How to Run a Tornado Drill

A tornado drill is the single most valuable exercise you can do before a real tornado hits. Ten minutes of practice can save minutes during the real thing — and minutes save lives. Here's how to structure an effective drill for your home, workplace, or school.

Why Drills Matter

In a real tornado warning, you may have 5–20 minutes to reach shelter. If your family has never practiced, that time can evaporate to indecision — Where do we go? Where are the kids? Where's the dog?

A drill answers these questions in advance. Families that have practiced tornado response reach shelter roughly 3× faster than families that haven't.

Home Tornado Drill — 15-Minute Structure

Step 1: Identify Your Shelter Location

Every family member should know exactly where to go. Options ranked best to worst:

FEMA-rated safe room
Basement (under a stairwell or heavy piece of furniture)
Interior windowless room on the lowest floor (bathroom, closet, hallway)
Community shelter (if mobile home)

Step 2: Simulate the Warning

Play the NWS tornado warning tone loudly on your phone. Time how long it takes everyone to reach the shelter location. Target: under 3 minutes.

Step 3: Confirm Your Kit

In your shelter location, verify you have:

Sturdy shoes for everyone (glass and debris injuries are the #1 post-tornado injury)
Bicycle helmets or hard hats (head injuries are the #1 cause of tornado death)
Flashlight with fresh batteries
NOAA weather radio
Phone chargers (portable battery)
First aid kit
Water bottles (48 hours worth if possible)
Whistle (for signaling if trapped)
Copies of insurance policies and ID (in a waterproof bag)

Step 4: Practice Communication

Designate an out-of-state family contact everyone can text after the storm
Register everyone at Red Cross Safe and Well after real events
Discuss the meeting point if the home is destroyed

Step 5: Review Pets and Special Needs

Have a plan for pets (leashes, carriers). Have a plan for family members with mobility limitations (assign a specific helper). Practice with them.

Workplace Tornado Drill

Building Assessment

OSHA doesn't require workplace tornado drills, but it strongly recommends them. First, identify:

Nearest interior windowless room on the ground floor
Alternative shelter location if the primary is unavailable
Location of first aid kits, flashlights, weather radios
Warning notification system (siren, phone alerts, PA system)

Roles and Responsibilities

Emergency coordinator — designates who monitors weather during warnings
Floor wardens — one per floor, sweeps for anyone left behind
Reception/security — accounts for visitors and communicates with responders

Drill Frequency

Best practice: quarterly drills. Absolute minimum: annual, before peak tornado season.

School Tornado Drill

Most tornado-prone states require schools to conduct tornado drills 1–2 times per year. Best practices:

Practice with the tornado alarm signal that will actually sound in a real event
Students in shelter position: kneeling, head down, hands over neck
Shelter in interior hallways, bathrooms, or reinforced classrooms — never gymnasiums or auditoriums (large clear spans are dangerous)
Account for students with mobility limitations — buddy system
Time the drill; review afterward

The Ideal Time to Drill

Peak tornado season in the US is April–June. Run your drill in February or March — you'll have peak season ahead of you, and the exercise will be fresh in mind.

Regions with November tornado peaks (Dixie Alley) should also drill in September.

National PrepareAthon Day

FEMA promotes America's PrepareAthon in April each year. Many schools and workplaces schedule drills for this event. Not a bad time to drill.

→ Simulate a tornado on our interactive map

🛡️ Protect Your Home