Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Outage Guide

How to shelter, receive alerts and stay safe during severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, and what to watch for after the storm passes.

Severe thunderstorms bring lightning, damaging wind, hail and sometimes tornadoes, and they are a common cause of power outages. Some storms arrive with little warning, so a plan matters more than a forecast. Here is how to protect your household before, during and after.

Know your alerts

A watch means conditions are right for severe weather or a tornado to develop. A warning means it is happening or about to happen, and you should take shelter immediately. Turn on weather alerts on your phone, and keep a battery or hand-crank radio, because mobile networks and power can fail. See our emergency radio guide and alerts and outage reporting guide. In Canada, check Environment Canada alerts; in the US, use National Weather Service alerts.

Choose your shelter spot

For a tornado warning, go to the lowest level of a sturdy building. The best spot is a basement or storm cellar. If you have no basement, pick an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows, such as a bathroom, closet or hallway. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Cover your head and neck with arms, a mattress, a helmet or heavy blankets. Do not shelter under an overpass.

• Mobile homes are not safe in a tornado. Move to a sturdy building before the storm if you can.
• Do not stay in a vehicle if you can reach a solid building in time.
• If caught outside with no shelter, official guidance is to get as low as possible and cover your head, away from trees and cars.

Build a simple safe room kit

Keep a bin in your shelter spot so you are not searching in a hurry. Include a flashlight or headlamp (see lighting options), a radio, a charged power bank, a whistle, sturdy shoes, a first aid kit, water, and medication. Keep shoes and a helmet within reach for each family member. Teach children where to go and practise it.

Lightning and thunderstorm safety

When thunder roars, go indoors. A safe place is a fully enclosed building or a hard-topped vehicle with the windows up. Stay away from windows, and avoid using corded phones, plumbing and electronics that are plugged in. Wait about 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back outside, which is the commonly cited guidance.

Protect electronics with surge protection

Lightning and power swings can damage plugged-in devices. Use surge protectors on valuable equipment, and unplug items during a storm if you have time and it is safe to do so. A surge protector will not stop a direct lightning strike, but it helps against smaller power spikes. See our guide to protecting appliances in a power outage.

After the storm

• Stay away from downed power lines. Treat every one as live and call your utility and emergency services.
• Watch for broken glass, nails and unstable trees or structures.
• Do not enter damaged buildings until officials say it is safe.
• If you smell gas, leave right away and call from outside.
• Never run a generator, grill or camp stove indoors or in a garage. Carbon monoxide is a serious risk after storms.
• Check on neighbours, especially older adults.

Food and fridge after a storm

Keep fridge and freezer doors closed to hold the cold. See our food safety guide for what to keep and what to throw out. Pair this with a stocked 72-hour kit; use our 72-hour checklist.

Make a family tornado plan

Agree on where everyone will go, who grabs the kit, and how you will reunite afterwards. Practise at least once a year, including at night, since storms do not always come in daylight. If you have pets, plan how to bring them to shelter quickly. Keep shoes by the bed during storm season, because broken glass and debris are common afterwards. Write the plan down and keep it with your kit.

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