You can handle a tornado if you know what to do.
A total of 1,072 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in 2012, taking the lives of 68 people. These incredibly intense storms, which can wreak havoc on homes and other buildings, trees and power lines in a short amount of time, are violently rotating columns of air simultaneously in contact with the earth’s surface and a cloud. Most tornadoes feature winds of less than 110 miles per hour and are about 250 feet across, but some have packed 300 mph or greater wind speeds and have stretched out across two miles. My family here in Tennessee is well aware of the dangers of tornadoes.
Unlike preparing to defend yourself against an attacker, there is no defense against a tornado. The only thing you can do when one strikes is to try to put yourself in the best possible position to avoid it. But there are some steps you can take to protect yourself, before, during and after a tornado touches down.
As with any potential disaster, it’s wise to have an emergency response plan in place in case a tornado warning is issued. Everyone in your home or office should know exactly what to do and where to take shelter. Warning signs include rapidly darkening skies, clouds rotating in a circular pattern, a funnel cloud being spotted and sometimes a rushing or roaring noise being heard.
If a tornado watch is issued, that means conditions are right for a tornado to develop. But if a tornado warning is proclaimed, that means a tornado has been spotted in your area and you should seek shelter immediately. As soon as possible, tune into emergency radio communicated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Their reports will always be slightly ahead of mainstream media reports.
Here are five steps to take during a tornado:
- If you’re indoors, get to a basement, storm cellar or the lowest level of a building. Stay away from windows, doors, corners of buildings and outside walls.
- If you’re indoors but can’t get to a lower level, find the smallest interior room or hallway as far from the exterior of the building as possible.
- If you’re driving, try to head to the closest structure where you can take shelter.
- If you’re driving but can’t get to a shelter, get out of the car and lie face down with your hands over your head in a ditch or other lower level near the roadway but away from vehicles.
- If you’re driving and you see a tornado, don’t try to outrun it. Pull over immediately and seek shelter. Avoid overpasses, bridges, tall buildings and flying debris.
And here’s an important tip many folks may not know: most of the people who suffer injuries after a tornado has passed get hurt while trying to clean up debris, including nails and glass. Also keep an eye out for downed power lines, ruptured gas lines and damaged structures.
I lived in Southwest Missouri for about15 years and had two or three near misses. I had a crawl space so I built a folding stairs into it in the floor of our bedroom closet with a trap door covring the opening in the floor. Afterwards, I decided many others might want to do the same so I prepared a complete set of drawings for others to build it with. Most any one handy with tools could build it. Generally the outside opening into the crawl space is not easy to crawl through if you are in a hurry or if it has shrubs in front of it.
Living in Mo. not a stranger to tornados. Thanks for the reminder of what to do and not to do
That’s why so many southerners have storm cellars. Now if they would just stock the cellar so they could manage for the usual 3 weeks it takes to recover……..
Have a basement under 1/2 of my house.It is divided into 3 sections, all with a window. No closets. One section is 9′ wide by 16 ‘ long with the window on the West side of that section. Where would I hide? Don’t have closets. Stairs and a work bench are on the East wall of that section. Florence
Is under the stairs an option?
If you’re going to build a home, above ground, in tornado country, I would strongly advise you research Monolithic Domes. I’m not advertising, not connected with any company, don’t even own my home. just find them fascinating. They are virtually tornado proof, due to their shape and materials, being used all over the country as storm shelters, but unless you’re near one, almost no one know’s about them.
A few years ago my wife and I would staying in a hotel in down town Nashville TN. near Vanderbilt. We were on one of the upper floors when we saw from room window a funnel coming down the street. This was in the middle of the day. When the power went out our room was not real dark due to it being day time. I told my wife that we needed to head down stairs so she grabbed her pocket book and we exited the room. When we got out into the hall it was completely black. As the door closed behind us we could not even see each other. I tried my key card but it would not unlock the door. We then heard a female voice and she said she had her two small children and they could not see to get down stairs. My wife had a cheep flashlight in her pocket book and we helped them down to stairs. As soon as we got back home I bought my wife a nice dependable flashlight. I talked with the manager and for some reason the emergency lights never came on. You have to be prepared you can’t count on the fact everything is working were you are staying. thanks for always giving us things to think about. Stay safe.
