| I guess you don't need reminding, but every year, from | | | | for your town or county, take immediate safety |
| about early spring to mid summer - say mid February | | | | precautions.This brings us to Rule 3.Invest in a Weather |
| to mid June - tornadoes become part of the US | | | | Radio, make sure its batteries are fresh, and that it is |
| scene.Of course tornadoes can occur anywhere and | | | | on standby whenever thunderstorms look likely.A good |
| any time if the conditions are right, but during that | | | | weather radio will activate itself whenever a tornado |
| second quarter of the year, over the midwest and | | | | watch or warning is issued, (and will do the same for |
| bordering states, the chances of tornadoes are | | | | any other weather threat or civil emergency). If there |
| greatest.And on average, 60 people will lose their lives | | | | are tornadoes forming in your area, your best defence |
| each year.So what can you do to make sure you and | | | | is having the time to get to safe shelter, and Weather |
| your family aren't listed among the casualties next time | | | | Radio will give you this.And so to Rule 4.Make sure |
| there are tornadoes around?Quite a lot, actually, but | | | | you know where safe shelter is, and make sure you |
| first let's just review what tornadoes are and how | | | | know how to get there in a hurry.Finding shelter may |
| they form.Tornado Formation and | | | | be easy or difficult, depending where you are, and the |
| ForecastingTornadoes are rapidly rotating winds that | | | | action you take may depend on how prepared you |
| are always associated with thunderstorms. They form | | | | are.Most workplaces and schools in a tornado prone |
| tight spirals of extremely strong winds, capable in their | | | | area will have a tornado plan.If you are at home you |
| most severe form of destroying almost everything in | | | | should move to a safe location, either one you have |
| their path.By no means all thunderstorms produce | | | | prepared in your home, or at a public shelter.The |
| tornadoes, and while big thunderstorms tend to breed | | | | safety of a home shelter will depend on the |
| big tornadoes, there is no hard and fast rule. Most | | | | construction of your house, and whether you have |
| tornadoes are short lived, and most occur away from | | | | modified it to provide a safe room. Brick and concrete |
| populated areas.Although there are very few rules | | | | are stronger than timber, and basements are safer |
| which apply to all tornadoes, all of the time, we do | | | | than ground floors or upper storeys.A safe room is |
| know that when large thunderstorms, or super cells | | | | any room on the ground floor or basement that has |
| form, tornadoes are most likely to | | | | been reinforced with steel or concrete to make it safe |
| develop.Thunderstorms like these generally build when | | | | during strong winds, collapsing roofs and walls, and |
| warm moist air is forced to rise over cooler or drier air. | | | | from wind blown debris.Expensive? Undoubtedly, but |
| Other conditions have to be right, but for the most part | | | | aren't you worth it?If you are in your vehicle when a |
| thunderstorm formation is fairly easy for | | | | tornado arrives you have two choices. If traffic and |
| meteorologists to forecast, although estimating storm | | | | roads allow, you can drive away from it - if possible |
| severity is not as easy, and the likelihood of a tornado | | | | take a few moments to assess the risks.If you can |
| is even more difficult to predict.And here the | | | | see the tornado, line it up with a fixed point such as a |
| forecasters have a dilemma. For reasons of public | | | | building or a tree. If it moves to the left or right the |
| safety, they must warn people if tornadoes and other | | | | tornado is not heading towards you, but to be on the |
| forms of severe storm weather are possible. Possible | | | | safe side, drive off in the opposite direction.If it doesn't |
| is not certain, so some forecasts turn out to be false | | | | appear to move, but does appear to be growing |
| alarms.But consider the alternative - no warnings are | | | | larger, it is probably coming your way. Drive off to the |
| given until too late, and people die simply because they | | | | side if possible.If you can't drive away from it or find |
| have been given too little time to prepare.Preparing For | | | | secure shelter, abandon your car, and lie flat on the |
| TornadoesThe First thing to do when faced with any | | | | lowest ground you can find - a roadside ditch would |
| emergency is to be prepared in advance to take the | | | | be a good option. Cars can be death traps, and |
| most sensible action.And Rule 2 is to treat all tornado | | | | sheltering under bridges or overpasses is very |
| watches and warnings seriously.So what's a tornado | | | | risky.The same strategy applies if you are on foot - |
| watch, and how is it different from a warning?A | | | | look for strong safe enclosed shelter first, or a low |
| tornado watch defines an area where tornadoes and | | | | point on the ground if that is not available.Keep all |
| other kinds of severe weather are possible in the next | | | | these in mind and your chances of survival are good. |
| few hours. It does not mean tornadoes will form - just | | | | Deaths in tornadoes are mostly caused by building |
| that you need to be alert, and to be prepared to find | | | | collapse, vehicles overturning or becoming airborne, and |
| safe shelter if they do.A tornado warning, issued by | | | | flying debris.So have a plan, and keep your weather |
| the local National Weather Service office, means that | | | | radio handy and charged up, and there's every reason |
| a tornado has been spotted, or that Doppler radar | | | | to believe you'll make it through to the next tornado |
| indicates a thunderstorm acting in a way which can | | | | season. |
| spawn a tornado. When a tornado warning is issued | | | | |