You’ve been asleep for about an hour. The fan you keep on in your bedroom turns off, causing you to wake unexpectedly. You glance at your alarm clock on the nightstand and notice that the red numbers aren’t illuminated. Power outage. Unable to get back to sleep, you shuffle down the hall to the kitchen, and light a couple of candles. In the dim light you notice your housecat sitting on a chair, with wide eyes and twitching ears. She’s alert and disturbed. A strong wind is blowing outside, but then you hear something else. An unmistakeable, dull roaring, rushing sound. With chilling clarity, you realize that you have mere seconds to get to safety. A tornado is almost at your door!
The description above was my experience three years ago. I’ve been in or near four tornados over the years. People normally prepare for more national events such as social collapse, hyperinflation, or EMP. However, a local event can become your own personal apocalypse very rapidly. Awareness, proper construction, and simple measures can reduce the damage and chaos you might otherwise experience from the majority of such storms.
Unexpected Truths
There are several truths about tornadic events that are essential to preparedness: First, the American public usually sees spring as the beginning of “tornado season.” In the rural Mid-South where I live, unsettled weather starts in March. In the higher Plains states, onset can be later. However, the seasonal concept is an inadequate generality. For example, the tornado that hit my property showed up immediately after Thanksgiving. I’ve noticed a weather pattern in my area that often generates strong storms at that time of year that are worse than in the spring.
Second, people are used to seeing the big tornados on television. The majority are small. According to studies from the National Weather service, around 80% of tornados are rated EF-0 or EF-1. That means winds of 110 mph or less. A further 8% are rated as EF-2, with winds of up to 135 mph. This means that damage of nearly 90% of tornados can be mitigated in the same ways that people prepare for hurricanes.
Third, the American public expects to be warned. The majority of tornado fatalities are due to surprise. They are especially deadly in the South, where tornados often arrive at night. Adding to that is the mistaken assumption that you can see the tornado and know where it is at. In all four of my experiences, I was unable to see the tornado clearly due to it being rain-wrapped or in the dark. In only one of my experiences did I have any warning, and that was only because I had a scanner and heard a sheriff’s deputy reporting a tornado on the ground to his dispatch.
Finally, the weather service will lie like other government agencies. If a tornado strikes without warning, they may cover it up after the fact even when clear evidence indicates a tornadic event. It is in their interest to exaggerate the reliability of their detection systems. I was surprised to learn recently that towns in my area aren’t even equipped with tornado sirens. Cell phones and television are the only warning systems available!
Also, weather services are not immune to corruption and self-serving behavior. If a government agency lies, this may affect the terms of your insurance claims and the estimation of damages. When farmers in my area tried to make a federal disaster claim to regain some of what they lost, they were told that it had been simple winds, not a tornado. Damaged items such as twisted road signs and one of my outbuildings that was removed vertically and thrown (while leaving the contents) clearly indicated rotation.
Before The Storm – Construction
It is a good idea to live a prepared life. Weather is no different than any other emergency. Having the right supplies and facilities will make your life easier. The standard advice about having food, water, and flashlights applies. However, I believe that having the right facilities saves damage and lives. Remember that almost 90% of tornados have winds of 135 mph or less. That’s no worse than a Category 4 hurricane.
In coastal areas, it is common to install hurricane shutters on windows, add clips and heavy screws to roofs, and even build with concrete. At my property, my main building is constructed of concrete, and the roof is sheathed in high-quality ¾-inch plywood topped by heavy gauge sheet metal and secured with 3-inch screws. In some cases, it is possible to retrofit existing roof structure with hurricane clips.
Clips as described in this brief article assist in preventing roof liftoff during high winds up to 135 mph, and keep your structure more stable during an earthquake. Clips are simply better than nails, and are a cost-effective upgrade to your structure.
I don’t have hurricane shutters, but I have high-quality windows. You can purchase impact-resistant windows, and existing windows can be enhanced with shatter-resistant film. 3M company makes a number of shatter-resistant film products. Demonstration videos are easily available on their Youtube channel. WindowFilmDepot is a 3M dealer that offers most of these products. Similar items are available from various brands on eBay and Amazon. There are tinted and mirror varieties that can enhance your privacy and reduce sun heating in your building, making it a multi-purpose item.
Based on the damage to nearby homes, I’d estimate the tornado that hit my property was a strong EF-1 or a mild EF-2. I had no damage to my main building. However some neighbors lost entire roofs and siding, and one even had a newly constructed 3-car garage and half of his home blown to bits. I had significant tree damage, and one lightly constructed outbuilding was totally destroyed. It revealed that modern American stick-frame construction with OSB (chipboard) instead of plywood and cheap shingles is woefully inadequate. Just like the story of the Three Little Pigs, you’ll want to the like the little pig who built his house of bricks.
Shelter facilities are also necessary. You can have a reinforced concrete shelter in the interior of your home, or add an external shelter or cellar if you don’t have a basement.
Since my area has a high water table and rocky soil, I recently opted for a pre-fabricated cellar. Since that is a common choice in my area, the costs are relatively low and drop-in ready cellars are available for reasonable prices. They resemble a really large septic tank with a door and ventilation shafts, and are available in multiple sizes. I purchased from a local company that also made and installed septic tanks and burial vaults for cemeteries.
Companies like USA Storm Shelters sell any size you might want.
Other lower-cost pre-fabricated options exist that can be bolted to a concrete slab foundation. Home Depot even offers one that is the size of a closet, and costs under $4,000.
