Tornado Safety Tips

Have a plan in place of where to go in the event of a tornado. Depending on the kind of home, office or school you are in make sure you have a few places to go. Keep in mind when making your plan that by the time you either hear the warning signal or hear the tornado, you only have a few moments to react.

When a tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service, keep a radio or television on so that you know what is happening. Also start thinking about the emergency plan, and head to your shelter if possible. It is better to sit in there and nothing happen, then to not make it to the shelter and a tornado strike.

If you happen to be in your vehicle and you see a tornado, do not drive towards it. Drive in the opposite direction! Leave the storm chasing to the professionals.

After a tornado, if there is damage be very careful where you are walking. There will be broken glass and other things that could cut you. If you are not in the area when the tornado hits, wait until officials say it is safe to return before going back.

As part of your families emergency plan, have a place for everyone to meet at after the storm so that you know everyone is ok. This will be helpful if you are all at different places such as home, work and school.

Seek shelter in a room without windows. If you do not have a basement, stay on the first floor. Keep in mind the location of heavy objects (refrigerator, washer/dryer, bed, etc.) above you and avoid those areas. Cover yourself with padded objects (mattress, blankets, pillows, etc.) to protect yourself from any debris that may fall on you.

If you have to stay on the first floor of your home or building during a tornado, sometimes the safest place to be can be the bathroom! Many bathrooms are built on the interior of buildings and have no windows, which make them an ideal location to avoid shattering glass.

If you have a battery-operated television for emergency use such as during tornadoes, be aware that it probably will not work after the transition to digital TV is complete this June. Buy a battery-operated radio as a backup if you do not already have one. You can also investigate the possibility of buying a digital adapter, but be warned that these can be very expensive and not always available for smaller TVs.

If you have children who attend school, they are probably used to having tornado drills several times throughout the school year. Make sure that they pay attention during these drills and follow all directions that are provided by their teachers. You may also wish to hold the occasional tornado drill at home as well, just for practice.

If a tornado has just passed, do NOT plan on immediately leaving your shelter and surveying the damage! There could be more tornadoes coming!

There is an often heard saying that if the sky turns green that a tornado is coming. This, however, is not entirely true as the sky can turn green during severe thunderstorms only and tornados have appeared without the sky turning colors. If you do notice any change in the appearance of the sky, be sure to take cover inside your home or building regardless for safety reasons.