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Tornadoes... Nature's Most Violent Storms

 Tornado Safety Rules | Tornado Myths and Facts | Safety Rules In schools

Know The Terms Used to Describe Tornado Threats:
  • A tornado watch means tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, or both, are possible. Stay tuned to radio and television reports in your area.

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  • A tornado warning means you should take shelter immediately; a tornado has been sighted.
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    Tornado: A strong, rotating column of air extending from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud to the ground.

    Funnel cloud: A rotating column of air extending from a cloud, but not reaching the ground.

    Severe Thunderstorm: A thunderstorm with winds 58 mph or faster or hailstones three-quarters of an inch or larger in diameter.

    What to do DURING a tornado watch:

    1. Whenever severe thunderstorms are in your area, listen to radio and television newscasts for the latest information and instructions.

    2. Watch the horizon. If you see any revolving funnel-shaped clouds, report them immediately by telephone to your local police department or sheriff's office or dial 911. Remember that tornadoes can develop rapidly.

    What to do BEFORE a tornado strikes:

    1. Know the locations of designated shelter areas in public facilities; such as schools, public buildings and shopping centers.

    2. Have emergency supplies on hand.

    3. Be sure everyone in your household knows in advance where to go and what to do in case of a tornado warning.

    4. If you live in a single-family house in a tornado-prone area, reinforce an interior room to use as a shelter - the basement, storm cellar or a closet on the lower level of your house.

    5. Make an inventory of your household furnishings and other possessions. Supplement the written inventory with photographs. Keep inventories and photos on a safe place away from the premises.

    What to do DURING a tornado:
    1. When a tornado has been sighted, stay away from windows, doors and outside walls. Protect your head from falling objects or flying debris. Take cover immediately, wherever you are:

  • In a house or small building, go to the basement or storm cellar. If there is no basement, go to an interior part of the structure on the lowest level (closets, interior hallways). In either case, get under something sturdy (such as a heavy table) and stay there until the danger has passed.

    • The most dangerous place to be when a tornado hits is in a mobile home. In the United States, tornadoes killed 304 people from 1985 through 1990. Of these 99 people - nearly a third - were killed in mobile homes.

 

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