| Tornados Take Many Shapes and Sizes Weak Tornadoes • 69% of all tornadoes • Less than 5% of tornado deaths • Lifetime 1-10+ minutes • Winds less than 113 mph Strong Tornadoes • 29% of all tornadoes • Nearly 30% of all tornado deaths • May last 20 minutes or longer • Winds 110-205 mph Violent Tornadoes • Only 2% of all tornadoes • 70% of all tornado deaths • Lifetime can exceed 1 hour • Winds greater than 205 mph Fujita Damage Scale • F0 Gale Tornado weak 40-72 mph • F1 Moderate Tornado weak 73-112 mph • F2 Significant Tornado strong 113-157 mph • F3 Severe Tornado strong 158-206 mph • F4 Devastating Tornado violent 207-260 mph • F5 Incredible Tornado violent 261-318 mph In general, tornado wind speeds must be determined from study of damage left in its wake. From damage studies, a scale was developed…called the F-scale…by which tornadoes are rated from F0 to F5, based on the wind speed estimated from damage to homes. The weakest tornadoes are rated F0 (F-zero) while the strongest and most destructive tornadoes are given an F5 rating. When a thunderstorm threatens: protect yourself from lightning by getting indoors or inside a hard top automobile. Do not use electrical appliances and do not use the telephone except for emergencies. If you are caught outdoors in a thunderstorm: do not stand under tall trees and do not be the tallest object in the area. If you are in a group …spread out. That way the uninjured can help the others. Get out of a pool or open water. Stay off bicycles, motorcycles, and other open-air vehicles. Avoid wire fences, railings, and other metal objects. Do not continue to play outdoor sports when lightning threatens. Put down any metal objects such as golf clubs and softball bats, and remove metal cleats. Remember that lightning can strike several miles away from the thunderstorm: so take precautions even when the storm is not directly above you. What Causes Tornadoes? Thunderstorms develop in warm, moist air in advance of eastward moving cold fronts. These thunderstorms often produce large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes. Tornadoes in the winter and early spring are often associated with strong, frontal systems that form in the central states and move east. Occasionally, large outbreaks of tornadoes occur with this type of weather pattern. Several states may be affected by numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. During the spring in the Central Plains, thunderstorms frequently develop along a "dryline," which separates very warm, moist air to the east from hot, dry air to the west. Tornado-producing thunderstorms may form as the dryline moves east during the afternoon hours. Along the front range of the Rocky Mountains, in the Texas panhandle, and in the southern High Plains, thunderstorms frequently form as air near the ground flows "upslope" toward higher terrain if other favorable conditions exist, these thunderstorms can produce tornadoes.' Tornadoes occasionally accompany tropical storms and hurricanes that move over land. Tornadoes are most common to the right arid ahead of the path of the storm center as it comes onshore. Other Thunderstorm Hazards These dangers often accompany thunderstorms: • Flash Floods: Number ONE weather killer- 146 deaths annually • Lightning: Kills 75-100 people each year • Damaging Straight-line Winds: Can reach 140 mph • Large Hail: Can reach the size of a grapefruit - causes several hundred million dollars damage annually to property and crops. Tornado Myths: • Myth: Areas near rivers, lakes, and mountains are safe from tornadoes. • Fact: No place is safe from tornadoes. In the late 1980's, a tornado swept through Yellowstone National Park leaving a path of destruction up and down a 10,000 ft. mountain. • Myth: The low pressure with a tornado causes buildings to "explode" as the tornado passes overhead. • Fact: Violent winds and debris slamming into buildings cause most structural damage. • Myth: Windows should be opened before a tornado approaches to equalize pressure and minimize damage. • Fact: Opening windows allow damaging winds to enter the structure. Leave the windows alone; instead, immediately got to a safe place. Severe Weather Safety Rules / Tornado Safety Rules ALWAYS SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY! In Homes • Go to the basement or storm cellar and get under something sturdy. • If an underground shelter is not available, go to an interior room that does not have windows, closets, bathrooms, and hallway are best. • Wrap yourself with blankets, pillow or a mattress for protection against flying glass and debris. • Do Not Open Windows or Doors! In Apartment Buildings • Seek shelter on the lowest floor in an interior room. Upper floors are particularly dangerous In High-Rise Office Buildings • Stay away from windows. • If possible, seek refuse in the basement. • Move to an interior small room or hallway on as low a floor as possible. In Mobile Homes • Abandon the mobile home and go to the nearest shelter or permanent building. • If there is no nearby shelter, lie flat in a ditch and cover your head. Flash Flood Safety Rules • Know the elevation of your home and find out which areas nearby are prone to flooding. • Keep abreast of the latest weather conditions to know when flooding is imminent. Be ready to move to higher ground. • Don't attempt to wade through running water that is more than knee deep. • Don't drive cars through areas where water is crossing the road. • If the car stalls, abandon it immediately. • When camping, avoid low ground and natural streambeds. • Never allow children to play near rushing streams, ditches, or drainage areas. |
Family Disaster Plans
Families should be prepared for all hazards that affect their area. NOAA's National Weather Service, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, and the American Red Cross urge each family to develop a family disaster plan.
