Five important items to have in your tornado shelter

For those of you reading this from South Dakota, you’re going to laugh at me.

But I went through the second blizzard in my life this year. This one was for real - we had 14” of snow in Tulsa, setting the single storm snowfall record.

I lived at the TV station for a few days, sleeping where I could and when I could. I took lots of pictures. It’s not the pictures of the snow that I’ll always remember. It’s the one I took of the empty shelves at the grocery store.

I’m in the middle of Tulsa in the year 2011, and there’s no bread. You see, this storm hit all the right places to totally disrupt supply lines in this part of the world. Similar scenes played out in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami, and the tornado Super-Outbreak that hit the south at the end of April.

With that being said, I’ve come up with a list of five things that you should have in your tornado shelter. If you don’t have a safe-room, basement or storm cellar, you need to designate one single place in the house as a tornado shelter. And you need to make sure to have these items securely placed in this location.

1. Medication. If you have a serious illness that requires special medication, you need to keep an extra supply of that medication tucked away in your storm shelter. Remember—the bigger the tornado, the higher the likelihood that roadways are obstructed keeping the semis that bring food and medicine from getting into town. If the power is out, the stores can’t open. Hospitals will likely be jam packed. Doctor’s offices would likely be closed. A small stash of that medication is a great idea. If you wear glasses or contacts, keep extra stashed away.
    
2. Simple food. No fancy prep work required. It’s not going to be tasty; it’s not meant for dinner parties, it’s meant to feed you and your family for a few days. You will need your strength. I could eat peanut butter out of a jar for days, and peanut butter keeps for a long time. Put some crackers in there and you’ve got a big snack/small meal. Tuna doesn’t need to be cooked, now comes in pouches and is high in protein. If you have an infant, you need some extra baby food. Try to put some bottled water in there too. If you have a dog or a cat, put a little dog or cat food in there.
   
3. " Lumberjack” clothes. You want protective clothing. Most important—boots, thick socks, solid rugged jeans and a coat. After a tornado, debris will be everywhere. Wood, glass, nails, and pieces and parts from everything. The boots, socks and jeans will protect your legs and feet. The coat is there in case your tornado is followed by chilly air.
   
4. A copy of all of your important papers. Keep it simple. Make sure you have your insurance papers, identification papers and even a list of phone numbers for credit card companies, etc. Some information about your vehicles wouldn’t be a bad idea. You won’t have room for everything, but the more information you have, the easier it will be to get the ball rolling after the storm.
    
5. A battery-operated cell phone charger. I’ve got one for my iPhone. It runs off of “AA” batteries, so you’ll want extra batteries. They have solar powered chargers too. It might sound strange, but think about it. Now you can make arrangements for a place to stay, reassure family and friends that you’re ok and have a way for the insurance company to contact you. I saw lots of people posting their post-storm status on Facebook using their cell phone after the Alabama tornado outbreak. It’s simpler than making 50 phone calls.

Now, you can get really fancy and have coloring books for the kids, extra car keys, a first-aid kit, etc. I’m just getting you the basics to get you through the first few hours and days. Most of this stuff will keep for years. The food might need to be freshened every six months to a year. Even with that, the hour or two that you spend a year setting up and stocking your shelter WILL pay off in the event of a tornado.

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