Tornado safety… Are you prepared? Published July 20, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Rhonda Armstrong-Penney 5th Bomb Wing Ground Safety MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Tornadoes can occur without warning. That's why it's important to be alert to changing weather, and use both broadcast information and one's own senses and experience to know when to take cover. Tornado Watch: A tornado watch simply means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop. In this case, be alert to changes in the weather and take precautions to protect personal property. During a Tornado Watch: · Move cars inside a garage or carport. Keep car keys and house keys on hand. · Move lawn furniture and yard equipment such as lawnmowers inside if time permits. · Account for family members at home. · Have emergency kit ready. · Keep the radio or TV tuned into the weather reports. Tornado Warning: Tornado warning means a tornado has actually been sighted. Tornadoes can be deadly and devastating storms, with winds up to 260 miles per hour. If a tornado warning is issued for the local area, seek shelter immediately! There is little time for closing windows or hunting for flashlights. It's a good idea to know where things are, and to have an emergency storm kit already prepared. Tornado Preparedness: · Learn the warning signals used in the local community. If a siren sounds, that means stay inside and take cover. · Consider setting up a neighborhood information program through a club, church group or community group. Hold briefings on safety procedures as tornado season approaches. Set up a system to make sure senior citizens and shut-ins are alerted if there is a tornado warning. · Put together an emergency storm kit including a transistor radio, flashlight, batteries and simple first-aid items in a waterproof container. · Make a complete inventory of possessions for insurance purposes. · Conduct drills with the family in the home; make sure each member knows the correct procedures if they are at work or school when a tornado hits. During the Tornado: The safest place to be during a tornado is underground, preferably under something sturdy like a work bench. If there's no basement or cellar in the home, a small room in the middle of house -- like a bathroom or a closet -- is best. The more walls between the outside and the safety location, the better. Mobile Home Dwellers and Owners: · Residents in mobile homes, even those with tie-downs, should seek safe shelter elsewhere at the first sign of severe weather. · Go to a prearranged shelter or talk to a friend or relative ahead of time to see if the family can go to their house when the weather turns bad. · If a mobile home park is the family place or residence, talk to management about the availability of a nearby shelter. · As a last resort, go outside and lie flat on the ground with hands over the head and neck. Be alert for flash floods that often accompany such storms. If driving during a tornado: · Tornadoes can toss cars and large trucks around like toys. Never try to outrun a tornado. · If a funnel cloud is spotted or a tornado warning sounds across the giant voice, get out of the vehicle and seek a safe structure or lie down in a low area with hands covering the back of the head and neck; keep alert for flash floods. Office Buildings and Schools: · Learn emergency shelter plans in office buildings and schools the family frequents. If a specific shelter area does not exist, move into interior hallways or small rooms on the building's lowest level. Avoid areas with glass and wide, free-span roofs. · If making it to a basement or designated shelter is not an option, move to the center of the lowest level of the building, away from windows, and lie flat. If in a store or shopping mall: Go to a designated shelter area or to the center of the building on a low level. Stay away from large, open rooms and windows. Never seek shelter in cars in the parking lot.