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Tornado Preparation 101

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nolan Payne
  • 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron
You've been hearing the area is in a Tornado Watch all day on the radio and TV - now, a 3 to 5 minute steady tone is blaring from the base sirens. A tornado is headed for Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., are you prepared? Keep calm, don't panic, you have the skills to stay safe.
The first step in tornado preparation is designating a shelter area. Determine the safest place in your home or office to take immediate shelter. The Cannon Emergency Managers recommend a small, interior room, like a closet or bathroom on the first floor.
 
A basement or safe-room would provide even better protection if available. Wherever you are when a roaring funnel, just like the one from the movie Twister, decides to hit, the following information will help protect you and your family:

At home: Do not open windows or doors. The bathtub and toilet are secured directly into the foundation and sometimes the only things left in place after a tornado. Getting into the bathtub with a couch cushion or mattress over you gives you protection on all sides. Plumbing pipes may or may not help hold the walls together, but all the extra framing that it takes to put a bathroom together may make a big difference. If there is no downstairs bathroom and the closets are all packed, an interior hallway is the next best shelter. Put as many walls as you can between yourself and exterior walls.

At work or school: Seek shelter in the lowest level. If possible, find a basement or interior hallway of the building away from doors and windows. Hiding under a heavy work-table or sturdy structure will protect you from falling debris. Never take shelter next to outside walls, doors or windows. Also refrain from using an elevator during a tornado. If you work in a temporary facility, one not made of brick walls, seek shelter in the nearest solid building.

Outdoors: Seek immediate shelter! If you get caught in the open, lay down in a depression or ditch and cover your head and neck. If readily available, put a metal trash can over as much of you as possible to protect you from flying debris. Knives and forks have been found embedded in tree trunks flung from a tornado. Even the smallest protection may make the difference between life and death.

In a vehicle: If possible, seek immediate shelter or drive out of the tornado's path. Contrary to what you may have heard, overpasses offer little to no protection from a direct hit from a tornado and should not be used as shelter. It may be necessary to abandon the vehicle to find shelter.

An additional question to ask yourself is whether you have a supply of items for use following a natural disaster. It is recommended to have non-perishable food items and a supply of water for a minimum of seven days.

Preparing an emergency shelter kit can help your family survive in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Shelter kits should include bottled water, canned foods, a first-aid kit, protective gear, vital medications, flash lights with extra batteries, candles, blankets and a battery operated radio. Cell phones are useful during emergencies as well.

Home or renter's insurance is important while living in Tornado Alley. Even if living in base housing, it is a good idea to think about renter's insurance, which insures all assets inside the home. Military housing does not provide replacement of personal property.

Knowing key terms can save a life.

Tornado Watch: Weather conditions are right for a tornado to develop or occur. If in an area where a Tornado Watch has been issued, it is best to stay inside a home or work area and monitor the local weather on TV or listen to a local weather radio station.

Tornado Warning: A tornado has been spotted or has been detected by weather radar. Seek immediate shelter.

Practice your procedures.

Just like a home fire drill, making a tornado shelter plan for the family and practicing it routinely, especially at the beginning of the severe weather season, helps ensure you're ready for tornadoes. The National Weather Service states that severe weather season starts in March and goes through June.

Before a storm, bring all outside furniture and equipment inside and place vehicles inside the garage or under a carport. The more items brought inside, the less the tornado has to toss around.

If you have any infants or pets, include supplies to adapt to your needs. Always be on alert. Remain vigilant and aware of the weather for the surrounding area. It is better to be safe than sorry.