Tornado Safety: Survival Tips That Could Save Your Life
Posted: Monday, May 12, 2008
by Melanie Broemsen
Rosetta
In an average year, more than 1,000 tornadoes churn across the American landscape. Both feared and fascinating, funnel clouds are the object of much information – and disinformation. Here is some helpful information about tornadoes, as well as important tornado safety tips in case a twister is heading your way.
Tornado Information
Most tornadoes occur in an area called Tornado Alley. The National Weather Service has no official definition of Tornado Alley, but it is most commonly used to describe the location where the strongest tornadoes occur most frequently – including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.
Mississippi, Ohio, the lower Missouri River Valleys and Florida are sometimes included in Tornado Alley because tornadoes happen more often in these regions than in other areas of the U.S.
The most dangerous tornadoes are those that develop from a supercell thunderstorm - a highly organized and lengthy (more than an hour) storm that feeds from a tilted and rotating updraft of air. This rotation, known as a mesocyclone, can span an area 10 miles wide and 50,000 feet tall and can be detected on Doppler radars. The tornado is just a small extension of the larger rotation of the mesocyclone. These supercell tornadoes can have winds more than 300 mph, span more than one mile, and last for hours. The Great Plains region, especially Oklahoma, has the most supercell tornadoes.
Although supercell tornadoes are the most forceful, there are many types of twisters. All of them are dangerous. Find out how to stay safe in the event of a twister with these tornado safety tips.
Tornado Safety Tips
- Have a storm kit. Include first-aid items, 3 gallons of water per person, a
radio, flashlight and spare batteries. Keep this in your house's safe area (see
below).
- Keep informed. Whether you are experiencing a tornado watch or a tornado
warning, tune in local TV, radio or NOAA Weather Radio and listen for warnings.
If possible, keep a TV or radio in your shelter area.
- Get moving. At the first warning of a tornado in your area – or if you spot
circular cloud rotation or hear a sound like a freight train – snap into action.
Consider annual tornado drills for your family.
- If at home, get to a safe area. Ideally, go to your basement and stay away
from windows. Get under a sturdy table or staircase, and cover up with blankets,
a mattress or anything that protects from flying debris. No basement or no time?
Go to a small room, closet or hallway near the center of the lowest floor.
Crouch and cover.
- If outside, get low and stay there. Find a ditch or low-lying area and lie
face down. If that's not an option, get away from trees, lie face down, and
protect the back of your head with your arms. Whatever you do, get away from
your car, since it may become a projectile.
- If in a public place, follow the tornado drill. If you don't know the drill, and there is no one around to tell you what to do, stay away from windows, get low and cover up.
For more tornado information and tornado safety tips, visit the NOAA Storm Prediction Center or read the American Red Cross recommendations. To learn more about how to protect your home and property in the even of a tornado or other natural disaster, visit property insurance resources or get a homeowners insurance quote at Nationwide.com.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Very good advice but one thing is always missing. Whats that, afterwards? Most rely on insurance. Ok enough said. If you live in a tornado or any disaster zone you better wake up fast. BDA Before, During and especially after is critical. Most Tornado's while significant do not impact masses of people. While may are impacted most go about uneffected. So I would add if you are depneding on the government or insurance to get you through, think again. Who am I? Well read my bio. Best wishes and be safe.
For many folks tornado alert season begins around Memorial Day in May and ends around Labor Day in September. In Michigan this just seems to be the way it has been for years. That's when the weather patterns are in transition from a colder spring mode, merging into the warmer cyclonic summer cycle and finally settling in for the quieter autumn season. Many folks living outside of Tornado Alley honestly believe that a tornado cannot possibly happen in their remote areas. Changing weather patterns and cycles at times shatters these myths and people experience a tornado and all its devestation unprepared. Good article
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