Tornado Season: Are You Ready?

Updated: June 2025

If there's still snow on the ground, it's too early to start preparing for tornado season, right? If you're sweating out the heat of summer, it's too late to start preparing for tornado season, right? 

Wrong. There's never a bad time to prepare for tornado season.

When does tornado season begin?

Depending upon where you live, tornado season can begin as early as March, but the best time to prepare for tornado season is now. Here's how to stay ready and act quickly:

• PLAN - Establish a family emergency plan that includes where to go in case of a storm, where to meet if family members become separated and how to contact family members to ensure their safety.
• PRACTICE - Practice your emergency plan with your family.
• LEARN - Understand the various tornado alerts - like the difference between a watch and a warning. A "watch" means a tornado is possible in your area. A "warning" means a tornado has been spotted, so you must take shelter immediately.
• LISTEN - Listen to local news or a weather radio to stay up to date.
• WATCH - Watch for tornado danger signs: a dark, greenish sky; hail or heavy rain; an approaching cloud of debris; loud, continuous roar or rumble, which doesn't fade in a few seconds; and a sudden stillness or quiet in the air.
• ACT - Don't waste precious seconds opening windows if a tornado is coming your way. The pressure of the storm will do that for you. Take shelter below ground in a basement or storm shelter or above ground in a safe room. If those options are not available, take shelter in an interior room or hallway on the lowest level. In a high-rise building, hunker down in a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor. Avoid windows, doors and outside walls, as well as corners, as they attract debris. Cover your head to protect it from debris. Do not take shelter in a vehicle or mobile home or under an overpass or a bridge. If you are caught in a car, stay in the car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows; cover your head with your hands and a blanket, coat, or other cushion if possible. If you are outdoors and shelter is unavailable, lie flat in a ditch or other low-lying area.

When Does the Tornado Season End? 

As it begins, so it ends; meaning that tornado season doesn’t have a fixed end date, it varies depending on where you live. In the southern Plains, peak tornado activity typically tapers off by late June. In the northern Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes regions, the risk often persists into July and even August. In the Southeast, tornadoes can occur year-round, with secondary peaks in the fall. Because of this variability, it’s important to stay prepared year-round.

Survive-A-Storm Shelters offers near absolute protection with a full line of FEMA-compliant above- and below-ground shelters. Our shelters are tested and can withstand winds and debris from an EF5 tornado. With affordable pricing and flexible financing, safety is within reach for almost anyone. 

You can find our products inside many of Home Depot stores in states like Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri and at www.homedepot.com. You can also browse options and shop online at www.survive-a-storm.com or call 888-360-1492.