A Tornado: Know About It but Never Forget To Stay Prepared For It
17
Apr 2009
A grim outset:
March 18th, 1925 – The Tri-State Tornado – 695 deaths
May 11th, 1953 – The Waco Tornado – 114 deaths
May 7th, 1840 – The Natchez Tornado – 317 deaths
April 5th, 1936 – The Tupelo Tornado – 216 deaths
April 6th, 1936 – The Gainesville Tornado – 203 deaths
April 9th, 1947 – The Woodward Tornado – 181 deaths
April 24th, 1908 – The Amite/Purvis/Pine Tornado – 143 deaths
June 12th, 1899 – The New Richmond Tornado – 117 deaths
June 8th, 1953 – The Flint-Beecher Tornado – 116 deaths
May 27th, 1986 – The St. Louis Tornado – 255 deaths
Note: Figures have been taken from: www.spc.noaa.gov
Do the figures tell the horrific tales and endless misery of countless families destroyed? There might not be a soul that would differ. However, for all those who still beg to differ I would request them to have a look at the next few lines.
May 20, 2013: Who can forget those evening hours of May 20, 2013 when the Moore Tornado wielded its destructive force across its path starting from the west side of Newcastle and then following a east-northeastward path across the city of Moore and certain parts of South Oklahoma city and ending at Lake Stanley Draper. Classified as an EF-5 (EF stands for Enhanced Fujita and refers to a tracking scale followed for measuring the intensity of tornadoes), this tornado ended the lives of 23 people and left its mark on many others. It was not the only terror that day because several other tornadoes made their presence felt in Stephens and Lincoln counties.
April 26, 1989: Perhaps the darkest day in the world when it comes to human deaths due to tornadoes. This day witnessed the appalling Daulatpur–Saturia tornado in Bangladesh taking around 1300 lives and causing destruction to the extent that in some places the existence of any building were made through skeletons of trees.
The title sure does make sense now after the information presented in the above paragraphs. The next few lines are a humble effort for laying down some of the basic rules required to be followed for surviving a tornado.
Tornado spotting: Unpredictability! This is the word that goes well with tornadoes. Because a tornado can happen at any time of the year and during a tornado a single twister can lead to twin twisters as well. A tornado also has quite an uncanny knack of changing its path hence a tornado heading west may suddenly change direction and head east.
Can a tornado be spotted at the time of formation? Yes! It is visible as a transparent funnel shape until the time it starts accumulating dust and debris.
Look out for the standard warning signs for a tornado: a dark, often greenish sky; a constant roar, somewhat resembling the sound of a freight train; a hailstorm; and large, dark, and low-lying clouds.
Preparation: The most important thing to remember while preparing is the element of reality. Preparation with a hyper-enthusiastic attitude or a reluctant attitude will not be helpful. One has to be realistic while preparing for a tornado.
Allocate specific tasks for your family members. For example, your son will be in charge of deciding the emergency meeting spot. Your daughter will have to take care of your pet dog while your father will be in charge of stocking the storm-shelter with emergency rations.
Note the following important points:
- Do not forget to assign a family member with the tasks of switching of electricity mains, water, and gas.
- Keep a first-aid kit (make sure it is not short of medical supplies).
- Keep a flashlight and lots of batteries for it.
- Get impact-resistant windows for your house.
- Get doors having at least three hinges and a deadbolt lock with a 1-inch long bolt.
- Get permanent wooden or metal stiffeners for your garage door.
- Strengthen your roof covering and the sheathing beneath it so that they are capable of resisting high-velocity winds.
- You may love your garden but replace the garden landscape with mulch and shredded bark and do away with gravel and rock.
- Be a responsible and far-sighting gardener and trim the adjoining trees and shrubs. Cut down the branches trees that seem weak and therefore capable of breaking and falling on top of the roof of neighbor’s house or your house.
That “moment” before the tornado:
- There are many precautionary acts depending on the geographical location but some of the common points are listed below.
- Do not switch off the weather channel! Monitor the tornado-warning announcements made there and also on the local television and radio broadcasts.
- Move loose furniture to a secure location (ideally the basement) and remove all grills from doors and windows
- If you choose to stay within your house then lean a mattress against the wall of the room you are in
- Get lots of flashlights and lots of batteries. Do not forget to get a hand-cranked/battery-operated radio too.
- If you reside in a mobile home then do not waste time in making these preparations. Simply, drive quickly as you can to the nearest shelter you can find.
Moments after the tornado:
Listed down below are the most important points and considerations for you to take note of after a tornado:
In case, you had to leave your house then:
- Do not forget to check for structural integrity of the house before going inside (i.e. check for the severity of the crack in walls, dangling wiring, broken window panes etc.)
- DO NOT USE A CANDLE OR A LIGHTER IN CASE OF DARKNESS. LEAKING GAS MAY IGNITE WITH THE SLIGHTEST SPARK! Use a flashlight instead.
- Get an electrician to check the electrical system and only after that turn on the lights!
- Document a list of damaged items and create an inventory for evidence. Gather your insurance papers and go to the insurance office for damage claims.
This blog post does not claim to be an exhaustible document for tips on tornado survival. However, should a tornado ever strike within your vicinity and you should benefit from the information given here then my pen will have served its purpose.
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