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Before a tornado
Know the terms used to describe tornado threats:
Tornado watch
--
Tornadoes are possible.
Watch the sky and listen to the radio or television for more
information. Be prepared to take shelter. If you see any rotating,
funnel-shaped clouds, report them immediately by telephone to your
local law enforcement agency.
If you live in a mobile home,
this is the time to move to a more substantial structure.
Tornado warning
--
A tornado has been sighted
or indicated by weather radar.
The storms may also
produce damaging downburst winds in excess of 60 mph and hail 1 inch
or larger. Take shelter
immediately. Turn on a battery-operated radio or television and wait
for updated information for your area.
,
regardless of the
time of day! Many
deadly tornadoes occur at night. Use a weather-alert radio,
local TV and radio, or the Internet to monitor watches and
warnings for your area.
Don't rely completely on
outdoor warning sirens -- especially if you're asleep!!
Determine the best
location in your home and office to seek shelter when threatened
by a tornado . A
basement or cellar will usually afford the best protection. If
an underground shelter is not available, identify an interior
room or hallway on the lowest level. Closets, small interior
hallways and bathrooms without windows are the best areas.
Conduct periodic
tornado safety drills at home AND at work .
Decide how and where everyone will gather prior to and after the
storm.
Learn how to shut
off the utilities to your home .
If you live in a
mobile home, identify a safe shelter outside of your mobile home ,
such as a community
park shelter, a neighbor or friend's house, or a nearby public
building.
Consider retrofitting your house
with special fasteners,
connectors and reinforcing bands to strengthen the structural
integrity. Also,
consider installing a reinforced concrete and steel "safe room"
as a small room within
your house, or excavated and installed in your yard, or beneath
your garage floor.
During a tornado
Take the following actions when a tornado warning has been issued
by the National Weather Service, when sirens have been activated or
when a tornado has been sighted near your area.
AT HOME
(storm cellar, basement or the
lowest level of the building). In a basement, go under the
stairs, under a heavy piece of furniture or a workbench. Stay
there until the danger has passed.
If there is no
basement, go to an inner hallway or a small inner room
without windows ,
such as a bathroom or closet.
Stay away from
windows, doors and outside walls .
Go to the center
of the home . Outside
windows and walls may be penetrated by high-speed, wind-borne
missiles.
Get under a piece
of sturdy furniture ,
such as a workbench or heavy table, and hold on to it.
Use pillows,
mattresses or cushions to protect your head and neck.
If in a mobile home, get out and seek
shelter elsewhere, well before the storm arrives .
A mobile home can overturn very easily even if precautions have
been taken to tie down the unit. If there isn't a substantial
shelter nearby, go to a low-lying area and shield your head with
your hands.
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IN A SCHOOL, NURSING HOME, HOSPITAL, SHOPPING CENTER OR WORKPLACE
,
basement or to an inside hallway on the lowest level.
Avoid places with
wide-span roofs , such
as auditoriums, cafeterias, gymnasiums and large hallways. Stay
away from windows and open spaces.
Get under a piece
of sturdy furniture ,
such as a workbench, heavy table or desk, and hold on to it. If
sturdy furniture is not available, make yourself the smallest
target possible. Squat low to the ground. Put your head down and
cover your head and neck with your hands.
If in a high-rise building, go to
small, interior rooms or hallways on the lowest level possible
and seek protection as
detailed above. Stay away from windows and outside walls.
OUTDOORS
,
on the lowest floor -- away from windows and doors.
If an indoor shelter is not available ,
or there is no time to get indoors,
lie in a ditch or culvert.
Use your arms to protect your head and neck. Stay aware of the
potential for flash flooding.
IN A VEHICLE
.
Heavy rain, hail and traffic may impede your movement. Tornadoes
can change directions quickly and can easily lift up a vehicle
and toss it through the air.
If there isn't time to get indoors ,
get out of the vehicle and
lie in a ditch, culvert
or low-lying area away from the vehicle.
After a tornado
for
emergency information or instructions.
Be extremely
careful in areas of downed power lines or natural gas leaks .
Wear adequate footwear to avoid cuts from broken glass or nails
protruding from boards.
Check for injured
victims . Render
first-aid if necessary.
Check on neighbors
or relatives who may
require special assistance.
Do not attempt to
move severely injured victims unless absolutely necessary .
Wait for emergency medical assistance to arrive.
Exit damaged
buildings . Re-enter
only if absolutely necessary, using great caution.
Take photos or
video of the damage to your home and property, and report it to
local emergency managers.
If driving, be
alert for hazards on the roadway.
If unaffected by the tornado, stay
out of the damaged area until local officials allow entry.
Your presence may hamper emergency operations.
___
Source:
2009 Severe
Weather Preparedness Guide, a joint effort between the National
Weather Service and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency
[Text from file from
National Weather Service,
Lincoln office] |
Tornadoes
