| I guess you don't need reminding, but every year, | | | | your town or county, take immediate safety |
| from about early spring to mid summer - say mid | | | | precautions. |
| February to mid June - tornadoes become part of | | | | This brings us to Rule 3. |
| the US scene. | | | | Invest in a Weather Radio, make sure its |
| Of course tornadoes can occur anywhere and | | | | batteries are fresh, and that it is on standby |
| any time if the conditions are right, but during that | | | | whenever thunderstorms look likely. |
| second quarter of the year, over the midwest | | | | A good weather radio will activate itself whenever |
| and bordering states, the chances of tornadoes | | | | a tornado watch or warning is issued, (and will do |
| are greatest. | | | | the same for any other weather threat or civil |
| And on average, 60 people will lose their lives | | | | emergency). If there are tornadoes forming in |
| each year. | | | | your area, your best defence is having the time |
| So what can you do to make sure you and your | | | | to get to safe shelter, and Weather Radio will |
| family aren't listed among the casualties next time | | | | give you this. |
| there are tornadoes around? | | | | And so to Rule 4. |
| Quite a lot, actually, but first let's just review | | | | Make sure you know where safe shelter is, and |
| what tornadoes are and how they form. | | | | make sure you know how to get there in a hurry. |
| Tornado Formation and Forecasting | | | | Finding shelter may be easy or difficult, depending |
| Tornadoes are rapidly rotating winds that are | | | | where you are, and the action you take may |
| always associated with thunderstorms. They form | | | | depend on how prepared you are. |
| tight spirals of extremely strong winds, capable in | | | | Most workplaces and schools in a tornado prone |
| their most severe form of destroying almost | | | | area will have a tornado plan. |
| everything in their path. | | | | If you are at home you should move to a safe |
| By no means all thunderstorms produce | | | | location, either one you have prepared in your |
| tornadoes, and while big thunderstorms tend to | | | | home, or at a public shelter. |
| breed big tornadoes, there is no hard and fast | | | | The safety of a home shelter will depend on the |
| rule. Most tornadoes are short lived, and most | | | | construction of your house, and whether you |
| occur away from populated areas. | | | | have modified it to provide a safe room. Brick |
| Although there are very few rules which apply to | | | | and concrete are stronger than timber, and |
| all tornadoes, all of the time, we do know that | | | | basements are safer than ground floors or upper |
| when large thunderstorms, or super cells form, | | | | storeys. |
| tornadoes are most likely to develop. | | | | A safe room is any room on the ground floor or |
| Thunderstorms like these generally build when | | | | basement that has been reinforced with steel or |
| warm moist air is forced to rise over cooler or | | | | concrete to make it safe during strong winds, |
| drier air. Other conditions have to be right, but for | | | | collapsing roofs and walls, and from wind blown |
| the most part thunderstorm formation is fairly | | | | debris. |
| easy for meteorologists to forecast, although | | | | Expensive? Undoubtedly, but aren't you worth it? |
| estimating storm severity is not as easy, and the | | | | If you are in your vehicle when a tornado arrives |
| likelihood of a tornado is even more difficult to | | | | you have two choices. If traffic and roads allow, |
| predict. | | | | you can drive away from it - if possible take a |
| And here the forecasters have a dilemma. For | | | | few moments to assess the risks. |
| reasons of public safety, they must warn people | | | | If you can see the tornado, line it up with a fixed |
| if tornadoes and other forms of severe storm | | | | point such as a building or a tree. If it moves to |
| weather are possible. Possible is not certain, so | | | | the left or right the tornado is not heading |
| some forecasts turn out to be false alarms. | | | | towards you, but to be on the safe side, drive |
| But consider the alternative - no warnings are | | | | off in the opposite direction. |
| given until too late, and people die simply because | | | | If it doesn't appear to move, but does appear to |
| they have been given too little time to prepare. | | | | be growing larger, it is probably coming your way. |
| Preparing For Tornadoes | | | | Drive off to the side if possible. |
| The First thing to do when faced with any | | | | If you can't drive away from it or find secure |
| emergency is to be prepared in advance to take | | | | shelter, abandon your car, and lie flat on the |
| the most sensible action. | | | | lowest ground you can find - a roadside ditch |
| And Rule 2 is to treat all tornado watches and | | | | would be a good option. Cars can be death traps, |
| warnings seriously. | | | | and sheltering under bridges or overpasses is |
| So what's a tornado watch, and how is it | | | | very risky. |
| different from a warning? | | | | The same strategy applies if you are on foot - |
| A tornado watch defines an area where | | | | look for strong safe enclosed shelter first, or a |
| tornadoes and other kinds of severe weather are | | | | low point on the ground if that is not available. |
| possible in the next few hours. It does not mean | | | | Keep all these in mind and your chances of |
| tornadoes will form - just that you need to be | | | | survival are good. Deaths in tornadoes are mostly |
| alert, and to be prepared to find safe shelter if | | | | caused by building collapse, vehicles overturning or |
| they do. | | | | becoming airborne, and flying debris. |
| A tornado warning, issued by the local National | | | | So have a plan, and keep your weather radio |
| Weather Service office, means that a tornado | | | | handy and charged up, and there's every reason |
| has been spotted, or that Doppler radar indicates | | | | to believe you'll make it through to the next |
| a thunderstorm acting in a way which can spawn | | | | tornado season. |
| a tornado. When a tornado warning is issued for | | | | |