Severe thunderstorms can produce dangerous lightning, hail, flash flooding and tornadoes. Tornadoes are most common in the Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and southern Ontario, but they've been reported in every province and territory, including southern Quebec and parts of Atlantic Canada.
Environment and Climate Change Canada confirm roughly 60 tornadoes across the country every year, though researchers estimate the true number including those that touch down in remote, sparsely populated areas and go unrecorded may be well over 100. Fast, furious and indiscriminate, these catastrophic storms can cause irreparable damage in a matter of minutes, and Canada ranks second in the world (behind only the United States) for the number of tornadoes it sees each year.
During a tornado, people face hazards from extremely high winds and risk being struck by flying and falling objects, warns the Public Health Agency of Canada. After a tornado, the damage left behind poses additional injury risks.
Although nothing can be done to prevent tornadoes, there are actions you can take to protect your health and safety. If you live in an area that has a history of tornadoes such as southern Ontario, the Prairies or southern Quebec, it's important to have the right homeowner’s insurance policy that includes wind coverage for tornadoes and a safety plan allowing you to take immediate action during a tornado watch or warning.
Minimize risk, insure prized possessions and protect yourself and your family
1. Know what you're up against
Tornadoes can uproot trees, destroy well-made structures and hurl objects through the air causing life-threatening damage. Listen to local news and check the forecast regularly to be alert to any warnings and know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning:
A tornado watch indicates the possibility of thunderstorms producing a tornado. This is a time to review your safety plans and prepare emergency supplies.
A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been sighted live or by weather radar. When this occurs, seek shelter immediately.
Signs that a tornado may be approaching include a rotating funnel-shaped cloud, a cloud of debris, dark or green-coloured sky, large hail and dark, low-lying clouds accompanied by a loud roar that sounds like a freight train.
To truly understand what tornadoes are capable of, look at the Enhanced Fujita Scale below. Environment and Climate Change Canada use these guidelines to categorize tornadoes and estimate potential property damage:
Zero (Weak) | 90-130 km/h winds | Light damage: Some damage to chimneys; branches broken off trees, shallow-rooted trees uprooted, sign boards damaged.
One (Weak) | 135-175 km/h winds | Moderate damage: Some damage to chimneys; branches broken off trees, shallow-rooted trees uprooted, sign boards damaged.
Two (Strong) | 180-220 km/h winds | Considerable damage: Roofs torn from frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light objects become projectiles.
Three (Strong) | 220-270 km/h winds | Severe damage: Roofs and some walls torn from well-constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in forested areas uprooted; heavy cars lifted and thrown.
Four (Violent) | 270-320 km/h winds | Devastating damage: Well-constructed houses levelled; structures with weak foundations blown some distance; cars thrown; large missiles generated.
Five (Violent) | 320 km/h or higher winds | Incredible damage: Strong frame houses lifted off foundations, carried considerable distances, and disintegrated; auto-sized missiles airborne for several hundred metres or more; trees debarked.
2. Make sure your insurance policy includes coverage against wind and hail
There's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to the best type of homeowners insurance policy for tornado damage. Policies usually cover tornado damage, but you might not be covered for wind or hail, which often accompanies tornadoes.
Carefully review your policy and find out if wind is a covered peril under your insurance. Most homeowners’ insurance policies generally cover windstorm damage directly caused by wind or hail, but there are two additional kinds of wind damage deductibles:
- Hurricane deductibles, which apply to damage solely from hurricanes and post-tropical storms
- Windstorm or wind/hail deductibles, which apply to any kind of wind damage
If Windstorm Coverage is excluded from your policy, check with our VIU by HUB team to determine what additional coverage may be available for your property. Homes in tornado- and windstorm-prone areas sometimes carry a special windstorm deductible, which is generally based on a percentage of the dwelling limit.
Try to stay on top of any special deductibles for losses caused by wind and make necessary adjustments like raising the limits so that you'll be protected if your home is severely impacted. Also consider that damage caused by flooding that can result from tornadoes isn't typically covered under a standard policy, so you should also consider purchasing overland flood insurance.
3. Prepare your home and your family as best you can
Your safety and that of your family is always the most important thing, but that doesn't mean you want to leave your house unprotected. With some time and planning, there are certain precautions you can take to minimize risk of damage to your home.
Be sure to bring in any patio furniture or exterior items like barbecues, playsets and the like. Depending on the intensity of the tornado, tacking down loose roofing and trimming dead or weak branches from trees will help to protect your house. Trimming your trees has benefits beyond your roof and can help to keep your home's frame safe as well. These are things your home insurance company likes to see, and beyond protecting your house in a tornado, they can even help lower your home insurance premiums.
Environment and Climate Change Canada recommend designating a safe room in your home and having it reinforced, when possible, ideally a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows. Public Safety Canada's Get Prepared website has guidance on reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection. Natural disaster relief experts also suggest keeping the following emergency supplies in your safe space:
- Flashlight and spare batteries
- Charged fire extinguisher
- Energy-dense foods such as trail mix, granola bars, dried fruit, etc.
- Blankets
- Water
- First aid kit
4. Have a safety plan in place for when a tornado strikes
Flying debris causes most tornado-related deaths and injuries. Keep yourself and your family safe from this danger by having a plan in place for where to meet for shelter and pay close attention to any tornado watches and warnings issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
A basement, storm shelter or a lower interior room without windows is the safest choice shelter in this kind of space as soon as your area gets a tornado warning. Many casualties result from staying in a mobile home, so if you live in one, relocate to an alternative spot such as a nearby building with a basement. Try to place an emergency kit in the designated room ahead of time.
Running practice drills with your family is a good way to ensure everyone knows how to respond in the event of a tornado. And, when at all possible, don't forget about your pets.
If you happen to be in a vehicle during a tornado, seek shelter as soon as possible. The best course of action is to drive to the closest shelter. If you are unable to make it to a safe shelter, either get down in your car and cover your head or abandon your car and seek shelter in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine.
5. Be careful when dealing with the aftermath
Multiple rounds of thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes are possible during severe weather outbreaks. Stay tuned to local news while you take shelter, if possible, to get continuing updates on how the weather evolves.
When the coast is clear, take the following steps:
- Contact your family and loved ones – Let them know you're okay so they can help spread the word. Text messages or social media are more reliable forms of communication than phone calls.
- Assess the damage – After the threat of tornadoes has ended, check to see if your property has been damaged. When walking through storm damage, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and sturdy shoes. Contact local authorities if you see power lines down. Stay out of damaged buildings.
- Help your neighbour – If you come across people who are injured and you are properly trained, provide first aid to victims if needed until emergency response teams arrive.
Understand what you're covered for and where you might need more protection
If you rent your home and you live in a tornado-prone area, protect your personal belongings by purchasing tenant's insurance. Both homeowners and tenants should also consider purchasing Replacement Cost Value (RCV) Insurance, which reimburses you for your lost or damaged items rather than compensating you based on the items' depreciated value. To best protect your vehicle, obtain a comprehensive auto policy because liability insurance alone will not cover the potential costly auto repairs that could result from a tornado.
Tornadoes shouldn't be taken lightly, but you can minimize danger and losses by implementing safety procedures for you and your family, in addition to sufficient tornado insurance coverage for your home and vehicle. Call our advisory team to make sure you've got the right homeowners insurance coverage and learn more about our tornado insurance resources.