MD_Vet
05-24-2013, 04:20 PM
Have Plan & Know How To Spot Signs Of A Tornado
Familiarize yourself with the signs of a tornado; there have been cases where a tornado appeared so quickly there wasn’t time to sound a formal warning.
The following are signs to watch for from the Storm Prediction Center (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html), written by Roger Edwards.
Strong, persistent rotation in the cloud base.
Whirling dust or debris on the ground under a cloud base — tornadoes sometimes have no funnel (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/rolla_ks.jpg)!
Hail or heavy rain followed by either dead calm or a fast, intense wind shift. Many tornadoes are wrapped in heavy precipitation and can’t be seen.
Day or night – Loud, continuous roar or rumble, which doesn’t fade in a few seconds like thunder.
Night – Small, bright, blue-green to white flashes at ground level (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/pwrflash.html) near a thunderstorm (as opposed to silvery lightning up in the clouds). These mean power lines are being snapped by very strong wind, maybe a tornado.
(David’s note: these flashes look more like an LED flash or a welding arc rather than like an incandescent flash.)
Night – Persistent lowering from the cloud base, illuminated or silhouetted by lightning — especially if it is on the ground (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/tor_faq/nightwdg.jpg) or there is a blue-green-white power flash underneath.
Have a plan in place and practice it as a family or a group to increase your odds of survival. Practice allows you to take immediate action without hesitation.
What NOT To Do
Avoid the myth that opening windows will help to avoid the damage of a tornado. It doesn’t, and instead will allow damaging winds to enter the home and will waste valuable time.
If you live in a mobile home, it is imperative to have an alternate location to go to. Their tie-downs cannot withstand the ferocious winds associated with tornadoes and it’s why we often hear of fatalities of people found in mobile homes in the aftermath of a tornado.
Even though it’s often believed that when traveling in a vehicle, the best protection is to seek shelter under a bridge, experts say absolutely not! The reason? A tornado’s winds can slam debris under bridges, bridges have been known to collapse, and there is the possibility the winds from a tornado can carry you out from under the structure and suck you into the tornado.
When traveling, do not remain in your vehicle, nor should you flee to a vehicle for safety.
What TO Do
Stay away from windows, even in basements. During a tornado, most people are injured from flying debris, and glass is one of the bigger culprits.
If possible, move below ground. If a basement, a root cellar, or another below ground structure is not available, go to the location you’ve chosen which puts as many layers of protection between you and the tornado as possible—typically this location will be an inside room located in the lowest floor of a sturdy structure or a hallway.
If there is nothing more than a bathtub available, head there.
Protective coverings such as a mattress can help protect you from flying debris.
If your safe location is an interior room or hallway, take cover under a sturdy structure like a heavy table.
If you are in a building or skyscraper, immediately move away from windows, head directly to the lowest floor possible and when a stairwell is available, head there.
If you are caught in a tornado in a store, a mall, Church, or a theater, move to an interior bathroom, a storage room, or any small, enclosed area.
If you are in a vehicle when a tornado hits, and you’re far enough away from the tornado and it’s NOT headed towards you, the best option is to travel in the opposite direction and laterally to get out of its path of destruction. However, if it’s barreling down at you, take shelter in a sturdy structure if possible. If a structure is not nearby, get as far away from the vehicle as time allows and hunker down in the lowest spot possible, covering your head with your hands.
(David’s note: I vividly remember being in a car with my parents in a wide open stretch in the Midwest, popping over a hill, and seeing the biggest, nastiest, wall of thunderclouds I’d ever seen (or seen since.) We turned around, and went in the opposite direction as fast as our V8 would go…only the storm was at an angle and didn’t have to follow the road. Geometry was against us and the storm was gaining. We finally saw a house with a basement and got out with the intent of breaking in if nobody was home and sheltering there. The owners were home, let us in, and I’m here today to talk about it. The storm ended up having several tornadoes and LOTS of huge hail. Point being, some things you can prepare for…others you figure out on the fly based on the foundation of a solid plan.)
