A lot of people don’t know what to do in case of a tornado and how to survive a tornado. It’s possible that they don’t even know where to go or how to protect themselves and their family. This can lead to a lot of different problems. When a tornado comes through your neighbourhood, it can be hard to know what to do and how to survive a tornado. You might not be able to get to a designated shelter, you might not know if it’s safe for you and your family, and you might not even know where the safest place is for you to be during this hard time.
Still, there are a lot of things you and the people around you can do to make this hard situation a little easier. Here are some tips that can help you stay alive during a tornado. These tornado safety tips will cover everything from what to do before the storm comes to what to do after the storm has passed. This will help people all over the world protect themselves and their families from harm in case of a disaster.
Tornado Watch vs. Tornado Warning
Before a tornado hits, the public will be warned with a watch, giving them time to get to their homes or storm cellars. When the tornadoes get close enough to give a personal warning, they will. When the alarm goes off, you need to act right away. Review your emergency plan with your family and friends, make sure you have enough food, water, and other supplies, and then go to your safe place.
If weather radar spots a tornado moving toward you, these alarms will go off. Get to your safe place, which could be the basement or another room inside the house. The basement or the lowest floor of a building would be the safest place to go, and any mobile homes in the area would need to be moved. When a tornado warning is given, it only applies to the area where the tornado is expected to hit the ground, which is usually just one town or county. On the other hand, the watches are big enough to protect a whole state and are meant to make more people watchful.
Is There Any Way for me to Know if There Will be a Tornado?
Learning to spot the signs Mother Nature sends before a tornado hits can be more helpful than turning on the TV. It happens so quickly that the government might not have time to warn you before it gets to your house. Most of the time, these strange storms happen in the afternoon, and there are signs that one is coming. If the sky turns a greenish-pea color and the clouds are low and dark, a tornado may be coming. There is a real worry about seeing a cloud wall or a twister.
When debris and dust are moving around under a cloud base, this is a sign of a tornado. There is no tunnel in the middle of them. A storm with heavy rain or hail could start and then stop all of a sudden. A calm time before a sudden change in the wind. Most people can’t see because of the rain. When a tornado is coming, its deep, rumbling sound often sounds like thunder. But this sound won’t go away as thunder does after a few seconds. It will keep happening, and each time it might seem even closer.
What Should You Do If You Get a Tornado Warning?
When a tornado warning is given, it is very important to take it seriously. In the event of a tornado, you must act quickly and forcefully to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
When you hear a tornado warning, you should do the following:
- Find out where the closest authorized tornado shelter is. If there is no designated shelter nearby, go to the building’s lowest floor and look for a room with no windows.
- Bathrooms, closets, and other rooms on the inside are safer than rooms on the outside.
- Choose a low spot and pull over right away if you’re driving.
- Even if there hasn’t been a tornado warning, if you hear a tornado siren, you can be sure that a tornado is coming, and you may not have much time to prepare.
Create a Tornado Safety Plan
Even if there are no clouds in the sky, you should be prepared for a tornado. One of the most important things you can do is make sure you have a plan in place to protect your house and loved ones safe during a disaster. You should also have a list of all the phone numbers you would need in a weather emergency, including those for local utilities like gas and electricity, as poor weather might disrupt these as well. Here are some things you can add up to your plan, especially if your area is prone to tornados.
Set up a Safe Place for you and your Family.
A great step in surviving a tornado is to have a safe room ready to go. In the USA alone there are on average 1000 tornadoes every single year. Over 1000 people have been murdered by them in the last decade; it can reach speeds of up to 250mph. If that hits your house, the structure will be destroyed, but you will be unharmed. Tornado-prone areas should have residences with a shelter or safe room built into them. These shelters allow you to survive a hurricane with as much protection as possible.
Stock Some Supplies.
Now that you’ve established your storm shelter, it’s time to stock it. This should not be used as a dumping ground or a storage closet for the ineffective jump. Keep things organized and ready to go at a moment’s notice. After all, a windstorm might strike at any time and from any location. Stock your shelter with a storm survival kit that should include the following items:
- A flashlight that is powered by either batteries or a crank. During a tornado, power is one of the first things to go out, and you don’t want to seek cover in the dark.
- An emergency radio to hear where you should stay and when it is safe to leave your building.
- A basic first-aid package in case of injury.
- An air horn or whistle in case you become trapped within your building and need to alert rescuers to your position.
- A couple days’ worth of food and water
- Any pharmaceutical or medical supplies you require for a few days’ survival.
