Preparations
Specific Preparations for a Tornado
• Have a home tornado plan- each member of your family should know where to go if a tornado is headed your way (see below for more information).
• Listen to your NOAA Weather Radio concerning possible tornadoes.
• Notice any changes in the weather- a clear, sunny, day now becomes cloud, dark, increase thunderstorms, possibly hail.
• Many people say the sound of a tornado is similar to a freight train.
• Need a Home Tornado Plan
o Remember, tornadoes happen very quickly with little or no time for you to plan.
o Identify a safe place in your home- a basement, a center hallway, bathroom or closet on the lowest floor- have extra pillows and blankets to cover yourself and family.
o Look for a small interior room on the lowest level.
o Other places to consider are any small interior room, under a heavy table, or in a ditch (if you are outside), or if no other places are available.
o Cover your head with your hands to prevent injury.
o Many people have a “safe room” or storm shelter constructed out of reinforced steel and/or concrete for this very purpose. Keep this place clean and uncluttered.
o Stay away from windows.
o In a high-rise building, if you are unable to get to lowest floor quickly, get to a hallway or center of the building
• Need a first-aid kit
• Have protective clothing
• Written instructions of turning off electricity, gas, water
• Be careful of flying debris, which causes the most injuries and fatalities associated with tornadoes.
• Find out more information about preparation here. Since damage from a tornado can be similar to that which occurs after an earthquake, you may want to refer to the section on earthquakes for further information
