen or bathroom may be the safest places.
If you’re at a retail store, the dressing room, break room, back room or bathrooms are all possibilities.
In a mall, go to the bottom floor or the basement.
Stay away from large rooms like cafeterias or gymnasiums.
PILLOWS/BLANKETS
Covering your head with a blanket or pillow may help prevent injury from falling debris.
If you’re in a location where you don’t have a pillow or blanket, cover your head with your arms or get under a heavy table, desk or a workbench. Some head protection is better than no head protection.
HELMETS
As I just mentioned, head protection is key during a tornado. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has always strongly recommended head protection during a tornado because head injuries are a common cause of injury and death.
With that said, even though the CDC doesn’t have any research of the effectiveness of helmets during a hurricane, the do mention that helmets can be a part of a tornado readiness kit.
The key here is that the helmet be quickly and readily accessible since you may not have a lot of time to get to your safe room.
OutdoorMaster Skateboard Cycling Helmet
Thickened, shock absorbing core make this a good option for protection during tornadoes.
80Six Dual Certified Kids Helmet
Made for kids age 5+.
Infant / Toddler Helmets
Comes in multiple colors and fits children age 1-8+.
STURDY WORK BOOTS
Tornadoes can leave a river of wood, broken glass and metal everywhere. It’s essential that you have a hard soled, steel toed work boot in your preparedness kit.
Cat Footwear Men’s Second Shift Steel Toe Work Boot
Steel toe, slip resistant, and they have electrical hazard protection against open circuits up to 600 volts in dry conditions. This is a great boot for maneuvering through the aftermath of a tornado.
Cat Footwear Women’s Echo Waterproof Steel Toe Work Boot
Steel toe, slip resistant, waterproof, and electrical hazard protection. These boots are ready for some action!
BATTERY OPERATED / HAND CRANK WEATHER RADIO
An NOAA weather radio is a necessity during hazardous weather conditions, as it can give you vital information if your cell phone is out of service. Just make sure it’s battery operated, and that you have extra batteries in your designated safe location.
Midland NOAA Weather Radio (ER310)
Powered by solar, hand crank, rechargeable battery or 6 AA batteries. Has an SOS beacon flashlight and an ultrasonic dog whistle to help rescuers. Can also charge cell phones and tablets via USB. Midland is a trusted name in weather radios, so this one is a goodie.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Help prevent small fires from turning into bigger disasters by having some sort of fire extinguisher in your safe room, as well as your vehicle.
Ougist Fire Extinguisher Spray
This compact fire extinguisher fits perfectly into a backpack, without being bulky. Protects against: Class A fires (paper, wood and other general combustibles), Class B fires (gasoline and other combustible liquids), Class C fires (electrically charged substances class), and Class K fires (cooking oil category).
FACE MASK
Depending on the amount of damage after a tornado, you may need a face mask to protect you from dust and other dangerous airborne particulate. An N95 mask is usually the most basic that I recommend.
3M N95 Mask
Great protection against smoke and dust.
3M Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator
This one is typically used for industrial maintenance, construction and chemical handling, but if you have asthma or other respiratory problems, I would recommend keeping one in your vehicle and your safe room.
WHISTLE
Having each family member equipped with a high-powered whistle in the pocket or around the wrist, can literally be a lifesaver if they happen to get buried under debris.
I recommend getting one with the pea (the little ball), because if the pea is damaged by mold, the whistle may not work.
Michael Josh 2PCS Outdoor Survival Whistle
This 150 decibel whistle can be heard from long distances. Comes 2 to a pack with a keyring, carabiner and a lanyard.
FLASHLIGHT
Make sure you choose a flashlight that’s durable and waterproof.
GearLight LED Flashlight
This flashlight is compact enough to fit in a purse or a backpack, yet strong enough to withstand a 10 foot drop. It’s also water resistant, making it a perfect addition to your tornado supply backpack.
PLASTIC SHEETING
Can be used to protect furniture and clothes from the elements after a tornado.
Plastic Drop Cloth
20 Pieces of 9×12 waterproof plastic cloth.
DUCT TAPE
Can be used to tape plastic sheeting or tarp into place.