- Children can be soothed by comfort objects such as books and cuddly animals.
Do You Know What to Do If You’re Outside When a Tornado Strikes?
You should write down where any storm shelters are in your neighborhood. If you are outside when a tornado hits, you can do four things to increase your chances of staying alive. These safety tips will keep you safe whether you’re in a public place or stuck on the side of the road.
Find Somewhere to Hide.
Right now, you need to find a safe place to hide. If a designated tornado shelter is available, use it right away. If you don’t know where you are, make sure to pay attention to any signs that point you in the direction of shelters. Keeping an eye on what’s going on around you could save your life. If there isn’t a designated tornado shelter, find the lowest level of the building you are in and take cover there. If you are driving, stop your car in a low place and leave it there. Don’t try to beat a tornado; it’s impossible.
Stay Inside.
You should go inside right away and stay there until the storm is over. No matter how nice the weather looks, you should stay inside. Even though the tornado looks far away, it can move quickly and cause damage with its winds. You shouldn’t risk your life by going outside to see what’s going on.
You Have to Find a Low Spot.
If you are outside during a tornado, find a low place to hide. Tornadoes are dangerous because they can cause strong winds and flying objects. This will help keep you safe from those dangers. Stay away from anything that could fall on you, like trees, power lines, or things that are heavy.
What if you are Inside a Car?
If you are in a vehicle when a tornado warning is issued, there are three things you must do to ensure your safety in the vehicle.
Stay Calm.
The most essential step is to maintain your composure. If you panic, the situation will only become direr.
Leave the vehicle immediately and walk away from it.
Get out of the car and walk away from it as soon as you have evaluated the predicament and determined that it is secure for you to do so. Do not make any attempt to seek cover under it. Lie down in the area of the vehicle that is lowest and cover your head with your hands if you are unable to exit the vehicle.
Find a secure place.
If you can’t find somewhere to take cover, try lying down in a ditch or other low location to protect yourself from the strong gusts.
What to do if you are Inside a Building?
While there are numerous options if you are stuck outside during a tornado, what if you are trapped inside a building? Fortunately, if you are indoors during an occurrence, there are several things you can do to protect yourself against a tornado.
Find a Safe Room.
It is critical to be safe if you are inside a building during a tornado warning. An interior chamber with no windows is the greatest location to be. This will keep you safe from the powerful winds and flying debris that can accompany a tornado.
Go to the basement if you can’t find an inside chamber. During a tornado, the basement is the safest place to be. It is located underground and should be kept away from windows. If you can’t access to the basement, go to an internal room on the building’s lowest floor.
Get Away From the Windows.
During tornadoes, flying glass can be dangerous. It has the potential to hurt or kill individuals in the vicinity. If you are in a building during a tornado, keep your distance from windows. Make sure you’re wearing shoes. If you are caught in a tornado, you will need these to protect your feet from flying debris.
Stay in the Corner
If you can’t find an internal room or the basement, head to a room’s corner. During a tornado, the safest place to be is in the room’s corner. Corners are typically located away from windows and provide greater structural strength.
Take Cover.
If you are in a building during a tornado, one of the most critical things you can do is cover your head. It will shield your head and eyes from flying debris in the event of a tornado. If you can’t find anything else to use, cover your head with your hands.
What shouldn’t you do in a tornado?
The worst thing you can do during a strong windstorm is to go outside before it is safe to do so. Local authorities will tell you when the right time to leave is.
The Tornado is Over, What Should I do Next?
When the tornado is over, the best thing you can do is assess the situation. Make sure that no one in your family is hurt. This is very important, after it, you can do the following steps:
- Examine for any injuries. If you or someone else is wounded, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
- After you’ve examined for injuries, it’s time to evaluate the damage. Tornado damage to look for includes downed power lines, gas leaks from burst gas lines, broken glass, and downed trees. For any reason, do not approach downed electrical wires. Turn off any potentially harmful utilities, such as propane, natural gas, and electricity, if possible. Make a note of tornado damage and capture photos or videos of it. This will help with insurance claims and obtaining assistance from relief organizations.
Conclusion
Mother nature has a very unique way of making everyone nervous. But, the good thing is, with the experiences of other people as well as the advances in modern technology, we can now plan for these dreadful disasters. Create a plan and make sure everyone knows what the plan is. Then, at least a few times before you really need to, practice and do a drill of the plan. Having young children makes this even more important. The best way to survive a tornado is to have a well-thought-out plan, get ready in advance, and make sure everyone knows what to do. Certain things can’t be replaced, so the work is definitely worth it.
