Tornadoes have been reported in all 50 states and in all seasons although they generally occur in the spring and summer. Tornadoes can also occur at any time of the day but generally occur between 3-9pm. This is when the heat of the day develops thunderstorms which can spawn tornadoes. Over 1,000 tornadoes are reported annually and while warning systems improve each year, sometimes tornadoes occur where there are no watches or warnings.
To prepare for tornadoes, you have to understand how they form and how they work.
Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent are capable of extreme destruction with rotating winds up to and in excess of 250 mph. The most common tornadoes are only a few dozen yards wide and touch down for only several minutes but extreme tornadoes can cut a swath over a mile wide and travel for more than 30 miles. Violent tornadoes account for only 2-3 percent of all tornadoes but produce the most damage and fatalities.
Severe thunderstorms in warm, moist, unstable air along or ahead of a cold front can spawn tornadoes. These same thunderstorms usually generate high winds, hail and severe lightning. Major outbreaks of tornadoes can occur during the late spring, tornadic thunderstorm season. Tropical storms and hurricanes can also cause tornadoes.
When severe thunderstorms are called for, stay close to your radio or television for the latest news. A Tornado Watch is issued by the National Weather Service and is an alert that the potential for tornadoes is possible. This is also when they usually issue Severe Thunderstorm Warnings. Put your Family Disaster Plans into action at this time. Remind family members where the safest spots in the home are. Gather pets and your preparedness items and stay alert.
A Tornado Warning is issued when a tornado has been sighted or indicated on the weather radar. Make sure that you're aware of where the tornado has hit and where it is headed. Tornadoes can change direction very quickly.
If you're in a common tornado area, conduct Family Tornado Drills each season. Locate the safest area in your home for protection against a tornado and practice getting everyone and everything there quickly in response to a tornado threat.
If evacuation may be necessary, plan in advance and know more than one route.
Make plans in advance for your pets. In any disaster warning, keep pets confined to pet carriers or one room in the house so that they don't run off in response to fear. Since pets aren't welcome in shelters, prepare in advance to leave your pets in a room without windows but with adequate food, water and air for up to three days. Never leave your pet tied up outside and make sure you put notice on your door as to which room your pets are in and where you will be.
WHEN A TORNADO STRIKES
If you are at home:
Go to the basement or the lowest level of your home. If you don't have a basement, get into an inner hallway of an inner room without windows like the bathroom or a closet.
Stay away from windows and doors.
Go to the center of whatever room you're in since corners tend to collect debris.
If possible, get under a sturdy piece of furniture and hold on, like a workbench or heavy dining table.
Try to protect you eye, head and arms.
If you're in a mobile home, find shelter elsewhere. Mobile homes are notoriously UNSTABLE even if they have secure tie downs. Make arrangements in advance to have shelter with friends or family. Leave when the Tornado Watch is issued. By the time a Warning is issued it may be too late.
Never take shelter UNDER a mobile home. Find a ditch or ravine and lie flat with your arms over your head.
If you live in a mobile home community, encourage the community to build a tornado shelter if you're in a tornado-prone area.
If you are at work:
Go to the basement or lowest floor in the building and seek shelter in a hallway, away from windows and doors.
Avoid cafeterias, auditoriums and shopping malls with wide-span roofs.
If you are outdoors, seek shelter immediately.
If you are unable to get indoors, find a ditch or ravine and lie flat with your arms over your head.
If you are in a vehicle:
Do NOT try to outdrive the tornado. Tornadoes can shift speed and direction very quickly and can lift up a vehicle and toss it through the air.
If possible, get out of the car and into shelter.
If you're near an overpass, get under the overpass and as high up the wall as you can go. Hold on to steel girders or bridge stabilizers tightly. If you have children with you, get them up as high as possible and get behind them with your arms around theirs.
If shelter isn't an option and you're out in the open, find a ditch or ravine and lie flat with your arms over your head.
Your key to safety in a tornado is preparedness since tornadoes strike with less warning than most other disasters.
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