Staying Safe in a Tornado

"To stay safe during a tornado, prepare a plan and an emergency kit, stay aware of weather conditions during thunderstorms, know the best places to shelter both indoors and outdoors, and always protect your head.

Tornadoes continue to impact locations across the country every year, bringing massive winds and destruction in their paths.

The 2016 tornado season claimed the lives of 18 individuals and injured another 325. Seventy-eight percent of those victims were in a mobile home or trailer park at the time of the tornado. These storms caused an estimated $183 million in property damage.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA)External there is no guaranteed safety during a tornado. Even the possibility of a tornado must be taken seriously. Although the most violent tornadoes can level and blow away almost any house and those within it, extremely violent EF5 tornadoes are very rare. Most tornadoes are much weaker. You can survive a tornado if you follow safety precautions. Here are three important tips to help keep you safe.

TIP ❶: Be prepared.

The best way to stay safe during a tornado is to be prepared with:

• fresh batteries and a battery-operated TV, radio, or internet-enabled device to listen to the latest emergency weather information;
• a tornado emergency plan including access to a “safe shelter” for yourself and for people with special needs;
• an emergency kit (including water, non-perishable food, and medication); and
• a list of important information, including telephone numbers.

Be sure your children know what a tornado is, what tornado watches and warnings are, what county or parish they live in (warnings are issued by county or parish), and what makes a location a “safe shelter,” whether at home or at school..."
Tornadoes