Tornado Safety
Hazards of Tornadoes
Tornadoes are nature's most violent and erratic storms. A tornado can travel for miles along the ground, lift, and suddenly change direction and strike again. There is little you can do to protect your home or workplace from the strength of tornado winds, but there are actions you can take to protect yourself and your family better.
Tornado Watch
A tornado watch is given when weather conditions are favorable to the formation of tornadoes, such as during severe thunderstorms. During a tornado watch, keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to take shelter immediately if conditions worsen.
Tornado Warning
A tornado warning is given when a tornado funnel is sighted or indicated by radar. You should take shelter immediately. Because tornadoes can form and move quickly, there may not be time for a warning. That's why it's important to stay alert during severe storms.
Warning Sirens
Local officials authorize sirens to sound. When sirens are sounded in your community, take immediate shelter and tune to a local radio station for further information. Do not call local law enforcement, fire departments, city halls or utilities to ask why the sirens are sounding.
These sirens are outdoor warning sirens and are not meant to be heard indoors. Weather monitors and scanners can be purchased for your home or business to receive weather and other emergency information.
You will be notified that the danger has passed by the local radio station. There is no "all clear" signal from the sirens.
At Home
Get to a shelter immediately and avoid situating yourself close to a window. Flying glass can injure or kill. Do not open windows. Houses do not explode and allowing strong winds in can do damage or cause injury. The safest place in the home is the interior part of the basement, preferably under something sturdy like a table. Stay out from under heavy objects like pianos or refrigerators on the floor above. If you have no basement, go to an inside room on the lowest floor, like a closet, hallway, or bathroom with no windows.
Safety Precautions
For added protection, get under something strong, like a workbench or heavy table. If possible, cover your body with a blanket or sleeping bag and protect your head with anything available, even your hands.
If your home appears undamaged, check carefully for gas or other utility line breaks. If the lights are out use a flashlight only and do not use any open flame.
Long-Span Buildings
Long-span buildings are dangerous. Examples of a long-span building include:
- Shopping malls
- Civic centers
- Indoor pools
- Theaters
- Gymnasiums
Stay away from windows if you find yourself in an open building when a tornado hits. The entire roof structure is supported solely by the outside walls. Inside walls are usually false or non-load bearing walls.
Find a Restroom
Get into the restroom, if possible. In larger buildings, the restrooms are usually made from concrete block. Besides having 4 walls and plumbing holding things together, metal partitions help support any falling debris.
Seek Safe Shelter
If there is not time to go anywhere, seek shelter right where you are. Try to get up against something that will support or deflect falling debris.
Mobile Homes
Do not stay in a mobile home during a tornado. Even homes with a secure tie-down system cannot withstand the force of tornado winds. Plan ahead. Make arrangements with friends or neighbors who have basements. Go there if a tornado watch is issued. If a tornado warning is given, leave your mobile home and seek shelter nearby. Lie flat in a ditch or ravine and put your arms over your head. Don't take shelter under your home. Encourage your mobile home community to build a tornado shelter if you live in a area prone to tornadoes.
Schools, Hospitals, Nursing Homes & Office Buildings
Extra precautions are needed in these structures. Not only is there a large concentration of people in a small area, but these buildings usually have large amounts of glass on the outside walls. Get into the innermost portions on the lowest floor possible.
Avoid windows, glass doorways, and auditoriums and cafeterias not protected by overhead floors and rooms. Do not use elevators as the power may go off and you could become trapped. Protect your head and make yourself as small a target as possible by crouching down.
Open Spaces
If you are caught outside during a tornado and there is no underground shelter immediately available, lie in a gully, ditch, or low spot in the ground. Protect your body and head with anything available. Do not go into a grove of trees or under a vehicle.
After a Tornado
Emergency services personnel are usually on the scene quickly after a tornado. Keep your family together and wait for help to arrive. If you are outside, don't go into damaged buildings as they may collapse completely. Wait for help to search for others.