What should you know about tornado and severe storm risk?

Unlike a hurricane, which you can often track for days, a tornado warning might give you only minutes. That changes what matters: not a big project list, but knowing instantly where to go and what to do. There’s still no tornado standard for ordinary homes. ASCE 7-22, the national loads standard behind the 2024 International Building Code, added tornado design for critical and large buildings based on NIST’s Joplin research. Code requirements in your specific area may be evolving, so this is a hazard where personal preparedness currently matters more than assuming your home’s construction already accounts for it.

• Identify your shelter location now. An interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows: a bathroom, closet, or basement.
• If you’re in a high-risk area, consider a safe room. A properly built above-ground safe room or underground shelter, built to FEMA’s safe room standard, can provide near-absolute protection from tornado winds and flying debris, a meaningfully higher level of protection than sheltering in a standard interior room.
• The same continuous load path concept that protects hurricane homes matters for tornadoes too. Homes built with strong roof-to-wall-to-foundation connections hold together better under the extreme wind loads a tornado produces, even outside the direct path of the funnel itself.
• Know your warning system. Sign up for local weather alerts and understand the difference between a watch (conditions are possible) and a warning (a tornado has been spotted or indicated by radar, act now).
• Practice a drill with your household, especially if you have kids, so the shelter location is automatic when it matters.

Severe thunderstorms that produce tornadoes frequently produce large hail as well, and hail damage to roofing is one of the most common insurance claims in tornado-prone regions. Impact-resistant roofing materials, often rated Class 4, hold up meaningfully better against hail than standard shingles. If you’re replacing a roof in a severe-storm-prone area, ask specifically about impact ratings, not just wind ratings.

Secure loose outdoor items ahead of severe storm season: furniture, grills, anything that could become airborne debris in straight-line winds even without a tornado forming.

Tornado outbreaks and severe storm systems frequently bring inland flooding along with wind and hail, and this combination catches homeowners off guard because they’ve prepared for wind but not water. If you’re in a tornado-prone region, it’s worth checking your flood risk specifically, not just your tornado risk. See Flood risk & prevention for the details, particularly on elevating mechanical equipment and understanding whether you need separate flood coverage.