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Bracing for the Winds: Preparing for a Tornado
A sudden thunderstorm rolls in, accompanied by flashes of lightning and strong winds. As the clouds darken ominously, there’s a brief lull before the attention-getting National Weather Service’s warning blares across the TV or your cell phone, signaling the upgrade from a tornado watch to a tornado warning. With only a few minutes to spare, you realize the urgency as you see the formation of a menacing funnel cloud in the distance. What’s your next move?
Waiting until the danger is upon you to come up with a plan leaves you with very little time to make sound decisions. Safety in a tornado is never a guarantee; however, these practical preventative measures will increase your chances of making it through the storm unscathed.
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1. Know the different tornado alerts:
Tornado Watch: this alert is issued when weather and atmospheric conditions for forming a tornado are present. The coverage area of these alerts spans county borders and in some cases state lines.
Tornado Warnings: Watches are upgraded to warnings when a tornado is physically spotted or picked up via radar in a specific area. When this alert is triggered, danger is imminent.
2. Craft an Emergency Kit:
When the weather clears, roads could be blocked by debris, power could be gone for an unspecified amount of time. It could be days, sometimes weeks, before life gets back to some normalcy. Having a stash of emergency supplies to hold you and your family over during and after the storm is essential.
Here are some items to think about adding to your kit.
First-aid supplies, such as band aids, antiseptic wipes, latex gloves, gauze, antibiotic ointment, tweezers, hot/cold packs, over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs
Bottled water
Non-perishable food. Canned and dried fruits, vegetables, soup, chicken, fish, along with nuts and peanut butter, trail mix, beef jerky, and granola bars are excellent items to consider. If you have a toddler and/or pets, make sure to add baby food, baby formula and pet food to your kit.
A light source that does not require electricity. Battery powered lanterns, flashlights and even glow sticks are great examples.
A surplus of batteries to fit your light source and other battery-powered electronics
Battery- or solar-powered or hand-crank radio for continued storm updates
An emergency blanket
Additional clothing
Camping supplies. A tent, tarp, some rope and a tool set will allow you to construct a makeshift shelter should your home be uninhabitable in the aftermath.
Sanitation items, like tissues, toilet paper, trash bags, diapers and sanitizer will allow you to maintain some sense of hygiene should you be trapped in your safe location for an extended period.
3. Consolidate Important Personal and Financial Documentation
Personal and financial documentation is not easy to replace. Keep key documents, like the examples that follow, in an accessible folder that can be grabbed quickly in the event of a tornado:
Birth Certificates
Social security cards
Tax information
Medical documentation
Insurance documents (Note, if you're a AAA Insurance policy holder, you can access your insurance documents via the AAA mobile app.)
Government-issued IDs (includes driver’s licenses, state IDs, military IDs, passports, etc.)
4. Create, Review and Practice an Emergency Action Plan:
Having a practiced plan in place for a tornado could mean the difference between life and death. Consider the following:
Establish a safe location. Ideally, this location should be a central room on the lowest floor of the home, preferably a basement or cellar, away from windows and doors.
Determine emergency exits
Decide the location of the emergency kit
Discuss a communication plan with loved ones in the event of separation
Drill the plan to make sure that everyone can react accordingly should the need arise
Once your plan is in place and well-practiced, it is time to start thinking about your property and other personal belongings. Tornadoes uproot trees, toss vehicles and level homes, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake. When faced with a forceful fury of winds capable of such devastation, it is important to review your insurance coverage.
Here are a few things to take into consideration when reviewing your policy:
What is and is not covered by my insurance policy?
How much financial protection will the policy afford?
What is my policy’s deductible?
Do I have an up-to-date inventory of personal belongings?
Is my home inventory documented with photo and video evidence to assist in the event of a claim being filed?
How do I file a claim?
Do not wait until it is too late to start preparing your home and your family for a tornado. These violent twisters are unpredictable and lethal. Prepare for a tornado in the calm before the storm so that when disaster strikes, you are ready to act.
This information is being provided for general informational purposes only. The Auto Club Group does not assume any liability in connection with providing this information.
AAA Insurance is a collection of AAA branded insurance products, services, and programs made available to qualified members. Personal lines insurance is underwritten by Auto Club Insurance Association (IL Auto, IL Home, MI Home, MN Home), Auto Club Group Insurance Company (IA Auto, IA Home, IN Auto, IN Home, NE Auto, NE Home, WI Auto, WI Home), Auto Club Insurance Company of Florida (FL Package), Auto Club South Insurance Company (FL Auto), MemberSelect Insurance Company (GA Auto, GA Home, MI Auto, MN Auto, TN Auto, TN Home), The Members Insurance Company (NC Auto, NC Home), and Universal Insurance Company (NC Auto, NC Home, SC Auto, SC Home).
