20+ Tornado Survival Tips from an EF-5 Tornado Survivor

I survived the May 20th, 2013 EF-5 tornado in Moore Oklahoma, and though the Omaha tornado yesterday is the closest we’ve gotten to an EF-5 in 11 years (it may be one, I’m not clear yet), I’ve also been living in tornado alley my whole life. This post is filled with all the tips, tricks, necessities, and plans for different situations that I and my family have learned and shared, as well as information from the CDC. I posted some version of this post a couple years ago on my private blog, but due to the potential for tornado outbreaks today and in the next several weeks, I wanted to share this again. I have updated quite a lot, though, so even if you think you’ve read that post, I’m begging you, please read this one too (not trying to be annoying! I promise it’s helpful!).

If you come away with one thing, I hope it’s that if your local meteorologist thinks that there’s a moderate chance or higher of tornadoes, be prepared. On May 3, 1999, they said a tornado was possible, not that it was very likely. That tornado was an EF-5. There are always people who think it will never hit them and they’ll be fine. This may not be true. If you get hit, you don’t want to be caught off guard. A tornado is strong, loud, and powerful. They take lives and destroy everything in some of the lives they spare. A tornado is a serious threat, and you need to treat it like one. However, don’t panic. Be prepared, not scared. EF-4 and EF-5 tornadoes make up 0.5% of tornadoes, while EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes make up almost 86% of tornadoes (at least according to Wikipedia, the least reliable source here 😂). There’s something called the availability heuristic at work when you freak out like everything will be destroyed: your brain recalls the scary stories more easily and thus believes they’re more common events than they are. It’s your brain’s funny way of trying to protect you while simplifying your life, and it’s normal but can be worked around. Prepare like you’ll get the first EF-5 in 11 years, but relax like nothing will happen. With that said, let’s dive in.

(This post is organized into three sections: when tornado season hits, when you have a tornado watch, and during a tornado.)

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When Tornado Season Hits

At the beginning of tornado season, make sure you take videos or pictures of everything you own. Why? Because in the event that you lose everything and have insurance, you’ll have to tell your insurance company what you lost so they can give you money for it. If you wouldn’t want to replace it, don’t film it, but this would be your proof and help if you had to report what you’ve lost. It’s a nightmare when you have to try and work out what you lost when the company doesn’t know and you can’t think of it. I recommend videoing even things you don’t necessarily care about just because you might all of a sudden miss them when they’re gone. I lost things I probably would have told you didn’t matter before but afterwards all I could think about was what was lost. I was lucky to have things given to me, but they weren’t the same, didn’t feel like mine, and I wanted familiar things and my life before back. (Even if you don’t miss it, you might be able to get money for it, so that’s another good reason to film everything.)

If you have kids, you’re also going to want to do family drills. You can make this fun, and you can use any monthly, bi weekly, or weekly tornado siren tests in your area to help you practice. My family did our first drill the day before the tornado that hit us and it made it a little bit easier the day of.

When You Have a Tornado Watch

What to pack

When packing for a tornado, pack things you really want to save in a large backpack. Act like you’re visiting a friend you’d want to show your favorite things to, and you’re leaving Friday, having recreation, study or work, and down time on Saturday, and going to a more casual church on Sunday (I do not recommend trying to pack dresses or suits, but a nice shirt and pants are good). Pack like you’ll be able to borrow or clean clothes and you may be forced to stay longer (for example, pack contacts for several weeks, if you wear them). If you plan on hiding above ground, you also need to make sure it’s light enough to carry for a little while if you had to walk away from your house. We ended up walking several blocks, and my mom carried her purse and our tablets the whole way. You should test it by wearing it while doing activities for a period of time. Here’s what I pack and why:

• Clothes: if you lose everything but your bag, you’ll also feel really gross because coughs a tornado just hit and that means outside and destroyed stuff just came into what was (or is, they aren’t all going to destroy everything) your house. You’ll want to change clothes, so pack a pair of durable jeans, your favorite shirt, underwear (super important! I was a six year old wearing pull-ups for a couple days after that tornado and it wasn’t fun.), and pajamas. Take clothes for a couple days. 
• Wipes: If a tornado in your area has enough power to take out houses or parts of houses, chances are it will destroy a pipe or water plant. It could take out the water tower. So in the event you can’t take a shower, bring disposable wipes. 
• Super important daily toiletries: Even if you don’t have water, you can probably use a water bottle to brush your teeth. So pack any toiletries you would need that night and next morning that could use a water bottle for water and don’t require being plugged in. I packed my toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, retainer case, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, and comb. 
• Jewelry of value and hair tie: If you’ve got long hair and you end up having to clear debris and things in the days after a tornado, you’ll want your hair pulled back. You’ll also want any special jewelry. I packed a pair of earrings, wore one pair, wore my rings, and packed a couple necklaces
• Feminine products: Aunt Flo is really inconvenient. Just saying. She might not show up because of stress, or she might not care. You never know. 
• Medicines, supplements, and vitamins: you do not know how long it will be before you’re able to get these again, and you may need them. Pack daily medications and any extra medications you might need, like Advil, Tylenol, and anything for heartburn or other common ailments you have.
• Important small things: If you couldn’t replace it and would definitely miss it, you had better pack it. 
• Electronics: Pack your laptop, Bluetooth headphones, AirPods, and phone if you have them. If you have a big computer, pack the computer part. 
• Your purse: these are things you need when you’re not home, like your money. Definitely bring this with you, too. 
• Essential daily things: If you have habits like Bible reading, journaling, or anything small, pack the things to keep them up. You will crave normalcy if you lose everything. You will want to focus on unimportant, insignificant, very familiar things and you’ll want to ignore the scary reality as often as possible. (Even after a car accident, I immediately began making jokes about my height and how crazy I am and focused on getting to my sisters’ birthday party. Those things did not matter but my brain could process them. Trauma is weird and amazing in a horrible way.)

