Tornado Preparedness
Tornadoes are considered one of the most quick and violent natural disasters than can affect you. They stem from conflicting temperatures hitting in the atmosphere and can arrive without warning at all.
The funnel that hits the ground can have winds reaching 300 miles per hour, and you never know how fast a tornado is going, or where it will go next, or even how long it will last. It can pick up debris and toss them at someone who thinks they are safe without warning. They can rip apart homes, destroy cars, animals, and any kind of life. They can even throw a straw of hay through a tree.
Even if you think your tornado safety plan, survival kit, and preparation is good enough, nothing will get you ready for it. But you can try.
The most important thing to remember: the peak tornado season is different for everybody. The southern states will experience tornado season March through May, while the northern states will experience it late spring through early summer (usually April-July). While they have a pattern of arriving between 3-9PM, don’t count on it. They are so dangerous due to their unpredictability.
When a tornado alert comes through via radio, news, or phone, make sure you know what it means. “Tornado watch” I just what it sounds like: a tornado is possible in these weather conditions, so keep one eye on the sky at all times. Have a tornado survival kit nearby, and have your plan in action.
A “tornado warning” means that a tornado has been spotted. You need to get to safety immediately. Grab your survival kit, family, pets, and go for shelter (if you have the time).
There are a few simple ways to be prepared: keep wind chimes outside of your house in varying phases across your property. The sound can alert you before a news alert comes through.
Keep a first aid kit in your home at all times, as well as gear to board up windows, such as lumbar. Stay inside your shelter long after you think the tornado has passed, because there is the “eye of the storm”: that moment when you are in the funnel.
Power outages happen often due to tornadoes. A good way to prepare for this is to have a little bit of everything on hand, which can be found in kits or separately. These are things like: crank-powered flashlights and radios, food rations, water purification supplies, general tools like hatchets, and anything you’ll need for pets and children.
When adding your personal items to a tornado emergency kit, make sure to include prescriptions and medications that your family needs. Try to make a checklist of items that are necessary, including the urgent items you need to grab on the way out the door.