Make a plan incase of a Tornado
Tornadoes |
Get a Tornado Kit |
Make a Plan |
Prepare |
Build a Safe Room |
During the Storm |
After the Storm
Prepare Your Family
- Make a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
- Plan places where your family will meet, both within and outside of your immediate neighborhood.
- It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
- You may also want to inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one.
- Be sure to consider the specific needs of your family members
- Notify caregivers and babysitters about your emergancy plan.
- Make plans for your pets
- Take a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class from your local Citizen Corps chapter. Keep your training current.
For a Tornado
In addition to your basic emergency plan, when preparing for an tornado you should:
- Determine, in advance, where you will take shelter in case of a tornado warning:
- Storm cellars or basements provide the best protection.
- If underground shelter is not available, go into an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible.
- In a high-rise building, go to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible.
- Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls. Go to the center of the room. Stay away from corners because they attract debris.
- A vehicle, trailer or mobile home does not provide good protection. Plan to go quickly to a building with a strong foundation, if possible.
- If shelter is not available, lie flat in a ditch or other low-lying area. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location.
- Plan to stay in the shelter location until the danger has passed.
- If your home does not have a safe place that can be used as a tornado shelter (as is the case with mobile homes), find out where in your neighborhood is recommended as a tornado shelter. Most properly managed mobile home parks should have a severe weather plan in place, and such a plan is useful for any neighborhood or subdivision. At work, ask your employer for a copy of their severe weather safety plan. They should have a location where employees can seek shelter in the event of a tornado or other severe weather.
- Place your tornado kit inside the place you have designated as your tornado shelter.
- If you own a home with a concrete foundation, install a waterproof and fireproof safe. It should be bolted to the house foundation and used storage of any irreplaceable documents. These documents should be in the safe at all times. Do not wait until a tornado warning is issued before trying to put things in the safe.
- Practice a tornado drill at least once per year for your family, school, or workplace. Ensure everyone knows what to do without having to think about it.
Get a Kit
- Get an Emergency Supply Kit, which includes items like non-perishable food, water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries.
- Store it in your shelter location