How to Save Bigger Things and Extra Things

If you have a storm shelter, you and your backpack should go inside it when a warning is issued. If you have things that you would like to save but that don’t matter as much, you can put them in a trunk or heavy box in the place you would go if you didn’t have a storm shelter. We have a little nook in my parents’ closet that we call the hideyhole where we hide keepsakes, old books and papers, special stuffed animals, and special things. If you don’t have a storm shelter, put them in the second best place. 

If you have any collections you would want to save more than some other things but aren’t overly concerned about it, protect it from any breaking windows or from falling over by putting it on a sturdy shelf in the closet nearest the room you keep it in. I put my antique books in my bedroom closet.

What to Wear in Tornado Weather

When you have a tornado, wear jeans and a comfy t-shirt with a jacket or hoodie to cover your arms. Also wear tennis shoes or boots that will protect your feet. If you’re hiding out above ground, also wear a bicycle helmet. Our bicycle helmets were one of the reasons we survived. 

What to Have in a Storm Shelter

Your storm shelter is basically your safety bunker, and if you were going to have a bunker, you’d pack food (preferably items that don’t need cooked or refrigerated, such as crackers, fruit leather, granola bars, and nuts) and water. You also want to have battery operated lanterns, a portable radio, and a first aid kit. We also have a trash can for any wrappers from food and anything that could also function for other purposes if necessary, since you don’t normally have a bathroom in a storm shelter.

If your storm shelter has steep stairs like most and the stairs stop about a foot above the ground like mine, you might want to put a step stool at the bottom so you and your family can get down quickly without worrying about falling.

Also remember that you might have to hang out there for a while and use the bathroom before you go down. You might think I sound like your mom, but I’ve had to rush down without getting to use the bathroom before and I was begging the sky to let up for a couple minutes. Of course, I wanted it to let up anyway, but it’s especially miserable this way.

If You have Young Children

If you have kids, also pack toys, play tablets (listen, screens are bad many times but they do a very effective job of distracting kids from scary things), and stock the diaper bag. Bring snacks if possible. It might even be good to make or buy a special snack they don’t get as often when you know a watch is coming up so that they’re happy. Panicked children do not help the situation. If you have a storm shelter, bring car seats down with you because in the event you lose everything, you’ll need to borrow a car and drive to many different places to figure things out, and car seats are a safety protection that’s legally required for a reason. Make it clear to your children that something serious is happening, but treat tornado preparation like a job or errand, not an emergency, because kids pick up on your panic and need you to be their safe place. Think about how you’d tell your kids that your boss is coming over and you need them to help get the house ready and to behave and use that sort of tone. Kids don’t even like thunder, so the idea of a storm that can destroy their house can be terrifying. Older kids (9+) can comprehend the gravity of the situation if you tell them, so don’t sugar coat it, but don’t tell them information they don’t actually need to know. If there’s a tornado on the ground, tell them, but if there’s some spinning in the atmosphere, don’t let them get worked up over nothing. The availability heuristic seems to be extra strong in kids, in my experience, because they don’t have much information to go off of. Teach your kids to take it seriously, not to go outside and stare. Make sure the kids all use the bathroom and any diapers are changed whether or not they want to before you go down into the storm shelter UNLESS the tornado is five miles or less from your house. In that situation, you do not have time. Bring them down immediately.

During a Tornado

How to Take Shelter in a House

First and foremost, a mobile home is NOT a house. Do not hide out in a mobile home, camper, or trailer. If you live in one of those, have a nearby shelter you can plan to go to quickly. If you don’t have a storm shelter, go to a room in the center of the house without windows such as a closet or bathroom. Get low, sitting on the floor or in the bath tub. If you have time, get large cushions or a mattress to hold over you for some protection from debris. Make sure you have a phone or radio that can give you weather updates or call someone who can watch the news from their spot. Also make sure your helmet is on your head and tight. It could save your life if debris hit your head. If a storm hits, close your mouth and eyes tightly and cover your neck if you’re able. Stay as low to the ground as possible. 

If You’re Outside, Not at Home, or in an Apartment Building

If you’re already in a building, find a first-level bathroom, the basement, or the safe room. Hopefully someone around you will be able to direct you to the safest room, but if nobody’s helping, remember to avoid windows and find a smaller room closer to the center of the building on the lowest floor if possible. If you can’t get to the lowest floor or the building’s structure is primarily in the outside walls (such as a mall, theater, or gym), get under a doorway, heavy counter or heavy shelf that will not move easily. It will provide structure and potentially protect against falling debris (That’s according to the CDC). Sitting on the floor of a public bathroom or under a table in a crowded room might not sound ideal, but disgusted is better than hurt or dead. If you’re in a car, get out. A car can easily be moved or picked up by a tornado. A car is a tornado’s toy. If you can’t get to a building and there’s a ditch or ravine, get in it, get low, lie flat on your stomach, and cover your neck. Do not go under bridges that could collapse or places water redirects to if it’s also flooding. If it’s flooding too, it’s best to find a place to go inside because ditches and outdoor low places will fill with water. Remember, even though it’s good to know how to take shelter away from home, it’s even better to not go out if there’s a tornado watch just because something could happen, which leads to my next point. 

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I hope this post helps you and I pray you stay safe this season. Please share this with anyone you know in tornado alley or is under a watch right now!

Have you ever been in a tornado? If so, what are your best tips and tricks?