What You Need To Know About Preparing for Severe Weather

April is Severe Weather Awareness Month—and according to NASA, the NOAA, the United Nations, and the Environmental Protection Agency (yep, all of them), climate change is real, human-driven, and making severe weather worse. Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas create over 75% of greenhouse gases, heating the planet and leading to more floods, wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, and heat waves. Simply put, severe weather isn’t just severe—it’s getting worse.

Whether it’s rising floodwaters down your street, tornado sirens wailing, or heat waves so intense you’ll wonder if Mother Nature is cooking you for dinner—severe weather is no longer an if, it’s a when. Even if you’re still skeptical about climate science (though again, NASA, NOAA, and the United Nations have spoken), preparation isn’t controversial. There’s zero downside to having your emergency plan ready to go. Different disasters require different strategies, so keep reading to get prepared for five different severe weather scenarios.

Tornadoes: Not Just a Midwest Problem

Tornado Alley hasn’t moved east…but the tornadoes sure have. A Facebook post from Chief Meteorologist Mike Collier of Tulsa Oklahoma explains:

Translation: If you think tornadoes only happen in flat, middle-of-nowhere states, think again.

Tornadoes can turn a perfectly normal day into absolute chaos in seconds. Don’t let one catch you without a plan! Here’s a quick look at our five-step strategy to stay safe and prepared for tornadoes:

Find Shelter

Not all shelters are created equal. Your best bets in order of safety:

• Purpose-built storm shelter
• Basement or cellar
• Interior room without windows on the lowest floor (bathroom, closet)
• Any indoor space away from windows and exterior walls

Pro Tip: If possible, choose rooms built from reinforced materials, and avoid gyms, auditoriums, and other wide-span roofs.

Recognize the Warning Signs

Tornadoes often strike with little warning, so understanding alerts is critical. A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for a tornado to form—so keep your eyes open and your emergency kit handy. A Tornado Warning is far more urgent: it means a tornado has already been spotted, and you need to take shelter immediately.

Watch for:

• Huge, towering clouds (cumulonimbus)
• Hail or greenish skies
• Eerie silence or a distant roar like a freight train
• Dust and debris cloud (even if the funnel isn’t clearly visible)

Build a Tornado Kit

A good emergency kit is your best friend when a tornado hits. Include:

• Water (1 gallon per person/day, at least 3 days)
• Non-perishable food (plus a can opener!)
• First aid supplies
• Prescription medications
• Flashlights and batteries
• Copies of important documents (ID, insurance, financial info)
• Sturdy shoes, extra clothing, blankets
• Whistle, radio, phone chargers
• Pet supplies
• Something entertaining (storms can last a while)

Store your kit in your shelter area—and resist the urge to snack from it before an actual emergency.

Hurricanes… Have Changed

If you thought hurricanes were only a coastal problem, the 2024 hurricane season flipped that assumption upside down—literally. With a record-breaking 18 named storms, including catastrophic hurricanes like Beryl, Milton, and Helene, last year’s storms showed that hurricanes can devastate communities hundreds of miles inland. Hurricane Helene alone dumped a staggering 42 trillion gallons of rain over the Southeast, dramatically reshaping western North Carolina and causing unprecedented inland flooding.

What does this mean for you? It’s simple: no matter where you live—even if you’re far from the ocean—you need a serious hurricane preparedness plan.

Start by mapping out evacuation routes ahead of time, so you’re not scrambling when the roads become chaos. Stock up on food and bottled water for extended power outages and board up windows or secure outdoor furniture well before the storm arrives. Keep your gas tank at least half full during hurricane season—gas shortages were a major problem after Beryl hit Texas. And remember, hurricanes often spin off tornadoes and cause severe flooding, so prepare for multiple threats from the same storm.

The 2024 season proved hurricanes are getting stronger, more unpredictable, and more destructive. Take a lesson from history and prepare now—because the next record-breaking storm might already be forming.

