In this paper, we examined the effects of extreme tornadic wind loads on mass-timber buildings. In general, mass-timber buildings utilize pre-engineered wood panels to form their main gravity and lateral load resisting systems. The lightweight nature of timber makes these types of emerging buildings lighter and more flexible than buildings made from concrete, masonry or steel. In general, global lateral instability of buildings can occur when the overturning forces due to wind loads exceed the dead load of the structures. In the present study, wind loads were obtained from laboratory simulations of tornado-like wind field and atmospheric boundary layer flow at Western University, Canada. Tornado wind loads from the laboratory tests were scaled to five Enhanced Fujita wind speeds representing various levels of damage. Dynamic structural analyses were carried out to assess floor level demands. It is shown that extreme tornado wind loads may pose significant damage to mass-timber buildings designed for 1-in-50 wind speed using a load factor of 1.4. Based on the obtained results, design strategies are suggested for mass-timber buildings in tornado-prone areas.