Insurance Institute for Business &
Home Safety
4775 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33617
(813) 286-3400
DisasterSafety.org
REDUCING
TORNADO
DAMAGE
While only a few specialty buildings
are designed to withstand the direct
impact of a severe tornado, good
construction choices can give added
protection and increase the likelihood that at
least part of a home will remain standing to
provide some shelter. Strengthened homes near
the storm’s edge would have a good chance of
surviving intact or with minor cosmetic damage.
Even if you live outside “Tornado Alley,” the area
of the country that runs north from Texas through
eastern Nebraska and northeast to Indiana, you
are still vulnerable to tornadoes. Some areas may
see more of these unpredictable and dangerous
storms than other states, but the rest of the
country also gets its share of twisters.
You don’t have to be blown away when nature
lets loose. It’s never too early to prepare and you
can take several basic steps right now to protect
your family and your home from disaster.
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101.1
RESIDENTIAL
WORKING OUTSIDE
To reduce the risk of damage from wind-borne
debris, replace gravel/rock landscaping material with
shredded bark. Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed.
Cut weak branches and trees that could fall on your
house.
WHEN A TORNADO THREATENS
You can improve the odds of your home surviving
high winds by taking these precautions, but you won’t
make it tornado-proof. While these measures can’t
guarantee your safety, you can help your family be
better protected.
When a tornado approaches, go to the closest
identified shelter immediately. As previously
discussed, if you don’t have a storm cellar or in-
residence “safe” room and you don’t have time to get
to a community shelter, head to the centermost part
of your basement or home, away from windows and
preferably under something sturdy like a workbench
or staircase.
Don’t open your windows. You won’t save the house,
as once thought and you will put yourself at risk of
injury from breaking glass. You also may actually make
things worse by giving wind and rain a greater chance
of getting inside.
Don’t try to ride out a tornado in a manufactured
home. Even manufactured homes with tie-downs
overturn in these storms because they have light
frames and offer winds a large surface area to push
against. Their exteriors are also vulnerable to high
winds and wind-borne debris.
Report any property damage to your insurance agent
or company representative immediately after a severe
weather event or other natural disaster and make
temporary repairs to prevent further damage. For
information about filing an insurance claim after a
natural disaster, contact your insurance agent or
insurance company.
YOUR HOME
Homes in inland areas of the United States are typically
held together only with nails, instead of straps
connecting the roof, walls and foundation. This type
of construction is commonplace in hurricane-prone
areas, but should also be considered by anyone who
wants to increase their property’s protection from
other severe windstorms. Refer to the International
Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code
(IRC), developed by the International Code Council, for
specific references to guides for building wind-resistant
structures.
If you want to get a sense of how well your home is
built, you can conduct a relatively quick inspection.
Depending upon what you find, it may be a wise
investment to add strapping to help tie the house
together.
a. Look at the connection between your roof system
(rafters or trusses) and the exterior walls. Pay specific
attention to whether there are any straps used to
connect the two. Older homes and those located in
inland areas are less likely to have straps.
b. If your garage has unfinished interior walls or your
home has a crawl space, try to determine whether
the walls and floor system are anchored to the
foundation. Look for bolts with nuts and washers
that attach the bottom of the wall to the floor
slab or foundation. Also check for any additional
strapping tying the walls or wood-frame floor to the
foundation.
YOUR SAFETY
The most economical and effective way to provide a
safe place for riding out a tornado is to have a shelter
that meets the requirements of the National Storm
Shelter Association (NSSA) or the International Code
Council’s Shelter Standard. Sample designs for shelters
are also available in the guide FEMA 320.
Short of building or installing a tornado shelter, you
should identify the safest area of your home. This is
usually a small interior room without windows, such
as a bathroom, where you can ride out the storm. Be
sure you can easily access this area when a tornado
threatens. The more walls between you and the
outside, the better.
Having time to seek shelter in severe weather
situations is critical. Using a NOAA all-hazard radio
that is specifically tuned to pick up warnings for your
local area is a good option. This will minimize more
frequent and broader warnings that may or may not
apply to you.
Become familiar with your community’s severe
weather warning system and make certain every adult
and teenager in your family knows what to do when a
tornado “watch” or “warning” sounds. Learn about your
workplace’s disaster safety plans and similar measures
at your children’s schools or day care centers.
Study the local disaster preparedness plan. Decide
in advance where you will take shelter (a local
community shelter, your own underground storm
cellar or in-residence “safe” room) and create a
family plan. Identify escape routes from your home
and neighborhood and designate an emergency
meeting place for your family to reunite if you
become separated. Also establish a contact person to
communicate with concerned relatives.
Put together an emergency kit that includes first
aid supplies, a portable NOAA all-hazard radio, a
flashlight, fresh batteries, basic tools, work gloves,
portable lanterns, a signaling device such as an air
horn, prescription medications, extra car keys, extra
eyeglasses, cash and important documents such as
insurance policies.
BUILDING OR REMODELING
CONNECTIONS
The points where the roof and the foundation meet
the walls of your house are extremely important if
your home is to resist high winds and the pressures
they place on the entire structure.
• If you are building a new home, have the builder
use straps and wood structural sheathing to tie the
structure together and anchor it to the foundation.
These connections are relatively inexpensive when
used during construction, adding three to four
percent to the price of a home.
• If you are remodeling, ask the contractor to install
straps and anchors that will strengthen the house
from the roof to the foundation, even if it is only in
the area that is being remodeled. This should only
cost a few hundred dollars for a typical 1,500 to
2,000 square foot house.
GABLES
Brace the end wall of a gable roof properly to resist
high winds. Check the current model building code
for high-wind regions for appropriate guidance, or
consult a qualified engineer or architect.