Survive a Tornado
May
24
Written by:
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The April tornadoes that caused hundreds of deaths in the Southeast, are a grim reminder of the need to know what to do to improve your chances of surviving. Despite the huge death toll, countless lives were spared because people got to a safe place before the tornado struck. Even if you do not live in a tornado-prone area, you may be visiting an area where tornadoes happen, or may experience a freak weather event. Here are some tips to help you survive a tornado:
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Get a NOAA weather radio. Many tornado fatalities occur when people are asleep and not aware that they need to seek shelter. These radios have an alert feature that will wake you if there is a tornado warning. Some weather radios can be programmed so they do not go into alarm mode for weather events that are out of your immediate area, or are not life-threatening. Be sure the radio has a battery backup and the battery is good.
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If you have power, stay tuned to your local TV station with the best weather reporting. Many people who survived the tornadoes in Alabama credit the local weather forecast for saving their lives.
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Have a designated safe place to shelter during a tornado warning. This can be a basement, downstairs bathroom, closet, interior hallway, or other small room that is structurally sound and safe from flying glass. If you are in a bathroom, get into the bathtub and cover yourself with a mattress or sofa cushion so you will be protected on all sides.
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A mobile home is not a safe place to be in a tornado, even if strapped to the ground. If you are in a mobile home community seek shelter in a more substantial building, and as a last resort take refuge in a ditch, culvert or other low-lying area.
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If you are in an office building, shopping center, or other building away from home, take shelter in a smaller interior room, bathroom, or hallway on a lower level. Avoid areas with wide expanses of roof that could collapse on you. A space under a heavy piece of furniture or a corner may provide protection against falling objects and flying debris.
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Schools and some commercial buildings will have plans and designated shelters. Follow instructions and/or ask where the designated shelter is located. Otherwise try to locate a safe place on a lower level as described above, where you are protected from flying glass, debris, and protected from roof collapse.
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Automobiles are routinely picked up and destroyed by tornadoes. If you are in your car, stop and take shelter in a building, or as a last resort, take shelter in a culvert or ditch, and try to protect yourself from flying debris. Do not try to outrun a tornado!
More information:
Pinellas County Florida Department of Emergency Management has a
concise web page on what to do in different situations for tornado safety.
2 comment(s) so far...
Re: Survive a Tornado
A couple of things have come to light since this blog was posted:
1. The corner of a building may not necessarily be a good location, especially in stores constructed like the Home Depot in Joplin, whose walls collapsed in the tornado, killing 7. It appears that some "tilt-up" construction (walls precast and tilted up into place) or concrete block walls with relatively weak ties to the roofing structure may fail under extreme conditions such as those experienced in major tornadoes. That particular building has been rebuilt with a reinforced interior room. It does appear that with vulnerable walls, wide roof spans and the staff not necessarily drilled on emergency procedures, a big box store may be a particularly poor place to be in a tornado.
2. The University of Alabama in Birmingham is now recommending that helmets (motorcycle, bicycle, football helmet, or other should be added to tornado protection equipment. The most serious injuries caused by tornadoes are head injuries, and the hands and arms are inadequate to protect the head and face. For more information see: www.uab.edu/icrc/tornado_helmet_com.html . One family I know in Tuscaloosa who survived a direct hit from the tornado were wearing helmets in addition to doing other things right that saved their lives.
By craig on
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
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Re: Survive a Tornado
FEMA has plans for building a safe room for your home or studio in pdf and dwg formats: www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1536
By craig on
Monday, March 05, 2012
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