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While the U.S. sees significantly more tornadoes yearly, Canada is not exempt from these natural weather disasters. It’s ranked second in the world for tornado activity, with the most at-risk provinces being Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, southern Quebec, and New Brunswick.
Tornadoes occur quickly and with minimal warning, so preparation is critical to protect people and property. Below, learn more about tornado season in Manitoba, including the best ways to stay updated on tornado warnings, preparation tips, and how to respond when a tornado hits.
When Is Tornado Season in Manitoba?
Tornadoes can strike at any time. They’re caused by a rapid rise in warm, moist air and strong winds forming a funnel cloud. However, tornadoes tend to hit Manitoba from April to September. June and July are when they’re most likely to occur, so be extra cautious during those two months.
As spring transitions into summer in Manitoba, severe thunderstorms are more prevalent, bringing heavy rains, winds, and heat—all favourable conditions for tornadoes to form. Manitoba gets the third most tornadoes out of all Canadian provinces and territories, falling just behind southern Saskatchewan and Alberta. On average, Manitoba can see anywhere from 8-14 tornadoes per year. Research suggests that tornadoes have become more frequent in Tornado Alley, which includes parts of Manitoba in the Canadian Prairies.
Tornadoes can and have occurred outside the typical tornado season, including in 2024. This was Canada’s longest tornado season on record, with 129 verified tornadoes occurring within nine months from March to November.
How To Stay Updated on Manitoba Tornado Warnings
While tornadoes often don’t provide the benefit of advanced warnings, it’s still possible to get a heads-up about incoming tornadoes before they’re outside your front door. To stay informed about tornado threats, consider utilizing these methods:
- Mobile Alerts: Turn on emergency alerts within your smartphone settings to ensure you receive real-time notifications from local authorities about severe weather conditions, including tornado watches and warnings.
- Weather Radio: Weatheradio Canada is an excellent resource that continuously shares weather information, including updates on incoming tornadoes or tornado-friendly conditions.
- Local News: If you regularly listen to or watch local news broadcasts, meteorologists will share timely updates during severe weather events. However, TV news may not be available if the power goes out due to a tornado, so having a battery or hand-crank radio for emergency listening is helpful. You could also charge a radio with EcoFlow Portable Power Stations, like the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus.
- Government Websites: Check the websites of your local government or other authorities for updates. Manitoba’s severe weather page is a helpful resource.
Pro Tip: Know the difference between tornado watches and tornado warnings. A tornado watch is issued when local conditions are favourable for tornadoes to develop, while a warning informs you of a detected tornado in your area that requires immediate attention and action.
How To Prepare for a Tornado in Manitoba
Knowing how to stay updated on tornado watches and warnings is just the beginning. To protect yourself, your home, and your family, ensure you have the appropriate resources and tools to ride out the storm and survive in case of extended outages or damage. Whether you’re preparing for an emergency in a city or the Manitoba countryside, here’s what to do.
Designate a Safe Space in Your Home
Tornadoes pose the highest risk to a home’s exterior rooms with windows and doors. To keep household members safe, designate a “safe room” or space in the home’s interior as close to the ground as possible. Underground is even better, so if you have a basement or storm cellar, go there. If not, find a central room without windows or exterior doors, such as a bathroom, toilet closet, or laundry room. Communicate with all family members where they should go and the importance of staying in the designated safe space until you know it’s okay to come out.
Create a Household Communication Plan
Choose an emergency contact who does not live in your local area that your family can contact if separated when the tornado hits. Phones and the internet may not work immediately after a tornado if damage was caused, but this emergency contact can be a good resource as recovery begins.
Build an Emergency Kit
Build an emergency kit that you can bring to the safe room with everything you’d need to survive comfortably for at least 72 hours. Thoughtful additions include non-perishable foods and at least one gallon of drinking water per person per day. Food may be canned goods (and a can opener), energy/protein bars, jerky, or dried fruit. Also, pack any vital prescription medications, OTCs like ibuprofen, bandages, and other critical first-aid supplies. Don’t forget to include a few flashlights with extra batteries and copies of vital documents like IDs, medical records, social security cards, and insurance papers.
Invest in a Power Solution
Tornadoes can wreak far and wide havoc when they strike, and grid power infrastructure may be temporarily unavailable as recovery begins. Rather than relying on the grid for energy support, invest in a power solution for your household that can work independently of the grid. For small devices like phones and laptops, the EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank will do the trick—it’s slim and portable and won’t take up much room in your emergency kit.
A more robust power solution can provide peace of mind if you’re concerned about long-term outages or critical appliances like CPAP machines. The EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station delivers 400W output, enough to run central AC and other appliances.
Consider Extended Outages
In the case of an extended blackout, think about the things you’ll be without and how you can prepare ahead of time to fill those gaps. For example, winter blackouts can be dangerous, so consider a portable heater or electric blankets to keep warm. Other items that are nice to have when you’re without power for several days include fuel for generators and backup light sources like lanterns or headlamps for visibility.
Prepare Your Car
If you need to evacuate the local area after a tornado hits, ensure your car has a few essentials to get you to your destination safely. Blankets, food, and water are a good start.
What To Do When a Tornado Hits Manitoba
- Seek Shelter Immediately: If possible, head to your designated safe room. Otherwise, find an interior room in a nearby building on the lowest floor, as far from windows as possible.
- Avoid Vehicles: Do not attempt to out-drive a tornado in your car. Get out of the car, find a ditch or other low-lying area, lie down, and cover your head.
- Protect Your Head and Neck: Wherever you are as the storm comes through, use your arms to cover your head and neck from potential flying debris.
- Check on Loved Ones: As soon as you get the all-clear, check on loved ones and neighbours and assess the damage, helping if you’re able. If the power is out, create your own energy source with EcoFlow DELTA Series Solar Generators for important appliances and devices, such as phones or radios for communication and medical equipment. Even if your power is still on, note that rolling blackouts may be used to avoid overloading the grid if there has been widespread infrastructure damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tornadoes are not as common in Manitoba as in the United States, but they’re still relatively common. On average, the province experiences about 7 to 10 tornadoes annually, primarily during tornado season from spring to summer. However, recent Canadian tornado seasons have lasted as long as nine months, from late winter to fall.
Manitoba can be in danger of tornadoes as the southern areas are part of Tornado Alley. The greatest threat of tornadoes occurs between April and September, with the peak being June and July as spring transitions into summer, creating favourable weather conditions for tornado development.
Final Thoughts
Tornadoes are a scary natural weather disaster, as they often happen quickly with little warning. That’s why advanced preparation and awareness is so critical. By ensuring you’ll receive timely alerts about tornado watches and warnings, preparing your home and family, and knowing where to go and how to act as a tornado approaches, you can enhance your safety and that of your loved ones in Manitoba. Get your home ready for an emergency with an EcoFlow Portable Power Station, and stay ahead of the game.