Tornado Preparedness And Safety Tips For Families

Tornadoes are difficult to predict — which makes them all the more dangerous to tackle. However, we have come a long way in being able to predict them and protect ourselves, after decades of research, developing safety mechanisms, tornado and storm watching, upgraded technology and the best engineering practices.

Through technological and scientific growth, we have been able to develop some of the most rigorous tests to protect people against even the toughest, most terrifying EF5 tornadoes. At Oklahoma Shelters, each of our storm safe rooms across Oklahoma undergoes the Texas Tech Impact Test before reaching clients.

On our end, we do our best to give you the safest, secure storm rooms, but it’s imperative that you have a safety plan as a family. Keep in mind the following tips and advice when strategizing how to stay safe:

Understand Tornado Watches And Warnings

Tornado watches are signals to prepare ahead of time for a potential tornado. A warning, on the other hand, indicates that a tornado is already occurring or will soon. You and your family must be able to identify and differentiate when these are issued. Teach your kids key phrases or how to recognize sirens. These warnings are announced across television and radio channels, announced in public places, and there are sometimes text warnings too.

Keep Your Shelter Accessible To Everyone

Whether it’s your elderly parent or your kids, be sure that the shelter is within reach of anyone who might be at home. Sometimes safety latches and locks can be hard to access, which means kids may not be able to open them, but if they’re old and strong enough, teach them the procedure of unlocking and entering the shelter in case they’re by themselves. If not, prepare them to hide under sturdy tables and away from windows and doors, while they wait for you.

Prepare Emergency Kits For People And Pets

For pet owners, it is especially important that you prioritize and protect your fur-babies during a tornado too. Make sure they’re indoors and secure when the tornado occurs because they’re at risk of running outdoors or getting startled by the noise.

When you’re preparing emergency kits for yourselves, be sure to have adequate supplies for your pets too. Canned food, some treats, chew toys, or things that keep them calm.

Your own emergency kit should contain medical supplies, food and water, blankets and pillows, and other essentials such as torches.

Keeping your family safe is not just your priority — it’s ours too. Reach out to us to find the right shelter for your home and get a free quote and on-site evaluation. We have underground bunkers, garage shelters, and steel safe rooms available.