Illinois enacted the Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act (Act) to protect warehouse employees and make tornado safety a priority. The law requires that all warehouse facilities have a tornado safety plan in place and provide designated shelter areas. It also requires that all city and county building inspectors hold a certificate from the International Code Council to perform inspections.
The Act went into effect on Aug. 15, 2025; however, it allows warehouse operators 120 days to implement a tornado safety plan for existing facilities and a week to create one for new facilities. City and county building inspectors must be certified by Jan. 1, 2027, as the changes will start being enforced.
Under the Act, a warehouse is defined as any building where warehouse workers carry out their duties and goods are stored, provided the building falls within specific industry classifications. These classifications are based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and include:
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493 for Warehousing and Storage
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423 for Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
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424 for Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
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454110 for Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses
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492110 for Couriers and Express Delivery Services
Tornado Safety Plan
Under the Act, every warehouse operator in Illinois is required to prepare a tornado safety plan for each warehouse they manage. At a minimum, the plan must contain the following information:
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A floor plan of the warehouse with emergency exits, assembly points, shelter areas and orienting landmarks clearly displayed.
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A written description of the actions that employees and supervisors are required to perform in the event of a tornado warning or other severe weather event.
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A list of all emergency equipment stored in the warehouse with the equipment’s location and instructions on the use of the equipment
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A written description of the actions that employees and supervisors are required to perform in the aftermath of a tornado or other severe weather event, including basic first-aid procedures and guidelines for communications with other warehouse workers and first responders.
For warehouses already in operation as of Aug. 15, 2025, the plan must be completed within 120 days of that date. For any warehouse that begins operations on or after 120 days following the effective date of the Act, the plan must be completed within seven days after the facility becomes operational.
Each tornado safety plan must be tailored to the specific warehouse it covers and must be reviewed and updated at least annually, or whenever a significant change in operations affects the plan’s relevance or accuracy.
Operators are expected to coordinate with local emergency services, disaster agencies, and the fire department or fire protection district to ensure the plan aligns with the jurisdiction’s emergency response protocols. Copies of the original plan and any updates must be filed with both the local fire department or fire protection district and the local emergency services and disaster agency serving the area where the warehouse is located.
Reducing Inclement Weather Risks
Under the Act, any warehouse facility built after Aug. 15, 2025, must be designed (whether through structural changes, new installations or engineering analysis) to meet a tornado safety standard that is at least as strong as the safety level required for the most extreme environmental threats covered by building codes, such as:
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Hurricanes
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High winds
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Earthquakes
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Fires
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Floods.
To meet this requirement, evaluations may include statistical analysis of published data on how often extreme conditions occur and how intense (i.e., extreme load intensity versus probability of exceedance) they are (such as those found in ASCE/SEI 7-22 Appendix G), along with considerations like how many people use the facility, where it’s located and how it’s built.
These evaluations can follow flexible, performance-based approaches rather than strict design rules. Alternatively, instead of using a risk-based method, the design professional may choose to follow established guidelines from Federal Emergency Management Agency Standard P-431, “Tornado Protection: Selecting Refuge Areas in Buildings,” and use the Best Available Refuge Area Checklist to ensure that designated shelter areas in the tornado safety plan meet the highest standards for protection.
Building Inspector Requirements
Under the Act, the Illinois Counties Code and Illinois Municipal Code are both amended to establish consistent building inspector requirements. Under the Act, a “building inspector” is defined as either a:
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Employee of the state, county or municipality whose duties include inspecting or examining structures or property to determine the presence of zoning or other code violations
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Third-party contractor hired by the county or municipality to perform the same duties. The term also includes code enforcement officers.
All building inspectors performing inspections under either Code must hold a valid certification from the International Code Council in the specific area they are inspecting or examining. Counties and municipalities must maintain copies of these certifications on file. Newly hired inspectors are allowed a one-year grace period from their date of hire to obtain the required certification. These changes take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, when enforcement will begin.
Contact Arachas Group LLC for more information.
