Tornado preparedness
The term "tornado preparedness" refers to safety precautions made before the arrival of and during a tornado. Historically, the steps taken have varied greatly, depending on the location or time remaining before a tornado was expected. For example, in rural areas, people might prepare to enter an external storm cellar in case the main building collapses, allowing exit without needing rescue from the main building as in urban areas. Because tropical storms have spawned many tornadoes, hurricane preparations also involve tornadoes. The term "tornado preparedness" has been used by government agencies, emergency response groups, schools, insurance companies, and others.
Preparedness involves knowing the significant dangers to avoid. Some tornadoes are the most violent storms in nature. Tornadoes have varied in strength, and some tornadoes have been mostly invisible due to a lack of loose dirt or debris in the funnel cloud. Spawned from severe thunderstorms, tornadoes have caused fatalities and devastated neighbourhoods within seconds of arrival.
A tornado operates as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends downward from a thunderstorm to the ground, with swirling winds reaching 300 miles per hour (480 km/h). The wind speed might be difficult to imagine: travelling the length of a U.S. football field within 1 second (over 130 meters or 430 feet per second). Damage paths have been more than one mile wide (1.6 km) and 50 miles long (80 km).
Not all tornadoes are easily seen. A tornado funnel can be transparent until it reaches an area with loose dirt and debris. Also, some tornadoes have been seen against sunlit areas, but rain or nearby low-hanging clouds have obscured other tornadoes. Occasionally, tornadoes have developed so suddenly that little, if any, warning was possible.
Before a tornado strikes an area, the wind has been known to die down and the air to become very still. A debris cloud has sometimes marked the bottom of a tornado even when the funnel is not visible. Tornadoes typically occur along the trailing edge of a thunderstorm.
The following is a summary of typical tornadoes:
They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast in the U.S., but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), but has varied from stationary to 70 mph (110 km/h).
Tornadoes can also accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer.
Peak tornado season in the southern U.S. states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. (local time), but they can occur any time
Tips for avoiding injury: completely close all inside doors, lock all outside doors, wearing sturdy shoes or boots, a helmet, long sleeves, gloves, and a heavy quilt or coat can offer extra protection from shards of glass, splinters and other airborne objects.
Fill the bathtub(s) and sink(s) with water to be used for toilet flushing, hand washing clothes or cleaning floors during a loss of power.
Basic Items
Water
Food
Tools / Emergency Supplies
First Aid Supplies
Clothing and Bedding
Special Needs Items
Details
Refill prescription medicines. Maybe store within a strong zipper bag or small suitcase.
Get some extra cash for when credit cards do not work.
Fill automobiles with fuel.
Stock extension cords, power strips.
Consider making motel/hotel reservations (at a location that is more than 50 miles) for several nights starting after the time of the tornado strike.
After
Wear thick-soled shoes (or boots), long pants, and work gloves during cleanup.
Avoid injury from electric shock, electrocution, debris (nails, broken glass, sharp ends of broken wood), contaminated water, and carbon monoxide poisoning.