My wife born and raised in Oka tornado alley said if you see a funnel or hear a siren continuously — get in the ” fraidy ” hole and stay until all clear is given
Frank, all good info! We lived in Indiana for a while and one year 200 tornadoes were recorded. Neighbors schooled me on preparedness. No basement, but a bathroom was in the center and laying in the tub made it quite protected.
We were instructed that when the fire siren went off to open windows a crack to equalize the pressure and prevent implosion. Is that not recommended any longer?
Thanks
It is not. Apparently, it doesn’t actually help and it puts you nearer to the window shrapnel.
Thanks for this information! Very helpful comments as well. I really like the idea of the shelter being on the other side of the driveway. So often what isn’t scoured clean by the tornado, is dumped right on top of the basement door. Tornados are extremely random .. you just never know what you’re going to get .. Forrest Gump
I was in a tornado when I was a kid, Wis. My buddy and I were at his dad’s filling station. Thankfully I had the foresight to call home and tell my parents where I was because we could see what was coming. When the Shell sign from a station in the middle of town, I can still see it, went flying down main street we knew it was time to head for the basement. When it was over fallen trees were every where. To the best of my recollection no houses or other structures were lost. The ‘experts’ said if it had been another 100 ft. lower the town might have been wiped out.
You have a comment on people watching the storm form then going to shelter once the wind gets too strong. Weathermen warn folks NOT TO STAY OUTSIDE TO WATCH but go to shelter as soon as possible. Flying debris can kill you if not injure and the strong winds blow things into your eyes or cause things to fall on you. A human life is more precious than catching a storm on film. Tempting death is not wise.
A tornado hit our farm when I was a kid, but we were safe in a room underground that my dad had added. He dug a space for the room and finished the walls and celing, adding a door to enter the basement. My mom had her fruit cellar not knowing that we had a safe place to be when the tornado hit. If I were to build a home today, I would add that room. Basements are a lot safer than being in a bathtub during a torndo, but being underground is a lot safer than a basement.
Hi Frank
I have not been in a tornado but my family had a near miss in 2011. We got in the hall closet until the tornado went just the to the south of our house
Thanks Stan & Wife
When I lived in Wichita, Kansas a tornado came down my street, destroyed three houses down the street from me, jumped over my house and my neighbors house, then came down two houses later and took out most of the rest of our street. Unbelievable… but true. When I retire in less than a year and leave Miami, I am moving to Tennessee and I can guarantee that my house will have a tornado shelter separate from the house on the other side of the driveway.
We had straight line winds one day when I lived in IL. so I took my son to a inner hallway and drug two mattress off the beds in there and we set between them. Thank god all we lost was some siding and shingles but it was a bad feeling having nowhere to go . We didn’t have a basement in that house my advise is don’t buy a house with out one or put in a storm shelter because there’s nothing like a bad storm to render u helpless . thanks for the good advise . P.S. got a basement in my new house.
Two yrs ago my mail lady and her whole family were killed while they were all in a small closet. Two problems were in a mobile home and all rooms not on an inside wall. What do you think in that case? One in bath tub the rest under the mobile home? She was the best! Im a disabled Vietnam vet and anything bulky or heavy she brought. It in my house for me. I’ve wondered ever since then what they could have done
THANKS FOR THE GOOD INFO. TONY J. IN MI.
I agree with Rambuff, but I have to include Safety glasses as being totally necessary when clearing debris. You only have one set of eyes and replacements are not available at WalMart.
I know tornados watched one form less than a block from my home. stood out in the front yard and watched the clouds begin to roll , and the wind change directions as it began to form a funnel. when it got really strong winds then I headed for cover this was about 2 weeks ago. ALL is quiet on the home front right now.THANK GOD no damage to my place, some of the neighbors got hit though . ,
Your last tip, that of injuries AFTER the tornado passes is why I have, for many years, placed heavy-duty hiking boots and equally heavy-duty leather work gloves as HIGHEST priority on every bug-out list or preparedness list I have given out in classes. If you don’t have BOTH of them, you’re better off NOT moving at all.