Full article here...
http://survivethecomingcollapse.com/2637/the-eye-of-the-storm-how-you-can-survive/
Familiarize yourself with the signs of a tornado; there have been cases where a tornado appeared so quickly there wasn’t time to sound a formal warning.
The following are signs to watch for from the Storm Prediction Center (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html), written by Roger Edwards.
Strong, persistent rotation in the cloud base.
Whirling dust or debris on the ground under a cloud base — tornadoes sometimes have no funnel (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/rolla_ks.jpg)!
Hail or heavy rain followed by either dead calm or a fast, intense wind shift. Many tornadoes are wrapped in heavy precipitation and can’t be seen.
Day or night – Loud, continuous roar or rumble, which doesn’t fade in a few seconds like thunder.
Night – Small, bright, blue-green to white flashes at ground level (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/pwrflash.html) near a thunderstorm (as opposed to silvery lightning up in the clouds). These mean power lines are being snapped by very strong wind, maybe a tornado.
(David’s note: these flashes look more like an LED flash or a welding arc rather than like an incandescent flash.)
Night – Persistent lowering from the cloud base, illuminated or silhouetted by lightning — especially if it is on the ground (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/tor_faq/nightwdg.jpg) or there is a blue-green-white power flash underneath.
Have a plan in place and practice it as a family or a group to increase your odds of survival. Practice allows you to take immediate action without hesitation.
What NOT To Do
Avoid the myth that opening windows will help to avoid the damage of a tornado. It doesn’t, and instead will allow damaging winds to enter the home and will waste valuable time.
If you live in a mobile home, it is imperative to have an alternate location to go to. Their tie-downs cannot withstand the ferocious winds associated with tornadoes and it’s why we often hear of fatalities of people found in mobile homes in the aftermath of a tornado.
Even though it’s often believed that when traveling in a vehicle, the best protection is to seek shelter under a bridge, experts say absolutely not! The reason? A tornado’s winds can slam debris under bridges, bridges have been known to collapse, and there is the possibility the winds from a tornado can carry you out from under the structure and suck you into the tornado.
When traveling, do not remain in your vehicle, nor should you flee to a vehicle for safety.
What TO Do
Stay away from windows, even in basements. During a tornado, most people are injured from flying debris, and glass is one of the bigger culprits.
If possible, move below ground. If a basement, a root cellar, or another below ground structure is not available, go to the location you’ve chosen which puts as many layers of protection between you and the tornado as possible—typically this location will be an inside room located in the lowest floor of a sturdy structure or a hallway.
If there is nothing more than a bathtub available, head there.
Protective coverings such as a mattress can help protect you from flying debris.
If your safe location is an interior room or hallway, take cover under a sturdy structure like a heavy table.
If you are in a building or skyscraper, immediately move away from windows, head directly to the lowest floor possible and when a stairwell is available, head there.
If you are caught in a tornado in a store, a mall, Church, or a theater, move to an interior bathroom, a storage room, or any small, enclosed area.
If you are in a vehicle when a tornado hits, and you’re far enough away from the tornado and it’s NOT headed towards you, the best option is to travel in the opposite direction and laterally to get out of its path of destruction. However, if it’s barreling down at you, take shelter in a sturdy structure if possible. If a structure is not nearby, get as far away from the vehicle as time allows and hunker down in the lowest spot possible, covering your head with your hands.
(David’s note: I vividly remember being in a car with my parents in a wide open stretch in the Midwest, popping over a hill, and seeing the biggest, nastiest, wall of thunderclouds I’d ever seen (or seen since.) We turned around, and went in the opposite direction as fast as our V8 would go…only the storm was at an angle and didn’t have to follow the road. Geometry was against us and the storm was gaining. We finally saw a house with a basement and got out with the intent of breaking in if nobody was home and sheltering there. The owners were home, let us in, and I’m here today to talk about it. The storm ended up having several tornadoes and LOTS of huge hail. Point being, some things you can prepare for…others you figure out on the fly based on the foundation of a solid plan.)
Full article here...
http://survivethecomingcollapse.com/2637/the-eye-of-the-storm-how-you-can-survive/