20 Essential Tornado Emergency Kit Items

by DoItYourself Staff

There are a variety of first air, survival, and emergency type kits you can prepare for emergencies. But in the event of a tornado you have only minutes or even seconds to make life and death decisions. Having an emergency kit prepared to deal with the aftermath of a tornado can save your life. Experts say it's good to compile an emergency kit based on the type of scenario you're most likely to experience in your area. For homeowners on the coast, hurricanes and floods may be their biggest concerns. Other areas - like dry, heavily forested areas, may experience fires. Still other homeowners may worry about earthquakes.

The basic items in any emergency kit remain the same:

First aid supplies
Food,
Water
Important papers
Medical supplies
Matches, candles
emergency battery/self/solar powered radio.

But additional items may also come in handy for certain kinds of emergencies like tornados. When a tornado hits it leaves total destruction wherever it touches. If you happen to be in a home or structure hit by a tornado you'll need some very different items than would a flood or fire victim.

Tornadoes often destroy homes, leaving victims trapped under debris, in trees or in cars. They tear up gas lines, flatten homes and flip over cars. Tornadoes often happen later in the day, leaving victims in the dark and without shelter for hours before help can arrive. Having essentials like rope, tools and shelters can make the minutes and hours after a tornado survivalable. Warm, dry blankets or a sleeping bag may be needed to keep a victim from going into shock, or to keep you warm during the wet, cold hours that typically follow a tornado. Emergency crews can't always get into a devastated area quickly, so you'll have to provide your own shelter, food, water and medical treatment as well as possibly having to rescue family members or neighbors. Injuries in a tornado are often serious and include broken bones, head trauma and lacerations from flying debris. Your first-aid supplies should be able to handle multiple injuries.

Essential Tornado Emergency Kit Items

Non-perishable food such as MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat)
Non-electric can opener
Water (1 gallon per person per day for 3 days)
Shelter in the form of a tent or tarps
Rain gear
Emergency power source (generator)
Emergency blankets or sleeping bag
Flashlights and extra batteries
Cell phone and charger
Chainsaw and fuel
Shovels, picks, pry bars, wooden poles for removing electric wires
Signal flares
Battery, solar or self-powered radio
Light sticks (shake or break light sticks)
Rope
Air horn or whistles for signaling
First aid kit that includes splints and bandages and first aid manual
Medicine (prescription medications, and over-the-counter pain killers, etc.)
Study shoes or boots
Cash and credit cards

Larger items such as a chainsaw, shovels and other tools can be stored in a foot locker in a basement or storm shelter. Other items can be put in backpacks or duffel bags that are easy to carry. Limit the weight of your bag to 20 or 30 pounds, something anyone in the family can carry. Items such as a generator may need to be stored in a location less likely to be devastated by a tornado - such as in a shelter or basement.