Tornadoes can happen throughout the year at any time. It’s important to have a tornado emergency kit at hand and especially if you’re in an area that’s more prone to getting them. Preparing yourself ahead of time for tornadoes is important. You might not have a shelter that you can reach during a tornado but these tornado emergency kit items can save your life.

We all know that it’s important to have first aid supplies, food, water and medical supplies in a tornado emergency kit. What kind of other supplies do you need besides the basic ones?

Check out these 10 Unusual Must Have Tornado Emergency Kit Items

10. Non-Perishable Food Items
It’s important to have a few non-perishable food items in your kit. You also might want to stock up for a few days with these items if possible. You should look into meals that might be ready to eat or either might not expire. You might also consider buying a non-electric can opener to throw in with it and a good knife to help with making it easier to open. This way you can also pack in cans of soup and other canned food items.

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rocklandtrust.com

9. Throw in some rain gear
You never know when that rain suit might come in handy. It can still rain for days even after the tornado has disappeared. This will help with preventing you from possibly getting sick. Keeping yourself dry is important after these kinds of disasters. The good news is that rain gear can be cheap. You can buy some cheap rain gear at places like Wal-Mart at a good price.

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hikinglady.com

8. A blanket or blanket throws
Try to find a blanket or either a blanket throw that you can easily put in your kit. They have some nice ones that can be small and not take up much space in your kit. If you can’t find big ones then buy a couple of the small ones to make up for it. Make sure to not buy the electric blankets. Try to look for just regular blankets that won’t require you to hook them up to something.

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proforceequipment.com

7. Rope
I’m sure you didn’t expect to see rope as one of the items you need but rope can come in handy when you least expect it. Rope can help you with saving a person’s life. It can also help in medical emergency situations when you might not have much supplies around. Ropes can help with anchoring down your items.

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preparingwithdave.com

6. Signal Flares
Signal flares can be great to just have in general. You never know when you might need them. If you’re trapped or just need help then signal flares can be just the thing that might save you. It’s good to have a few of them. The great thing about signal flares is that they don’t take up space. You can pack in a few of them and they are also light weight. I would say to have at least 5 with you or more. Hopefully you’ll never need to use them but it’s good to know that they are there just in case.

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5. Self Powered Radio
It might be tempting to pack a radio that requires batteries in your kit but you want to try and reserve whatever batteries you have. Instead, look for a radio that might be self powered. This way you won’t have to worry about plugging it in or it needing batteries. You can also find some nice solar radios. Stay up to date with what’s going on and get the latest information in your area in regards to the weather.

KaitoKA500

swling.com

4. Plastic bags
Plastic bags can come in handy during emergency situations. It’s great to have them so u can throw your food away in them or even just keep your clothes in the bags. You can also keep your clothes and other items dry by putting them in plastic bags.

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edisastersystems.com

3. A variety of batteries
It’s important to have all kinds of battery sizes with you. Don’t just throw in C’s or D’s. Instead try and find a mix of batteries to keep with you because you never know when you might need different kinds of batteries. Sure, it’s great to have a few C batteries around but you should have more than one kind available. You never know when they just might come in handy or when someone else might need another one.

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safelec.co.uk

2. A spare cell phone and charger
Buy one of those cheap prepaid cell phones and chargers to put in your kit. Don’t touch the cell phone until there’s some kind of emergency. You might also want to think about buying a case that will charge up the cell phone without you having to use the charger. Another thing that you might want to do is take it out of the package, put it on a full charge and shut it off so that way it’s always ready to go in case if you need it and will have a full charge. The picture below is of a portable solar power cell phone case.

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thecoolgadgets.com

1. Put in some emergency cash in your kit
One thing that so many people don’t think about having is some spare cash in their kit. If you decide to put some spare cash in your emergency kit then you might want to look into storing into a place where it might not be noticeable. Maybe even buy a fireproof hidden safe/book and put the cash in it. Find a way to try and make it to where people won’t think that cash is in that certain spot in your kit. If you’re going to buy a fireproof book I also suggest putting other valuable papers and things in it as well so that way they are protected at all times along with your cash.

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Conclusion
Other items include tools, work gloves, toiletries, sunscreen, supplies for your pets, a small fire starter kit, candles, matches and a whistle. Most of these items don’t take up much space so try and put as many of them in your kit that you possibly can because you never know when you might need them.