10 Ways to Better Protect Your Home from a Tornado

Tornadoes have a reputation of being one of Mother Nature’s most violent storms, and for good reason. They have the potential to bring wind gusts of over 300 mph that are strong enough to uproot a whole forest of trees, turn large vehicles into projectiles, and tear homes off their foundations. Yet, of the thousand or so twisters reported across the United States every year, only 1% end up being this ferocious. Instead, the majority rank as either F0 (Gale) or F1 (Weak) tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which measures this type of storm’s strength by how much damage it causes.

Of course, even the least powerful twisters often possess forceful wind gusts and can cause extensive property damage, from broken windows to collapsed garage doors. But there are several things a property owner can do that may help reduce structural damage to their home because of a lower-level tornado and other severe weather events, like microbursts, thunderstorms, and hurricanes.

If you want to improve your home’s ability to withstand a tornado’s high winds and other stormy weather, consider undertaking the following 10 improvement projects:

Replace gravel and rock landscaping materials and walkways with a softer material, such as mulch or dirt.
Trim trees and shrubbery away from your house, and remove any weakened sections of trees that might easily break off and fall.
Keep your yard clear of branches, firewood, tree trimmings, and other debris, and avoid putting these things by the street or near drains where they can cause a backup.
Contact your local utility company or a professional tree service to trim away any limbs close to utility lines that could potentially pull down lines or even entire poles.
Put in permanent storm shutters—which can be closed quickly—on windows and screened-in areas.
Install solid exterior doors that have three hinges and a deadbolt lock that is at least one inch long.
Upgrade your garage door to a wind-rated version or, even better, an impact-resistant one.
Make a list of items around your property, like patio furniture, grills, trash cans, and plants, that will need to be secured or moved if bad weather is in the forecast—time permitting, having this list should make this last-minute task a lot easier and quicker to complete.
Conduct regular home maintenance checkups to identify issues that may make your home more susceptible to storm damage.
Construct a tornado safe room that meets the standards of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or International Code Council (ICC).

In addition to taking preemptive steps to protect your property, it is essential to prepare your family for a tornado and other similar emergencies. No matter their strength, these storms always pose a serious risk of injury, so make sure everyone in your household knows what to do if a tornado watch or warning goes into effect in your area.

There is one last action step you may want to take that can help you feel better prepared for a tornado event and the potential damage it may cause. We recommend reaching out to a knowledgeable independent insurance agent in our network for a complimentary review of your homeowners and other personal insurance policies. This professional can share important information on how your home insurance coverage works if you experience a loss due to a tornado or other severe storm. They can also advise you on what to do if you need to file a claim and can suggest additional coverage options that may broaden your homeowners insurance protection.

At The Andover Companies, we are dedicated to helping you safeguard your property all year round from weather perils and numerous other threats to your home and belongings. Please check out our blog for more tips and insights, including how to prepare your home for winter weather, prevent freezing pipes, and protect your home from fire.

Sources:

https://www.weather.gov/ilx/SvrPrepWeek-Tuesday
https://www.weather.gov/media/owlie/ttl6-10.pdf
https://ibhs.org/wind/tornado-resources/
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/science/explainers/theres-a-big-difference-between-an-ef0-and-an-ef5-understanding-tornado-ratings