Spring is upon us and we all know that can mean severe weather and amazingly, there are places that are getting tornadoes now that have seen very few or none in the past. Many people in many areas of the country don't even have storm shelters, as they've not been necessary in the past. So, I'm offering you the same advice that our weathermen and ladies here in the Midwest offer us.
Of course, the best place to ride out a tornado would be in a storm shelter or in a safe room. Either of these options is available to you and can be a priceless addition to your home. You can now have a storm shelter built right under your garage so that you don't even have to go outside to get to a safe place, or you can have a concrete reinforced safe room built right into a walk-in closet. Beware the contractors that prey on the recently scared or who descend on an area just because a large tornado recently wiped out homes and businesses in your area. Make sure that the contractor is licensed, if licensing is required in your state, that they have been operating in your area for a number of years, that they have local references that can be checked out (and then make those phone calls!) and NEVER pay for work up front. It's not unusual for a contractor to ask for up to 1/2 up front, but never more than that, and of course, the best idea is to construct one of these before disaster strikes, meaning you are much more likely to escape the wiles of a con-man and get quality workmanship and materials.
It is also a good idea to check the supplies in these shelters once or twice annually; you should have at least 3 days of food and water on hand. You never know how long you will be forced to stay in your shelter. You want to have blankets or sleeping bags, plenty of water, some canned goods and a can opener (stuff that doesn't require heating to taste half way decent), some silverware, paper towels, flashlights or lanterns, (be aware that propane lanterns can create fumes and can contribute to carbon monoxide poisoning if used in an unventilated area) fresh batteries, a battery-operated radio and a few first aid supplies. Stick matches (the strike anywhere kind) or a lighter can be used as a source of light when trying to get oriented in the first minutes of a disaster. Also have a few trash bags for waste and think about some empty coffee cans to use in case you can't get outside to go to the bathroom. It might be a good idea to keep a pocket knife and an axe in the shelter. Try to plan for the worst case scenario. If you have children, you might want to consider a couple of games in case you are trapped for a number of days and for both children and adults, maybe a couple of good books. If your shelter is liable to become a nesting place for mice or insects, keep everything as pest-proof as possible, keep mouse bait down and keep a can of bug spray on hand. Some people keep an emergency bag by the nearest escape route to their outdoor shelter so they can grab it and go in the event of an emergency.
Some counties also offer a means by which to register your storm shelter. Take the time to do this. The reason for doing this is that sometimes storm shelters, especially if indoors or under the house, can be covered by debris. Emergency workers need to know where to look for you if they are unable to see your storm shelter.
The most common reason for injury and death in the event of a tornado is flying debris. The Fujita Scale, or F-Scale, was established in 1971 as a way to categorize tornadoes by assessing the damage caused and how high the winds must have been in order to cause certain damage. This scale is still used today:
F0 - Gale Tornado with wind speed 40 - 72 mph
F1 - Moderate Tornado with wind speed 73 - 112 mph
F2 - Significant Tornado with wind speed 113 - 157 mph
F3 - Severe Tornado with wind speed 158 - 206 mph
F4 - Devastating Tornado with wind speed 207 - 260 mph
F5 - Incredible Tornado with wind speed 261 - 318 mph
F6 - Inconceivable Tornado with wind speed 319 - 379 mph
In the event that you don't have a storm shelter, there are a number of precautions that you can take. You should always go to the innermost part of the house, on the lowest level of the house, preferably to an area that has no windows or is as far away as you can get from windows. One of the most common is a bathroom. Bathroom fixtures, especially the bathtub are quite heavy and are anchored to the ground by way of their plumbing. There are stories of hotels getting hit by a tornado in which everything was demolished, except for the sink that people were hiding under, clinging to the pipes that anchored the fixture. Bathtubs are great for jumping into as a means of protection. They act as a shield from flying debris and if you pull a mattress over the top of you, you stand a much better chance of survival than just about anywhere else in the house. If you have to go into a closet, put as much padding as you can between you, your family members and the outside as possible. Many people have even started using their bicycle, football or motorcycle helmets in order to avoid catastrophic head injuries.
Develop a plan and practice! Just like you practice for a fire, you should practice what to do in the case of a tornado. Have a family meeting and make it fun. Offer prizes to the little ones for knowing where to go and what to do. Teach your little ones how to dial 9-1-1 on each phone you have in your house, including your cell phone, and teach them to stay on the line. GPS location and our emergency services have evolved to the point in most areas that just by staying on the phone; emergency personnel will know where you are. But, if you have children over the age of 4, teach them the address and how to tell the emergency personnel where they are, for example: "My name is (full name) and I live at (street address). My Mom or Dad is hurt and we need help. We are in the storm shelter (southeast of the house, for example). And remind them not to hang up the phone. You will be amazed at how much a child will remember and how rationally they are able to act in an emergency. Then, throughout the severe weather season, periodically ask them to tell you the address or to tell you where the storm shelter is, insuring their being able to give emergency personnel the necessary information.
Give each person a job to do. For example, the teens should grab the mattresses off the beds and bring them to the closet or bathroom. The smaller kids should grab their helmets. The adults will be giving orders and the kids should be following them! Make this clear! Now is not the time to be questioning or ignoring your parents or older siblings. Everyone should remain as calm as possible, but also move as quickly as possible.
It used to be widely accepted that you open all the windows in the house, but that has pretty much been debunked. First off, you spend way too much valuable time opening windows. This is time that can be spent better in securing you and your family. Secondly, the windows are still a measure of protection between you and the devastating winds outside and thirdly, if a tornado is going to break windows or lift your house from its foundation, that will happen regardless of whether the windows are open or closed, so don't take the time to do this. Instead, you might spend the time searching for your cell phone. There is no guarantee that cell towers near you would have survived, but for the most part tornadoes have a 'path' of destruction and are usually not more than a mile wide. The chances are good that you may be able to communicate by way of cell phone.
A little bit of planning and vigilance in staying prepared can go a long ways toward sparing lives in the event of a tornado. Possessions can always be replaced, but your loved ones cannot. Here's wishing everyone a safe spring!
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