What To Do With Your Pets During A Tornado Warning

Spring is a favorite time of the year for many people, but those good feelings can fade when tornadoes occur. Preparing for a tornado is never fun, even if there’s just a mild chance of one striking your home. That’s especially true if you have pets and don’t know what to do to protect them.

Bring your pets inside right away during a tornado warning and quickly guide them to a room with minimal glass. Create an emergency kit with enough food, water, and medication to last a few weeks, even if that seems like overkill. Remain positive to keep your pets calm, and bring some toys into your shelter until the tornado passes.

Ideally, you should have your safety plans in place long before a tornado warning is issued. That way, you don’t have to rush to get everything together at the last minute. Follow along as we explore what to do with your pets during a tornado warning.

How To Protect Your Pets During A Tornado

Preparation is everything during tornado season, especially if you have pets or children. There are no guarantees during this unstable weather situation, so a good plan is all you really have. That said, you can protect your pets during a tornado warning by doing a few key things, such as:

Keep Your Pets Inside

There’s no denying that your pets are in danger if they stay outside during tornado weather. That’s why you must bring them inside when a tornado warning is issued. Ideally, you should do it before a warning is even issued. That’s because it can sometimes take a while to get your pets inside, especially while scrambling during an emergency. It’s better to do it earlier in the day when you learn about a tornado watch.

If you must take them outside to relieve themselves, keep them on a leash. That way, they can’t run around your property or escape. The last thing you want to do is chase your pets around the neighborhood when a funnel cloud forms in the sky. Keep them inside to ensure you can shelter with them at a moment’s notice.

Pick A Safe Room

Before a tornado warning, the National Weather Service typically issues a tornado watch. This indicates the weather conditions may bring about a tornado. There is no immediate danger during a watch, and it's the time to plan what to do with your pets. As many people in the Midwest know, you must pick a safe room without glass windows. Tornadoes can hurl debris into windows and blow the broken glass around your home.

If you don't have a windowless room, choose one with as little glass as possible. It’s also important to pick a safe room at the lowest level in your house to protect you and your pets from flying debris. If possible, shelter in a place without large objects and heavy furniture on the floor above you. It’s much better to figure this out before the tornado warning, so you don’t have to scramble with your pets and family.

Assemble An Emergency Kit

There’s a chance that you may need to spend several hours in your tornado shelter. This ultimately depends on how bad the weather is, which you can't anticipate at the time. That’s why you should assemble an emergency kit that includes some key essentials for your pets. It should include enough medication, water, and food to last a few weeks. The best-case scenario is that you’ll spend an hour at most in your tornado shelter.

However, things don't aways go as planned so have plenty of supplies to keep your pets safe. It’s also a good idea to keep some potty pads handy, just in case your pets have accidents. Put the potty pads far from any windows, glass decorations, and heavy objects. If you have cats, you should put their litter boxes into your tornado shelter. 

Supply Some Comforting Items

Pets pick up on stress easily, especially if they have a strong bond with their owners. Besides that, extreme weather can rattle even the toughest, most stubborn dogs and cats, as it triggers their instincts. That’s why it’s a great idea to put some comforting items in your tornado shelter to keep your pets happy.

For example, you can bring a wand toy to play with your cats until the tornado warning ends. If you have time before the tornado watch turns into a warning, you should toss a few toys into your shelter room.

Stay Positive

Dogs and cats are quite smart, and they often follow their owner' lead. That’s why they may bark or meow and hiss when they notice you’re stressed about a knock at the door. If you panic during a tornado warning, there’s a good chance your pets will also enter panic mode. Try to stay positive during a tornado warning to keep your pets as calm as possible. If you are continually pacing back and forth, your pets may follow you and even claw at the door. They can also pick up on your facial expressions and the tone of your voice.

Keep in mind that your pets may show signs of stress even if you stay as calm as possible. That’s because they’re aware of the extreme weather outside and may suspect something is up since you’re sheltering together. Don’t panic if your pets seem nervous, as the situation will hopefully pass.

Summing It up

Assemble an emergency kit that includes water, food, and medication to last your pets up to 2-3 weeks. Put some toys and potty pads in your tornado shelter to help keep your pets happy until the bad weather passes. Be careful not to show how stressed you are, as pets can pick up on and mimic some of your behavior.

Related Guides:

• Tornado Warning Checklist For Homeowners
• What To Do During A Tornado If You Don’t Have A Basement