Before the Storm – Equipping Your Shelter
A shelter area needs more than flashlights and a radio. You may be in a hurry and have no time to bring anything with you. You don’t have to plan to occupy it for a long time – a couple of hours perhaps. Some people choose to have a large power supply. I actually prefer the Stanley power box. I prefer using them because I keep them in vehicles. While I have alternative power, it is a good backup and they have proven to be durable. They have enough power to run a laptop, a table lamp, and a fan for at least 2-3 hours. I bought my first one at Walmart 5 years ago for $70, although prices have gone up. You can order online from Amazon, Sam’s Club, or smaller retailers.
Make sure that you keep sturdy boots and some tools in your shelter area, as debris after a tornado may block your exit. If you have the space, you may want to keep a hand saw, a chainsaw, some fuel and oil, as well as log chains and ratcheting come-alongs in case you have to remove trees.
While most preparedness-minded people probably have medical supplies on hand, you might need them after a tornado. The tornado that hit my property ripped up power lines and laid them across all the roads. Trees were shredded and huge trunks lay everywhere. If I had needed any kind of medical help, there would have been no way to receive it. It took 12 hours to clear even rudimentary access to my area. It is also a good idea to have some communications available. Luckily for me, the tornado left local cell towers intact so I never lost phone service.
Watching the Sky and Making Decisions
If you haven’t lived in your current location for a long period of time, get to know your local weather patterns. One resource that can show you tornado history data from the last 70 years is this website. You can use it to view your area and see what tornados of what size have been there, and what the tracks and damage were like. It is, however, limited to government data which might leave some things out.
Talk to neighbors, or if your family has lived in the area for a long time you can talk to older relatives about family history. If something significant has happened, there will likely be a storm story or two. Remember that as climate shifts the weather patterns may shift as well. For example, my land doesn’t have a history of tornadic events, but that has changed now. I’ve noticed that in November, there is usually a sudden change and a really warm, humid day. That change creates violent storms. When I notice that weather pattern, I keep checking the radar images and I stay alert. I prepare my property for harsh weather and secure animals and loose items.
If things start looking bad, don’t wait to seek shelter. I would prefer to sleep peacefully in my shelter area overnight than trust my ability to wake up if something is happening. I would also advise calling family, friends, and neighbors who may not be aware. If the warning systems fail or are late, you may be the only warning they receive. During the tornadic event where I heard the deputy’s warning on the radio, I was working at a factory. The town sirens did not go off until the last minute. Thankfully the tornado stopped short of the town or there would have been casualties. I noticed after the fact that by listening to the scanner, I had gained nearly 5 minutes of extra time for my coworkers. I also had time to call my wife at home, and she was able to reach safety. A few extra minutes can be extremely valuable.
Just a note about vehicles – two of my experiences with tornados were on the highway. There’s not much you can do once you are in the situation. I was lucky (or blessed) both times to survive the experience. Both times were at night. I’ve noticed that vehicles that are heavy and low to the ground are more likely to survive, as long as the tornado is small. Don’t count on being able to out-drive a tornado, or even find a decent shelter spot. Ditches and low areas quickly fill with water in a heavy storm. Situational awareness is key. I could have avoided my two vehicular encounters by paying better attention to the weather.
After The Storm
The storm has passed, and your property has sustained some damage. You exit your shelter to find a mess all around you. Trees and power lines are down. Access is blocked, and fragments of various items are strewn around your property. If you were lucky and prepared, your home is mostly intact. Even though the tornado is gone, you have some new risks to deal with. Your first step after making sure everybody is safe and uninjured is to assess the weather situation. Is another storm on the way? During some tornado outbreaks, tornados can arrive in multiple waves and hit the same area twice. You don’t want to be outside cleaning up if that happens!
If the weather event is truly over, you need to check for other threats to your property and that of your neighbors. A primary risk is fire. Damaged electrical connections, gas/propane lines, and spilled fuel are real dangers. While rain in a storm may have soaked dry lumber, trees, and grass, that won’t always prevent fires from starting and spreading. Once you have inspected your property, reach out to your nearest neighbors. A fire at their property could spread to yours.
Storms can bring out the best in human nature, as people gather to help each other. They can also bring out the worst. In recent years, there have been many news stories about widespread looting and violence after hurricanes. You may experience similar events on a smaller scale after a tornado. It is not uncommon for people outside the damaged area to come in and steal the scattered possessions of those who have been hit. It is wise to be armed after a natural disaster, just in case.
OPSEC is important. When the tornado hit my property, I was able to remain comfortable. I had lights and running water and food. I had a generator purring outside. I noticed that the area where I live was totally silent! Families that live nearby work in the city, and not everybody has a preparedness mindset. It was immediately clear that nobody else had a running generator. When I talked with my closest neighbors, they complained to me about having no electricity. They also said they were going to lose the groceries in their refrigerator.
I was very glad that my generator was quiet and in a walled location – I definitely did not want to let others know that I was prepared. I also noticed that while most people had chainsaws, not everyone did. Some who had saws did not have fuel. Neighbors helped each other with tree removal, and people who had tractors were very busy.
Overall, my experiences with tornados pointed out some areas for improvement in my general preparedness. Real-world experience is sometimes the best teacher even when the lessons are difficult. Three years later, I still have areas on my property that show signs of damage. Cleaning up is a slow process, and neighbors still talk about the event. It has been a useful talking point to mention the merits of generators, stored fuel, and preparedness. If a crisis comes, don’t waste the opportunities that follow.