Archive for the ‘Tornado Safety’ Category

Tornadoes are natures most violent and unpredictable storms.  They are formed by severe thunderstorms, most often in the spring and summer.
There is a section of the United States known as ‘Tornado Alley’, which consists of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and all Mid-western states.  If you live in a tornado prone area, stay alert during severe weather and know your communities warning systems.

Basic safety rules should be observed.  Be alert and watch for any changes in the weather.  If you hear a tornado warning or see a funnel cloud, take shelter immediately

Know your warning levels, they will often be given by your local radio or television station.  A Tornado Watch means that the conditions are favorable for a tornado to form.  A Tornado Warning means that a funnel has been sited or indicated by radar.  You should take shelter immediately.  Stay alert during severe storms, because sometimes there is not time for a warning.

Following these safety suggestions may increase your chances of survival.

If you are at home, stay away from the windows.  Go to the interior of your home, preferably the basement and get under something sturdy.  If you don’t have a basement, go to the lowest level of your home, to the bathroom or closet.  Cover your body with blankets or sleeping bags and stay away from heavy objects.

Do not stay in a mobile home during a tornado, leave, and seek shelter.

Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car, get out, and seek shelter.

If outside during a tornado, go immediately to a gully or ditch, if one is available, if not go to a low spot in the ground and lay flat.

Know your warnings, be prepared, watch, and be safe.

This map, published by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, illustrates where tornadoes take place most prolifically, and where the most damage, injury and death takes place from tornadic activity in the United States.

NOAA Tornado Map