As extreme weather events — from hurricanes to cyclones to tornadoes — become more frequent and more intense, it is only natural to wonder what you would do if one of these disasters hit your home.
If you're looking for advice, one great place to find it is r/preppers.
In one recent post on the subreddit, a prepper had some questions about tornado preparedness. "With the current tornado outbreak in the south (I live in Mississippi in Waffle House Alley lol) I would love to know any and all advice. But moreso the things people do not think about," the original poster wrote.
Several of the top comments involved building your own tornado shelter, which probably falls less into the category of "things people do not think about" and more into the category of "things people do think about but are very difficult and expensive and time-consuming."
Other commenters provided what they perceived to be the crucial nuggets of wisdom that often go unmentioned in conversations about tornado preparedness.
One commenter highlighted the importance of securing or removing anything outside, including patio furniture, that can be turned into a projectile during high winds — advice that sounds easy enough to implement and could make a huge difference.
"I have been through dozens of tornadoes over 50 years," wrote another. "Broken windows cause the most injuries. So most important is to get away from windows."
Another wrote about the importance of keeping shoes under your bed, which will come in handy if damage occurs at night and you need to walk through debris.
"I'm an emergency worker after storms when the power is out," another commenter chimed in. "Beyond dealing with power outages please for the love of god evacuate when told so. Every situation I've been apart of when someone died is when they tried to evacuate or save their pets and it was too late."
🗣️ What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home?
🔘 Move somewhere else 🌎
🔘 Reinforce my home 🏠
🔘 Nothing 🤷
🔘 This is happening already 😬
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Several commenters focused on the importance of using a radio to monitor storm activity via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration alerts.
"I live in tornado alley on the edge of the great plains, and I would highly encourage you to buy a GMRS radio and keep the frequency programmed for your local storm spotters/chasers group," wrote one commenter. "This has helped me many times in the past."
Elsewhere, some preppers are focusing on learning survival skills such as gardening and camping, while others have stressed the importance of leaning on your community when emergency situations occur.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
