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Tornadoes...
Nature's Most Violent Storms
Tornado Safety Rules | Tornado
Myths and Facts | Safety
Rules In schools
Tornado:
Myths and Facts
Open windows do not save houses...
If a tornado ever threatens your
house, do not run around opening windows. It wastes time you
should be using to take shelter. Open windows are not needed
to keep unequal air pressure from making the house explode as
once thought. Tornado winds, not unequal pressure, destroy buildings.
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1. Air pressure inside can be 10 percent lower
than outside. . .
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4. Flying debris often breaks windows, allowing
wind inside to push up on the roof and out on the walls.
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. . . but houses have openings other than
windows that will relieve pressure differences. |
5. If wind rips off the roof, the walls often
fall outward, leading to the mistaken impression that air
pressure had "exploded" the building. |
| 3. Winds as low as 60 mph can lift roofs that
aren't well attached . . . |
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MYTH:
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WINDOWS
SHOULD ALWAYS BE OPENED TO EQUALIZE PRESSURE.
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| FACT: |
Opening windows to equalize pressure during a tornado is ineffective
in reducing damage. Don't worry about the windows; worry about
protecting yourself. Also, flying glass is a real hazard. |
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| MYTH: |
MOBILE
HOMES ARE SAFE IF THEY ARE TIED DOWN.
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| FACT: |
A mobile home is never safe in a violent windstorm; such as
a tornado. If you're in a mobile home when a tornado watch is
announced, leave and go immediately to a safe structure, or
be prepared to take cover in a low area, covering your head
and the back of your neck. Remember: If you are in a ditch or
ravine, be alert for flash floods that often accompany tornadoes.
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| MYTH: |
YOU CAN
OUTRUN A TORNADO IN A CAR. |
| FACT: |
Don't bet your life on it. A tornado is unpredictable; you can't
know which way it's going to go, or how fast. If you're in a
car and a tornado is near, get away from the car and lie in
a ditch or low area, protecting your head with your hands. |
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| MYTH: |
THE
BEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER
OF A BUILDING. |
| FACT: |
The southwest corner is no safer than any other part of the
building. The safest place is to be in a basement under something
sturdy, like a workbench. If there is no basement, seek shelter
in a small interior room in the middle of the building, like
a closet or a bathroom. Always stay away from outside walls
and windows |
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