How to Survive a Deadly Tornado

Tornados are impressive and terrifying meteorological events born from large thunderstorms. The swirling wind that makes up these vortices can reach speeds up to 300 mph and destroy anything in its path. Deadly!

On the plus side: Twisters don’t kill that many people compared to some other natural disasters—only about 80 people die from tornados in a given year in the U.S.—but you should still prepare, particularly if you live in a tornado-prone part of the country.

What to do before a tornado

To maximize your tornado-survival chances, take these simple steps.

Determine your level of risk: In the U.S., the Midwest and the Southeast regions are most tornado-prone, but a tornados could, theoretically, touch down anywhere. Oklahoma City, located in the middle of “Tornado Alley,” is the most tornado-plagued town in the U.S. Know your warning systems: Tornado warnings are disseminated through outdoor sirens in some places, local television and radio stations, cable television systems, cell phone apps, and NOAA weather radio. Don’t rely on one source of information—double (or triple) up. Plan where you’ll go in the event of tornado: The best place to go in a tornado is a FEMA safe room or a storm shelter built to ICC 500 standards. If you haven’t built or bought one of those, you want to retreat to a small, interior, windowless room, in the lowest level of your home, preferably in the basement. If you live in a trailer: You need to find a storm shelter outside your dwelling. Trailers don’t hold up to tornadoes very well. Have a drill: Once you know where to go, practice getting there quickly and safely. Don’t forget your pet!Prepare an emergency kit: Your versatile, general home disaster kit should contain water, food, a flashlight, first aid supplies, and more. Check out this shopping list, straight from the federal government, for a more detailed list of suggested supplies.

What the National Weather Service’s tornado terms mean

Tornado watch: This means weather conditions for tornadoes are favorable during the next few hours. It usually covers a large area of several cities, counties, or even states. Monitor your information sources closely if you hear this. Tornado warning: This means a tornado has been sighted or has shown up on weather radar. If you hear one of these, it’s time to take action—danger to life and property is imminent.Tornado emergency: This is the Nation Weather Service yelling at you that a tornado is coming and it’s going to get bad. It means significant, widespread damage is expected with a high likelihood of numerous fatalities.

What to do during a tornado

If you get very lucky, you could have up to an hour of warning that you are in the path of a tornado, but the average warning time is around 15 minutes, which should be plenty of time to either get to your shelter or ask yourself why you were too lazy to build one.

Cover yourself: While waiting for fate to either destroy your home or spare it, you should cower in your shelter, covering yourself with a blanket and furniture, using your arms to protect your head and neck. The main danger in a tornado is flying debris. Keep informed: Check your battery powered radio for any updates. If you are inside but not home when a tornado hits: The worst place to be is a “long-span building,” like a mall, theater, gym, or Amazon warehouse. The basic rule is the same as at home: Go to the lowest level of the building, stay away from windows, and protect your head and neck from flying debris. If you are in your car when a twister hits: Do not try to outrun it. If you have time, drive to a shelter and get inside. If there is no shelter, pull over, duck below the windows, keep your seatbelt fastened, and protect your head and neck. Or abandon your car and seek shelter in a low lying area, such as a ditch or ravine.If you are outside when a tornado hits: Find shelter. Sheds, tents, and mobile homes are not safe. If there is no shelter, go to a low-lying area, such as a ditch or ravine, and lie flat. Protect your head and neck with an object or with your arms. Avoid areas with many trees.If you are snatched up into a tornado: If you are pulled into a tornado, you probably won’t land in a mystical fantasy world where you will learn that there is no place like home. You will just die. Ok, you might survive—this eight year old kid did—but it’s just luck at this point.

What to do after a tornado

The danger isn’t over when the tornado has passed, especially if it hit your house.

Save your cellphone batteries: Instead of making calls to say you’ve survived, send texts or post on social media. Avoid downed power lines and other dangerous debris: A good rule anytime. Take precautions when cleaning up: Wear heavy gloves, boots, pants, and a mask when cleaning up after a disaster. You would feel pretty dumb getting hurt after the tornado wrecks your house because you were walking around in flip-flops.

Common myths about tornados

“Hide under an underpass” It’s actually more dangerous under an underpass because the narrow passage can make the wind speed higher, so do not wait out a storm under an underpass.“I should drive away from it.” You don’t know which way the tornado is going to go—no one does—and you would probably crash into something anyway. So just sit tight. “Seek shelter in the SW corner of the house” People used to think that tornadoes only move Northeast, so the Southwest corner was safest from debris. But tornadoes actually move in any direction.“Open all the windows” Opening all the windows in your house to level out the pressure (or whatever) is not a good idea. It doesn’t work, and you should use that time to get to your shelter instead. 
“Trailer parks attract tornadoes” Come on. Trailer homes tend to sustain more damage when tornadoes hit them because they are lightweight and lack solid foundations, but they don’t attract tornadoes.