If you’ve ever experienced a tornado, you know just how terrifying they can be. Since tornadoes rarely give much warning, having a disaster plan ready and in place is essential to keeping you and your family safe. This is especially true if you have pets at home.
Here’s what to keep in mind before, during, and after a tornado with your four-legged friends.
Preparing for a tornado
Know where to seek shelter
Find a place in your home where you’ll be safest during a tornado. This is usually a basement or the most interior room on the bottom floor, preferably with no windows. Remove anything potentially dangerous or toxic to your pet (e.g. bathroom cleaners, exposed wiring, etc.) and make sure there’s enough room to fit everyone in the house.
Have a pet disaster plan
Once you know where you can hide in your home, put together the rest of your pet’s disaster plan.
- Have a pet first aid kit available in case of injury.
- DIY an emergency bag for your pet should you need to evacuate.
- Make sure your pets are comfortable going into their carriers or crates, or will willingly go into the shelter space.
- Practice tornado drills with everyone, including the pets, so they’re used to the routine if/when the time comes.
Make pets identifiable
In the case that your pet gets loose during a natural disaster, it’s vital that they have proper identification in case someone finds them. A microchip or an ID tag on their collar will give the person access to your contact information so they can quickly reunite you with your pet.
Pet tags like FidoAlert and TabbyAlert make this process even easier with QR codes on your pet’s tag. If someone finds them, all they need to do is scan the code and it’ll alert you that your pet has been found. You can also send out alerts that your pet is missing so the people in the area know to keep an eye out.
Know the terminology
Keep an eye on the weather when a storm rolls in. A “tornado watch” means conditions are possible for a tornado and you should take precautions. If a tornado touches down in your area, a watch will change to a “tornado warning,” in which case you should seek shelter with your pets and family.
If you see a “tornado emergency,” this is a severe storm in the area with extremely dangerous conditions. Find the safest shelter possible as quickly as you can and prepare for “catastrophic damage” .
During a tornado
- Bring pets inside — Do not under any circumstance leave your animals outside during a tornado. At the start of a storm, bring your pets inside to avoid injuries from flying debris. Get them on a leash or harness to keep them near you should you have to act quickly.
- Evacuate if you can — If there’s enough warning and evacuation is possible, take your pets with you.
- Get to your tornado shelter — If you can’t evacuate, move to your tornado shelter room with the entire family, pets included. If you can get pets into crates or carriers for extra safety, do so.
After a tornado
Only leave shelter once the tornado has passed and it’s safe to do so. Be careful letting pets out, especially, before determining the damage and potential dangers. Once you’ve assessed the area and found a safe place for them to be, you can let your pets out of their crates or carriers to reorient themselves with what’s happened.
Tornados can be traumatic physically and mentally on everyone, including your pet. Your pet’s behavior might change after a disaster. It’s best to keep them on a leash until they’ve calmed down, especially when readjusting to going outside — the landscape may have changed or been damaged, causing stress and confusion. And always be wary of power lines or other potentially dangerous debris on the ground.
If your pet ran off during the storm, once it’s safe outside, you can start your search for them. Animals are good at finding shelter in emergencies, and it may take time for them a while to feel safe enough to come out. Let local animal shelters and neighbors know to keep an eye out for your pet.