Where will your family be when disaster strikes? They could be anywhere- at work, at school, or in the car. How will you
find each other? Will you know if your children are safe? Disasters may force you to evacuate your neighborhood or
confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services- water, gas, electricity, or telephones- were cut off?
Follow these basic steps to develop a family disaster plan…
I. Gather information about hazards.
Contact your local National Weather Service office, emergency management or civil defense office, and American Red
Cross chapter. Find out what type of disaster could occur and how you should respond. Learn your communities
warning signals and evacuation plans.
II. Meet with your family to create a plan.
Discuss the information you have gathered. Pick two places to meet outside your home for an emergency, such as a
fire, and a place away from your neighborhood incase you can't return home. Choose an out-of-state friend as your
"family check-in contact" for everyone to call if the family gets separated. Discuss what you would do if advised to
evacuate.
III. Implement your plan.
(1) Post emergency telephone by phones;
(2) Install safety features in your house, such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers;
(3) Inspect your home for potential hazards (such as items that can move, fall, break, or catch fire) and correct them;
(4) Have your family learn basic safety measures, such as CPR and first aid; how to use a fire extinguisher; and how
and when to turn off water, gas, and electricity in your home;
(5) Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local Emergency Medical Services number;
(6) Keep enough supplies in your home to meet your needs for at least three days. Assemble a disaster supplies kit
with items you may need in case of a evacuation. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers, such as
backpacks or duffle bags. Keep important family documents in a waterproof container. Keep a smaller disaster supply
kit in a trunk of a car. (See below)
IV. Practice and maintain your plan.
Ask questions to make sure your family remembers meeting places, phone numbers, and safety rules. Conduct drills.
Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Test and recharge your fire
extinguisher(s) according to manufactures instructions. Replace stored water and food every six months.
D ownstairs --you want to be in a cellar or on the first floor.
U nderneath something --you need to cover your body from flying debris.
C enter part of the house --put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible.
K eep away from windows --the flying glass is dangerous during a tornado
Families should be prepared for all hazards that affect their area. NOAA's National Weather Service, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, and the American Red Cross urge each family to develop a family disaster plan.
Where will your family be when disaster strikes? They could be anywhere- at work, at school, or in the car. How will you
find each other? Will you know if your children are safe? Disasters may force you to evacuate your neighborhood or
confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services- water, gas, electricity, or telephones- were cut off?
Follow these basic steps to develop a family disaster plan…
I. Gather information about hazards.
Contact your local National Weather Service office, emergency management or civil defense office, and American Red
Cross chapter. Find out what type of disaster could occur and how you should respond. Learn your communities
warning signals and evacuation plans.
II. Meet with your family to create a plan.
Discuss the information you have gathered. Pick two places to meet outside your home for an emergency, such as a
fire, and a place away from your neighborhood incase you can't return home. Choose an out-of-state friend as your
"family check-in contact" for everyone to call if the family gets separated. Discuss what you would do if advised to
evacuate.
III. Implement your plan.
(1) Post emergency telephone by phones;
(2) Install safety features in your house, such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers;
(3) Inspect your home for potential hazards (such as items that can move, fall, break, or catch fire) and correct them;
(4) Have your family learn basic safety measures, such as CPR and first aid; how to use a fire extinguisher; and how
and when to turn off water, gas, and electricity in your home;
(5) Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local Emergency Medical Services number;
(6) Keep enough supplies in your home to meet your needs for at least three days. Assemble a disaster supplies kit
with items you may need in case of a evacuation. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers, such as
backpacks or duffle bags. Keep important family documents in a waterproof container. Keep a smaller disaster supply
kit in a trunk of a car. (See below)
IV. Practice and maintain your plan.
Ask questions to make sure your family remembers meeting places, phone numbers, and safety rules. Conduct drills.
Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Test and recharge your fire
extinguisher(s) according to manufactures instructions. Replace stored water and food every six months.
D ownstairs --you want to be in a cellar or on the first floor.
U nderneath something --you need to cover your body from flying debris.
C enter part of the house --put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible.
K eep away from windows --the flying glass is dangerous during a tornado
