Avian Flu Diary: Are You Ready For Tornado Season?

# 5358

Spring is severe weather season across much of the United States. In February of 2011 alone, there were 59 tornadoes reported across the country, mostly in the mid-south.

When warm moist air to the south and east does battle with cooler or drier air masses to the north and west, you have a recipe for severe weather.

And outbreaks of tornadoes can frequently result.

March, April, May and June generally see the strongest, and most frequent tornadoes, but in truth - these violent windstorms can occur any time of the year - particularly in the south.

In an average year, more than 1,000 tornadoes are reported in the United States. It is likely that the actual number is considerably higher, as not all tornadoes occur in areas where they can be seen or confirmed.

All but a small part of the United States is vulnerable to these storms, but the strongest of these storms generally occur in an area we call Tornado Alley (below Left), which runs from middle Texas north though Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.

This is the area where you will generally find the largest and most powerful tornadoes; the F5 wedge type.

TORNADO ALLEY DIXIE ALLEY

Fortunately, much of the mid-west is sparsely populated, and so the number of tornado deaths that occur here are actually less than in other areas of the country.

DIXIE ALLEY (above right) sees more frequent, albeit usually less severe tornadoes. Due to a higher population density, more deaths occur in Dixie Alley than in Tornado Alley most years.

From READY.GOV we get the following advice to prepare for dealing with a tornadoes. They, along with FEMA , the American Red Cross, urge all Americans to become better prepared to deal with a variety of emergency situations.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms. They can appear suddenly without warning and can be invisible until dust and debris are picked up or a funnel cloud appears. Planning and practicing specifically how and where you take shelter is a matter of survival. Be prepared to act quickly. Keep in mind that while tornadoes are more common in the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest, they can occur in any state and at any time of the year, making advance preparation vitally important.

Step 1: 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

Step 2: Make a Plan

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.

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.

Take a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class from your local Citizen Corps chapter. Keep your training current.

Step 3: Be Informed

Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a tornado hazard.

A tornado watch means a tornado is possible in your area.

A tornado warning is when a tornado is actually occurring, take shelter immediately.

Listen to Local Officials
Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government. In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials.

For further information on how to plan and prepare for tornadoes as well as what to do during and after a tornado, visit: Federal Emergency Management Agency, NOAA Watch or American Red Cross.

To keep abreast of severe storm forecasts, you can visit NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center online. There you’ll find interactive maps showing current and anticipated severe weather threats all across the nation.

Another resource is NOAA WEATHER RADIO.

Once thought of as mainly a source of local weather information, it has now become an `All-Hazards' alert system as well.

In order to receive these broadcasts, you need a special receiver. Many of these radios have a special `Tone Alert', and will begin playing once they receive a special alert signal from the broadcaster.

Like having an emergency kit, a first aid kit, and a portable AM/FM radio - having a weather radio is an important part of being prepared.

Most Americans are woefully unprepared to deal with emergencies. This despite dozens of major disasters (often weather related) that occur every year in this country.

Agencies like FEMA, READY.GOV and the HHS are constantly trying to get the preparedness message out, so that when (not `if') a disaster does occur, human losses can be minimized.

For more information on how to prepare for emergencies, up to and including a pandemic, the following sites should be of assistance.