Helping protect your home and family from a tornado

A tornado is perhaps one of the most terrifying forces of destruction nature can unleash, with a funnel of winds swirling at up to 300 mph. They can happen any time of year, and appear transparent until they pick up dust and debris. One tornado can cut a path of devastation a mile wide and 50 miles long, so it’s important to know how to prepare for a tornado and what to do during and after a tornado. These tornado safety tips can help protect your family and home.

Tornado warning signs

Thankfully, tornadoes don’t come completely without warning. Pay attention to these signs that often indicate when a tornado may be brewing:

A dark sky, often greenish
A large, low-lying cloud – very dark, possibly rotating
Large hailstones falling
A loud roar, like a freight train

Prepare your home & family

No house can withstand a direct hit from a severe tornado, but “hardening” your home can help it survive if it’s on the fringe of the tornado’s path. Also vital: proper tornado preparation with your family so they know exactly what to do in case of a tornado:

Designate an emergency meeting spot and decide who takes charge of the dog or cat.
Show adult and teen family members where electrical, gas and water shut-offs are located and how to turn them off. Make sure the proper tools are nearby.
Have a well-stocked first aid kit, flashlights and plenty of batteries.
Install impact-resistant windows.
Make certain your doors have at least three hinges and a deadbolt lock with a bolt at least 1 inch long.
Install permanent wood or metal stiffeners on your garage door. Or contact the door manufacturer about temporary supports you can easily attach and remove.
Make sure your roof covering and sheathing beneath it can resist high winds.
Consider replacing gravel and rock landscaping with mulch or shredded bark, which can be less deadly in high winds.
Trim trees and shrubbery. Pay particular attention to weak or dead branches that could fall on your home or your neighbor’s home.

Before a tornado hits

If conditions are right for a tornado in your area:

Stay tuned to local radio and TV for any tornado announcements and instructions. Having a potable battery operated radio is highly recommended.
Turn off all utilities.
If it’s safe, move outdoor furniture and grills inside. They can be deadly flying debris.
If emergency officials haven’t directed you to a public shelter, get your family to the basement, a closet, a small room or a hallway away from windows. The more walls between you and the outside, the better.
Lean a mattress against the wall of the room you’re in.
Don’t open your windows. Keep the wind and rain outside.
Hand out flashlights. The tornado will probably disrupt electrical service.
If you’re in a mobile home, find shelter elsewhere.
If you’re in a vehicle, get out and head for a sturdy building. If one is not near, a ditch can provide shelter.
Don’t take shelter under a bridge or overpass – these structures could be destroyed.

Being prepared is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your family from a tornado,

If your home should suffer any weather related damage, no job is too big or too small for 24Restore. We understand Minnesota weather and as fast as the weather struck, 24Restore will be there to repair your home.

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- Barbara R.

Your service was excellent. The young man was thorough and very dedicated to completing the job. He’s a good one. I would recommend your services to anyone who need them.

- Keith

Your team has been absolutely amazing, professional, sympathetic and wonderful. They took my mess and made it manageable as I shed a few tears, which they also consoled with empathy. At a time when we have floods and tornados city wide you responded within hours. Thank, I am impressed and I have passed the word on to many.

- Genie

Very good experience……everyone I dealt with through 24 Restore was very professional and very kind.

- Nancy

This note is a note of thanks and appreciation of the services provided…..we could even say our home looks better than before we incurred our water damage…Job well done!

- Jay and Susan

I don’t often take the time to write a follow up complimentary letter. However I was very impressed with 24 Restore and felt they went above and beyond to surpass expectations with WOW service. Thank you for the great service and great job that your team did to get my house back in shape.

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Thank you for all the work put in to get out home……It would have been an impossible task for us to have accomplished in such a short time. We appreciate all that you have done for us! We are so grateful!

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