Tornado Safety

 

Even with the advancements in weather forecasting, the tornado remains the most dangerous and unpredictable storm on earth.  With winds that can range from 100-300 mph and a speed on the ground of 10-50 mph, the tornado can quickly destroy a community with little or no warning.  Each year over 700 tornadoes are reported in the United States, with the majority being reported in “tornado alley” which is located in the Midwestern states of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. 

 

Warning Signs

Learning to recognize “tornado weather” can be a big step in tornado preparation.  Tornados tend to develop on hot, humid, spring days between 3 pm and 7 pm, but they can occur at any time of the day or year.  Awareness and preparation combine to give the best protection from tornados.  Awareness can be as simple as keeping a radio or television on and tuned to a local channel to hear weather advisories, or as detailed as attending a weather spotter’s class sponsored by the local weather service. 

 

Preparing for a tornado begins well in advance of the onset of threatening weather.  Knowing the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning can mean the difference between life and death.  A TORNADO WATCH means that conditions are favorable for severe weather to form.  A TORNADO WARNING means that radar or a tornado spotter has sighted a tornado.

 

Preparation

In school children are taught both fire drills and tornado drills, at home you should do the same.  The first part of setting up a home tornado drill is to determine where you will go for shelter.  The place you choose for shelter should be at the lowest level of the house, near the center of the house.  The room you choose should be away from doors and windows, but be large enough for everyone to get into easily and comfortably.

 

Once you have chosen where you will go, you will need to make an emergency kit for your shelter.  The kit should be kept in the shelter if possible or near the shelter if not.  Each kit will be slightly different dependent on the household, but should include the following as a minimum: a portable, battery-operated radio to keep you informed about the weather conditions and further possible warnings; a flashlight or battery-operated lantern; candles or other flame-producing light sources should be avoided due to the danger of gas leaking if a tornado would strike near you; a heavy blanket to shield from flying debris.

 

Your tornado drill and kit is only complete if you practice it with the entire family.  Practice it at different times of the day or night and with people in different parts of the house.

 

The most important part of tornado safety is to understand that if a tornado warning is issued for your area that seeking shelter is your first and most important concern.  You have made a plan about where to go at home, but where do you go if you are not at home.  If you are at a public building like a store or school, you should ask directions from someone working there.  If you are in your car and see a tornado approaching, you should leave your car immediately and seek shelter by lying facedown and flat in a ditch, ravine or culvert.

 

For more information or to receive a brochure on tornado safety contact the Liberty Fire Department at 816-439-4310.