How to Practice Tornado Safety

Tornado Season by state.

Most tornadoes occur East of the Rocky Mountains but they have occurred in every single state. A tornado can strike at any time of the year. In the southern states, tornadoes are most prevalent from March to May. In the north, they occur most often in late spring and summer. The majority of tornadoes occur between 3:00 PM and 9:00 PM. But remember, a tornado can strike anywhere at any time.

Everyone should own a NOAA Weather Radio. They are inexpensive and can be bought at stores such as Radio Shack, Walmart, Kmart, Target and Sears. They can also be purchased online from websites such as EBay and Amazon. During thunderstorms and threatening weather, you should keep the weather radio turned on at all times. It is also a good idea to keep it on during the night when you are asleep, especially if you live in an area that doesn't have tornado sirens. The alarm will wake you if there is dangerous weather heading your way.

If your tornado siren goes off, don't ignore it because the sky doesn't look all that threatening to you. The National Weather Service issues tornado warnings only when specific conditions are met and you should heed those warnings. At least turn on your radio or television to find out what the situation is.

PLANNING: Everyone should have a tornado plan in place. What that means is that you should, together with your family or your roommate(s), sit down and talk about what you should do in the event of a tornado. This is especially important if you have children. When you have your 'family meeting' to discuss preparation for a tornado (as well as other emergency situations), speak to your children in a calm and confident tone so that they won't be frightened.

The PLAN: The first thing to determine is where you should go inside your home in the event of a tornado. Every member of the household should know where the 'safety spot' is. The lowest floor of your home or other dwelling is the safest during a tornado. Put as many walls between you and the outside as you can. If you have no basement, go to the room on the lowest floor that has the most walls between you and the outside.

The PLAN: The next thing you should talk about when planning for a tornado emergency is what to do in the event of a tornado when not at home. You should implement a plan for communicating with other members of the household to discern their whereabouts and safety after the storm. Most public and private elementary and secondary schools have tornado emergency plans and teachers have been taught the safest place to lead their students. If you are unsure, check with your children's school. If the school doesn't have a tornado plan, ask them to implement one. You can direct them to the NOAA government website.

Never try to drive to school to pick up your children in a tornado event. Stay home and go to your pre-planned 'place of safety.'

The PLAN: The third step in preparing with your household for a tornado emergency is to make a tornado emergency kit. You will need to have a battery operated radio and at least two flashlights with extra batteries, a NOAA weather radio, non-perishable foods, a gallon of water per person, candles, matches and a blanket. Know ahead of time where to tune your portable radio for more information. If someone in the household takes prescription medicine, keep a small supply of that as well. It is also good to have a credit card and or a bit of cash on hand. It is also helpful to have an extra set of car keys. Everyone in the household should know where the emergency kit is kept.

Keep in mind that if the electricity goes out, your wireless land line telephones won't work. It's a good idea to have one old-fashioned wired phone because phone lines continue to work without electricity.

It is essential to discuss all possibilities with your family and roommates so that everyone will know the best action to take no matter where they are when a tornado strikes.

PUBLIC PLACES: If you are driving and spot a tornado, don't try to out run it. If you are in an area where there are buildings, stop at the first one and seek shelter there. If you are on an interstate or other roadway where there are no shelters, and the tornado is moving towards you, stop, get out and lie face down in a ditch or any indentation in the earth with your hands over your head. DO NOT seek shelter under a bridge or overpass, the wind under an overpass or bridge is actually stronger than that on the ground because of the "wind tunnel" affect.

If you are at a shopping mall or other public place, don't go outside. Seek the lowest room or area and put as many walls between you and the outside as you can. Stay away from glass windows and doors.
Most tornado deaths are caused by flying debris. Be aware of this when you determine your 'safety spot' wherever you happen to be.