Tornado Preparedness Tips
- You should have a protection plan before a tornado strikes.Humo y playa image by hombrefeliz from Fotolia.com
With more than 1,000 confirmed tornadoes per year in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, preparing for personal safety is likely a useful endeavor. Organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have developed useful tips and tools to help you protect yourself when hazardous weather occurs. - Ideally, when a tornado strikes, you would be at a home or another place with a basement or safe room. However, if you don't have a safe room, or if you are caught on the road, in a public place, or outdoors, you also should have a personal protection plan. In buildings and structures with no basement or safe room, you should go to an interior room or corridor with no windows or doors. A sturdy table will offer some overhead protection, and you should use your arms to cover your head and neck. If you're driving, you should leave your vehicle and enter a sturdy building. If you're caught outside with no shelter, lying in a ditch or ground depression offers the most protection, according to FEMA. FEMA advises against entering a mobile home or crawling to the underside of a bridge or overpass.
- A safe room is an area that offers a higher level of protection in comparison to a house built to code, according to FEMA. This room or area may be in a basement, an interior room on the first floor, or a room built atop a concrete slab. The safest style is below ground, but its design should ensure that water does not accumulate from heavy rains.
A first-floor safe room can also provide the necessary protection, according to FEMA, so long as it features a few particular characteristics to help it stand up to the high winds and flying debris that may damage or destroy the house around it. Such a safe room should be securely anchored to avoid toppling and uplift; the walls need to resist wind pressure and hold up against the impact of flying objects; and connections between parts of the safe room must be strong enough to resist the wind. Additionally, all of the safe room structure should be separate from the residence exterior structure, so a safe room wall should not connect to an exterior wall of the house. - The American Red Cross recommends that individuals and families should act out a plan so every family member knows what to do should a tornado strike. Each person, including children, should know to go to the predetermined safest area, which should be large enough to accommodate all people as well as the family pets.
- When stormy weather is in the forecast, you should begin to take action before urgency arises. Remove or secure outdoor furniture, trash cans, and any other items that may become projectile objects. When potentially hazardous weather appears, it is best to watch for signs that conditions may suddenly turn dangerous, according to FEMA. Indicators that a storm has the potential to spawn a tornado include a dark sky with a green tint; a large, dark, low cloud that may be rotating; large hail; and a loud, roaring sound.
- During a weather event, you should watch local television weather broadcasts, listen to a commercial radio station, or tune in to the NOAA Weather Radio, FEMA recommends. NOAA Weather Radio is a broadcast service of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which runs the National Weather Service. A nationwide network of radio stations broadcasts continuous emergency weather reports, providing the most up-to-date information. NOAA radio receivers are available for purchase at electronics and sporting goods stores, as well as many other retail outlets.
