Tornado Safety Tips: Are You Prepared?

Tornado Safety Tips:Statistics

Tornadoes aren't just for the rural South anymore.

As of June 2011, 37 of the 50 states have experienced tornadoes. In April 2011, more than 875 tornadoes were reported by eyewitness accounts.  In that same month,75 percent of Joplin, Missouri was destroyed by tornadoes. 139 people were dead; several dozen are still missing. You can still help the survivors by donating through the Salvation Army. At the beginning of June 2011, four tornadoes landed in Springfield, Massachusetts, a city of 150,000 people.


Are you prepared for a tornado?


For those who live in tornado alley or in the rural south, many may answer "yes". Yet this year we've seen where most people are not prepared: urban or populated areas.

Tornado Safety Tips: The Rules

If you live in the city and haven't seen much about tornadoes until recently, there are a few tornado safety tip rules you can follow immediately.


1. You cannot predict exactly where a tornado will land or where it will go. When a Tornado Watch is issued, that means the conditions are ripe for a tornado in your general area. The Tornado Warning, however, means that a tornado or "funnel" was spotted somewhere, and they can land pretty quickly. It may not have touched the ground. Therefore, you may be able to see where tornadoes are forming or will likely form, but you can't predict where they will land.


2. Take immediate shelter. This isn't the Wizard of Oz where the dangers are getting swept up by a tornado. The real danger is flying debris. It's so unpredictable. Powerful tornado winds can pick up almost anything and turn it into a weapon. If you can, get underground first. If not, get into low ground. At best, put yourself between as many walls as possible.  Your car is not always the safest place because it can get picked up in the wind easier than YOU can. Fortunately tornadoes don't last more than a couple of hours, so you don't have to worry about long-term immediate shelter.


3. Prepare to recover from a tornado. If you are fortunate enough to take shelter in a solid low-ground (or underground) location, you have a great chance of survival. But getting immediate help or navigating the dangers after a tornado is what you should prepare for. Having the right equipment, clothing and immediate resources will help save you from other dangers like fires and debris.

Tornado Safety Tips: Emergency Items

If you want to be prepared to recover from a tornado, here are the items you should consider:


Emergency kits. They should have the basic First Aid kit to help cover scrapes and cuts. Reflective gear is also good. Most tornadoes happen in the afternoon, but it may be nightfall before you get permanent shelter. Your kit has to fit in your shelter, so don't go too big or too small.
Protective clothing. Strong gloves and boots are best. That helps you walk through the rubble and debris. They don't take up a lot of space, either.
Good flashlights. Not the puny keychain types but large, very luminous lights. No doubt you will be searching for something or someone in the aftermath.
GPS. Some people navigate via landmarks. Tornadoes can destroy those landmarks. They can also destroy electricity and cell phone service. Having a GPS lets you find permanent shelter faster.
Landline phone. If your city has underground phone lines, they may still be in service after a tornado.
Gas can. Not all cars get damaged in a tornado. With lucky placement, your vehicle or someone else's may survive. A full gas can gets you and others to better emergency shelters. The can doesn't have to be with you in shelter, but it should be protected and reachable.
Shovels. For clearing the rubble.
Pipe wrench. To turn off the gas line.
Meal replacement bars. If you can't afford emergency food that requires preparation, meal replacement bars or energy bars can help everyone get through the day until better options are available.
Water.
Cash. No electricity, no ATMS.
These are just the starters. You can pick up a lot of these items around your neighborhood, or find them cheap in places like Amazon.com.  Make sure you follow the blog to get more tornado safety tips and updates in the near future.