At a Glance Hurricane Preparedness:

• Map evacuation routes ahead of time.
• Stock food and bottled water for prolonged power outages.
• Secure your home by boarding windows and storing outdoor furniture.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full during hurricane season.
• Prepare for multiple threats—hurricanes can also trigger flooding and tornadoes.

Floods: The #1 Most Common Disaster in the U.S.

Floods don’t always grab headlines like tornadoes or hurricanes, but they happen more often than any other natural disaster in America. Whether it’s from heavy rains, overflowing rivers, or even rapid snowmelt, flooding can occur quickly and without much warning—especially if you’re in an urban area, a low-lying neighborhood, or a region recently hit by wildfires. Water rises fast, causing immediate danger and long-term damage.

To prep effectively, start by checking if your home is in a flood zone (FEMA’s free maps make this easy). Keep sandbags or water barriers handy for quick deployment, and always move important documents and valuables to higher ground. And remember—never walk or drive through floodwaters, no matter how shallow they might seem. Floodwaters often hide strong currents, debris, and even contaminants. Stay safe by staying dry.

At-A-Glance Flood Prep:

• Knowing if you live in a flood zone (FEMA has free maps)
• Having sandbags or water barriers on deck
• Moving important documents & valuables to higher ground
• Not walking or driving through floodwaters (ever)

Winter Storms

Winter storms aren’t just inconvenient—they can be deadly. Powerful storms like the one that struck the Plains and Upper Midwest in March 2024 can shut down entire highways, create whiteout conditions, and trigger widespread power outages. In Minnesota alone, a single storm led to more than 400 car accidents and multiple fatalities due to icy roads and blizzard conditions. Heavy snow can snap power lines, topple trees, and trap communities without heat or electricity for days. This isn’t just a matter of waiting it out; it’s about life or death.

Your winter storm prep should include:

• Insulating pipes and knowing how to shut off your water
• Keeping blankets, extra layers, and non-electric heat sources handy
• Charging your devices fully before the storm hits
• Having a battery-powered radio for updates and communication

Prepare before the snow falls, because once conditions worsen, travel becomes nearly impossible.

Thunderstorms, Lightning & Heat Waves

Severe summer weather isn’t just uncomfortable—it can also be deadly. Heat waves are the number one weather-related killer in the U.S., claiming more lives each year than hurricanes and tornadoes combined.

According to health experts, prolonged high temperatures can rapidly lead to dangerous conditions like heat exhaustion, severe dehydration, and heatstroke—especially among older adults, children, and those with underlying health conditions.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms bring their own lethal threats: lightning, powerful straight-line winds, and flash flooding. Each year, lightning strikes kill dozens and injure hundreds, often catching people outdoors by surprise. With storms producing hail as large as softballs and winds powerful enough to topple mobile homes, ignoring summer weather warnings can easily become a fatal mistake.

Here’s how to keep safe:

• Stay indoors during lightning storms.
• Avoid metal, water, or tall isolated trees—all attract lightning.
• Keep cool: use AC, fans, and drink plenty of water.
• Check-in regularly on vulnerable neighbors, especially older adults.

Preparedness Means Survival for Your Family

Having a clear, well-practiced emergency plan helps your family respond quickly when severe weather hits. Start by mapping out how you’ll communicate during an emergency—who contacts whom, how you’ll reconnect if separated, and where you’ll meet afterward. Keep important phone numbers handy, including neighbors, schools, and emergency services, and set designated meeting points: one at home, one local safe spot, and another location out of town in case you can’t return home. 

To make planning simpler, consider our Disaster Bundle, which provides all the essentials your family needs to handle whatever Mother Nature has in store for us. Don’t stop with making a plan—regularly practice your plan at home, school, and work, so everyone knows exactly what to do when the real thing happens. Severe weather isn’t going away, and it’s hitting places we’ve never expected, so prepare now to keep your family safe later.

About the Authors

Here Comes the Apocalypse Editorial Team

It takes a village! We are researching, writing and fact checking as a family. Collaboration is the name of the game, whether we’re running from a zombie horde or finding the best way to turn a complex concept into a deliciously digestible set of bullet points.

Debrena McEwen