Lockport Silver Duct Tape
Tears by hand, and holds up in wet and humid conditions. 12 rolls – 30 yards long, 2 inches wide.
Scotch Tough Poly Hanging and Tarps Duct Tape
This duct tape is weather resistant, so it can be used indoors and outdoors up to 200 degrees. Specially made to hang tarp and plastic sheeting.
EMERGENCY BLANKET
While you can use a mylar emergency blanket, getting something a little sturdier may be a better choice if you have small children or elderly people in your household.
Texas Bushcraft Merino Wool Blanket
This wool blanket is both water resistant and fireproof. A good choice if you’re looking for a warm emergency blanket. (66×90)
Swiss Safe Emergency Blankets
A pack of 4 mylar blankets. Made to block rain, snow and moisture. Definitely not as warm as a wool blanket, but their small and can fit inside a backpack or purse. Perfect for keeping in the car for emergencies.
EXTRA SET OF KEYS
Be sure to store an extra set of car keys in your safe room backpack. This way should the other pair get lost amongst debris, you have a second set on hand.
CASH
If the electricity is out, you’ll need cash to purchase things like gas or food. It’s preferable to have small bills like $5’s and $1’s as change may not be readily available.
COPIES OF IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
At minimum you should keep a copy of birth certificates, drivers licenses, insurance documents, ownership titles (for vehicles), passports, and wills inside a waterproof container. If you have any one-of-a-kind family photos, you may also want to have copies of these as well.
ALORVA Fireproof and Waterproof Document Bag
This fireproof, waterproof document bag was created by firefighters and tested in an actual housefire.
TORNADO PREPAREDNESS BACKPACK
Because there’s often very little time to prepare for a tornado, I recommend a tornado-ready backpack for your vehicle and another 1-2 for your safe space at home.
Ready America Tornado Emergency Kit
This 2 person kit contains enough supplies for a day or two at most. This includes a 33-piece first-aid kit, 2 2,400 calorie food bars (5 year shelf life), 12 packs of drinking water, 3 light sticks, a disposable air mask, 1 emergency whistle, duct tape, emergency blankets, emergency ponchos, heavy duty gloves, and towelettes.
EMERGENCY WATER PACKETS
I always recommend water packets over bottles because packets tend to be easier and lighter to store in your backpack.
Also, water packets are made for emergency situations, so they tend to have a much longer shelf life than bottles of water.
Remember, you’ll need about a gallon of water per person, per day, for at least 3 days. And don’t forget to include your furry friends in that equation.
Anti Burst Emergency Water Packets
These are lightweight, burst proof and have a 5 year shelf life.
NON PERISHABLE FOOD
You should always have at least 3 days worth of non-perishable food for each person in your household.
Canned items can almost always be eaten without being heated. So items like tuna fish, sardines, beans, vegetables and fruit (like pineapples or peaches) are perfect. These items can be paired with crackers, cookies, granola bars, beef jerky, nuts, and breakfast cereal.
You may also opt for emergency food rations, if you’re looking for something that can be safely stored for several years.
If you decide to buy freeze dried rations, make sure you understand whether you’re getting separate packets of food for each day or one big packet.
I’ve noticed that a lot of the ration companies may advertise something like 8 servings of chicken, yet those 8 servings are in a single pouch, instead of separate pouches. Only you can decide what’s best for your family.
Grizzly Gear Emergency Food Rations
These 400 calorie rations have a lemony poundcake taste. They’re non-thirst provoking, so you’re not going to feel like drinking a ton of water afterwards. Each person eats 3 bars a day, and the package comes with a total of 9 bars. Grizzly Gear also has blueberry flavored ration bars as well. These bars have a 5 year lifespan.
ReadyWise Emergency Food Supply
Freeze dried strawberries, bananas, peas, broccoli and corn. Add any temperature water to hydrate. 120 servings total.
Mountain House 3-Day Emergency Food Supply
Comes with: (2) Biscuits & Gravy, (2) Granola with Milk & Blueberries, (2) Chicken Fried Rice, (2) Chicken & Dumplings, and (2) Beef Stroganoff with Noodles. Requires hot or room temperature water.
