Living in Indy, you get pretty used to hearing tornado siren testing on Friday mornings. It’s a reminder that this area of the Midwest can get hit pretty hard during tornado season, which runs from April to June in Indiana.
This year, we’ve already seen tornado activity in Bloomington and Northwest Indiana.
You can sign up for an emergency alert system anytime by texting MESAINDY to 67283. Marion County Emergency Management, a department of Metropolitan Emergency Services Agency, will share text updates about severe weather or about safety during big events in Indy. If you want some notifications, but not others, you can set up a free account with Smart911 and decide what to opt into.
Ryan Hansome, deputy director of Marion County Emergency Management, shared his tips for how to prepare ahead of tornado season and what to do when a storm hits.
We also asked the city why there aren’t any public tornado shelters and learned the state offers rebates if you want to install a safe room in your home.
Here’s what you need to know during tornado season.
What to put in your emergency kit for severe weather
- 3-5 days worth of food that does not need to be refrigerated
- Water. Hansome recommends one gallon of water per person per day.
- Food and water for your pets.
- Medication. Always keep at least a few days’ worth of your medicine stocked.
- Keep your documents in a lockbox or safe place.
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Portable chargers for your phone
- NOAA radio, which is a small white radio that the National Weather Service will send alerts on. Typically, they cost about $50.
What to do when a tornado happens
When a tornado happens and you need to take shelter, Hansome gave tips for what to do in a house, mobile home or apartment. No matter where you are, try to get low, stay away from windows and grab soft things to protect your body.
“Blankets, pillows, if you’re able to pull a mattress over yourself,” Hansome said. “If debris starts flying around, it’s going to help protect you.”
If you live in a house
- Move to the lowest level of your home, and go to an interior room without windows, like a closet or bathroom. A basement is your best option.
- Cover your head and neck in case there is falling debris.
If you live in a mobile home
- Leave. If you know bad weather is coming ahead of time, make plans to stay with a friend or family member who lives in an apartment or house.
“Seek shelter in an alternate place, if possible, whether it’s with friends, family, if there’s a McDonald’s right outside the park,” Hansome said. - If you can’t find shelter in a building, the best thing to do is find a ditch or ravine and lie on your stomach with your hands over your head.
If you live in an apartment
- Go to a central room on the lowest floor. You could go to a stairwell or hallway that has no windows.
- Cover your head and neck in case there is falling debris.
After an emergency, Hansome suggests trying to call your friends or family that live further away to tell them you’re safe. Cell towers can get bogged down when lots of people in Marion County are calling other people nearby.
Indy’s history with twisters and public shelters
Indiana has quite the history with tornadoes. In 1927, a tornado hit downtown Indianapolis, killing two people and injuring up to 200 more. In 1974, a series of 148 tornadoes known now as the Super Outbreak hit 13 states within 24 hours. From April 3 to April 4, 1974, 21 separate tornadoes hit Indiana.
In 1927, a tornado struck downtown Indianapolis. This is a view of destroyed homes on Jefferson Avenue. Credit: Provided photo/Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society 
Several men look at the destruction caused by a 1927 tornado that struck several homes in the 100 block of Hamilton Avenue in Indianapolis. Credit: Provided photo/Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society
In more recent history, Indianapolis was hit by tornadoes in 2015 and 2019. Last year, several tornadoes traveled through Northeast Indianapolis and caused damage in Brownsburg on April 2. If you want to see more tornado history, IndyStar has a database tracking tornadoes from January 1950 to November of 2025.
Last month, a reader from the Far Eastside emailed Mirror Indy and asked if the city has any public tornado shelters. She explained that her house has no basement, and she doesn’t know where to seek shelter during a storm. She said she remembered the Washington Square Mall being used as a tornado shelter years ago, but we found no records to prove that.
We asked the city, and they said there are no designated public tornado shelters. Some buildings have signs that say “Tornado Shelter,” but those are meant for people who are already there in an emergency and need to shelter in place.
City-County archivist Jordan Ryan looked into it and found a newspaper clipping saying malls were not designed to work well as tornado shelters. During and after World War II, there were civil defense programs meant to respond in the event of a nuclear attack, but interest in public shelters dropped off after the 1970s.
You can also build a safe room
If you don’t have a basement or safe place to shelter from a storm in your home, you can install a safe room. There are above-ground ones that look like a concrete box or big metal tube and below-ground safe rooms. You can buy them from hardware stores such as Lowe’s or work with a company that specializes in them, such as Indiana-based Integrity Storm Shelters or the national company, Survive-A-Storm shelters.
However, that can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security, or IDHS, offers a rebate program for residential safe rooms. If you’re selected to get the rebate, the department will reimburse you for up to 75% of the cost or for up to $5,000.
During the most recent application period for the residential safe room program, Indiana had 827 individuals apply, and IDHS will select 33 homeowners at random to get the rebate. IDHS plans for the next round of applications to open April 1 and end April 15.
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Mirror Indy reporter Sophie Young covers services and resources. Contact her at sophie.young@mirrorindy.org.
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