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It's a good idea to make a family plan for severe weather, especially with this spring's extremely active start to tornado season. Photo courtesy of the Mizzou Storm Chase Team
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Tornado
Safety
Missouri residents just experienced one of
the most active starts to a tornado season on record, a stark
reminder that disaster preparation is prudent.
Eric Evans, University
of Missouri Extension Emergency Management Specialist, has
compiled a list of recommendations and tips on preparation for
and reaction to tornados.
In the event of a tornado, staying inside
your car could be deadly. Likewise, your chances of keeping safe
are better outside than inside, when it comes to a mobile home.
Experience has led emergency planners, like
Evans, to recommend that anyone inside a vehicle or a mobile home
during a tornado warning exit, get clear and away from the vehicle
or mobile home, seek low ground and lie flat. That runs contrary
to many people’s instinct that being exposed to the elements
in a storm is bad, but it’s backed up by research, Evans
said.
“Cars are great for earthquakes but
terrible in tornados,” Evans said. “They can get tossed
around, and they’re loaded with batteries, chemicals and
gasoline. In effect, they’re a bomb, and they’re often
near other cars and overhead power lines. We have mountains of
evidence that shows cars are dangerous in tornadoes and that getting
out of a car and into a ditch is safer.”
The difference between a mobile home and a
traditional wood-frame house is that a mobile home, even if it’s
tied down, is far more likely to be upended and thrown by the
force of a tornado’s winds. A home built into a foundation,
unless it takes a direct hit by a tornado, is likely to stay in
place and shield those inside from flying debris.
During a tornado warning, families in traditional
homes should go to the basement level and take cover. If there
is no basement, seek a room on the lowest floor in the middle
of the home away from windows, and take cover under a heavy piece
of furniture.
Pat Guinan, MU Extension climatologist, said
tornados can occur at any time, but happen more frequently during
certain months and times of day. Tornado season runs March through
June, and tornados are most likely to form in late-afternoon and
early-evening.
“History shows that 70 percent of tornados
that occur in Missouri occur in that four-month period and about
50 percent occur just in April and May,” Guinan said. “But
tornadoes do and have occurred in every month and they can happen
at anytime of the day.”
Guinan was still awaiting counts on the total
number of confirmed tornados and severity reports, but he said
that the March 11 and 12 outbreak of tornadoes will make this
March possibly the most active March on record for Missouri. Fatalities
were reported in several communities in the state. Since 1950,
other than this year, the most active March years in Missouri
were 1954 and 1961, tied with 14 reported tornados each, in those
months.
Evans put together the following list of recommendations
for Missouri families during severe weather season.
- Develop not only a home disaster plan,
but plans for family members at work, school, the grocery store
and in the car. Practice the plans as a family.
- Purchase a NOAA weather radio, which acts
as a constant source of in-home weather information and alerts
during severe weather conditions. Educate family members on
what to listen for. A “tornado watch” means a tornado
is possible given current weather conditions. A “tornado
warning” means a tornado or rotation has either been sighted
or detected on weather instruments. When a tornado warning is
issued in your area, immediately move to your designated home
safe area and stay there until the region is declared safe.
- Keep a county and highway map near the
NOAA radio to help follow weather reports.
- Know your neighbors and whether they have
special needs, like the elderly or physically disabled who may
need help getting to safe areas.
- Never try to outrun a tornado in a car
or vehicle. Abandon the vehicle; find low ground, preferably
a ditch or depression, and lie down.
- In the case of an outdoor tornado warning
siren, seek shelter or other protection immediately. Listen
for official weather messages on local AM and FM radio.
“Following these simple steps can
save your life and the lives of your loved ones,” Evans said.
“We frequently see severe weather in Missouri, but we should
not become complacent.”
For more information on disaster and emergency preparedness, contact
Evans at (573) 884-8984.
Story provided courtesy of University
of Missouri Extension.
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Last Update:
March 12, 2007
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