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Emergency Shelter on Farms

Shelter plans work only when people can reach the place quickly. Think through where each person would be and how they would get to safety.

Why plan a shelter in advance?

Severe weather can arrive with little warning, and farm work often takes people far from the house. A shelter plan decides where each person goes and how they get the message. Write the plan down, post it, and make sure children, workers and visitors know what the warning signal sounds like and what to do when they hear it.

The National Weather Service and the American Red Cross publish guidance on shelter for different hazards. Use those as your reference rather than guessing which part of a building is safest.

Do not wait until the sirens sound to decide. Review the plan at the start of each storm season and talk through where each person would be at different times of day.

How do I choose shelter places?

Ask your county emergency manager, the National Weather Service or a building professional which places on your property are appropriate for which hazards. Farm buildings vary widely in how well they protect people.

Barns, sheds and vehicles are often not safe places in severe storms. Ask local officials for advice, since the best choice depends on the hazard and the building.

Think about the shelter's size and how many people it must hold, including workers, guests and children. Ask local officials about community shelters near you, and know how to get there.

• Ask officials which places are appropriate
• Consider the hazard: wind, lightning, flood or fire
• Think about distance from work areas
• Plan for each location where people work

How will we get warnings?

Use more than one source: a weather radio, phone alerts and local sirens. Sirens may not be heard indoors or in a tractor cab, so do not rely on them alone.

Agree on a signal that means go now, and practice responding to it. Share the plan with workers and visitors.

Test radios and phone alerts each season. Weather radios may have batteries that run down, and phone settings may block alerts. Make sure each person understands what the alerts mean.

What supplies should a shelter have?

Keep a small kit with a flashlight, batteries, a radio, first aid supplies, water and any personal medicines. Add items for children and pets.

The Red Cross publishes kit lists you can follow. Check supplies regularly and replace what has expired.

Pack a bag for each person, and include medicines, glasses, chargers and copies of important papers. Keep a list of contacts in the kit in case your phone fails.

• Flashlight and spare batteries
• Weather radio
• First aid supplies and water
• Personal medicines and papers

What about people who are far from shelter?

Workers in fields or on equipment need a plan for what to do when they cannot reach a building. Ask the weather service and your extension office for guidance suited to your area, because the right action depends on the hazard.

Agree on how to check in, and do not send anyone to look for a missing person into dangerous weather.

A field plan might include checking the forecast before leaving the yard and agreeing when to stop work. Make it clear that anyone can call a halt without being blamed.

• Check the forecast before leaving the yard
• Agree when to stop work
• Let anyone call a halt without blame

How do we handle animals?

Animals are not usually moved during a storm. Think in advance about fencing, shelter and identification. After the storm, check for injuries and hazards such as downed lines before entering pastures.

Call your veterinarian if animals are injured.

Keep pets and livestock in mind but do not risk lives for animals. Make sure you have a way to identify animals and contact the owner if they are lost.

What happens after the danger passes?

Wait for the all clear from official sources. Check people for injuries and call 911 for serious ones. Watch for downed power lines, damaged buildings and leaking fuel.

Review the plan with the family or crew, and fix anything that did not work.

Report injuries and damage to the right people, and keep records. Check on neighbors and offer help where safe, following official instructions. Take time after each season to check that the people who live and work on the farm still know the plan, since households change and new people arrive.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.