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Risk Watch: Natural Disasters

Tornadoes
Know the Facts:
Although tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, they are more frequent in the United States. On average, 1,200 tornadoes cause 70 fatalities and 1,500 injuries nationwide each year.

Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year and most often strike between 3:00 P.M and 9:00 P.M. In the southern states, peak tornado season is March through May. In the northern states, peak tornado season is June through August.
 

Tornadoes icon
Tornadoes appear as rotating, funnel-shaped clouds that extend to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Tornadoes most often develop in warm, damp air systems that precede cold fronts moving eastward. Dark or greenish skies, wall clouds, large hail, and a loud train-like roar can be signs of impending tornadoes.
Wind direction illustration

Before a thunderstorm develops, a change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed with increasing height create an invisible, horizontal spinning effect in the loer atmosphere.

Rising air illustration

Rising air within the storm's updraft tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical.

Air rotation illustration

An area of rotation, 2-6 miles wide, now extends through much of the storm. Most tornadoes form within an area of strong rotation.


 
During a tornado crouch down, bend over, and cover your head and neck with your arms.
Safety Basics:
Funnel Cloud illustrationA tornado's path of destruction can be more than one mile wide and 50 miles long and can devastate a neighborhood in seconds. You may have little warning, so preparation and planning are key to reducing injuries. It's important to know what to do before, during, and after a tornado:

Before...

Know a safe place: Know the safe places at home, work and at school. Locate local shelters and be aware of the tornado risk in your county or parish.

  • Practice tornado drills at home and school.
  • Have a plan for how family members will contact one another during an emergency. Establish an out-of-area contact (such as a relative or family friend) who can coordinate family members' locations and information should you become separated. Make sure children learn the phone numbers and addresses, and know the emergency plans.
  • Prepare a family disaster supplies kit. Families with children should have each child create their own personal pack.

During...

During a tornado watch:
  • Remain inside, away from windows and doors.
  • Listen to the radio or TV. Keep a battery-operated radio or a NOAA Weather Radio.
  • Make sure your family disaster supplies kit is complete.
  • Be alert during a thunderstorm watch. Severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes. Being prepared will give you more time should the weather turn severe.
During a tornado warning:
Listen to the radio or TV for weather updates and instructions from local officials. Quick action and planning ahead can save your life! If you get caught in a tornado, know what to do: take shelter immediately; stay away from windows, corners, doors and outside walls; be aware of flying debris. Crouch on the floor near an interior wall or under a heavy object, such as a table. Bend over and place your arms on the back of your head and neck (which are injured more easily than other parts of your body).

When a tornado approaches, where you are determines the steps you should take:

  • In a house or small building: move to the basement or a storm shelter. If these aren't available, go to a lower-level interior room (such as a closet, bathroom, or interior hallway).
  • In a manufactured home: move to a shelter or other building with a strong foundation. If this isn't possible, lie flat in a ditch or another low-lying area at a safe distance from the manufactured home.
  • In a vehicle: get out of the vehicle, and go to a shelter. If no shelter is available, lie flat in a ditch or another low-lying area.
  • Outside: move inside a shelter or other building with a strong foundation. If no shelter is available, lie flat in a ditch or another low-lying area.
  • At school: children should follow their teachers' direction and the school's tornado emergency plan.

After...

Continue to listen to the news and weather updates. Stay away from power lines and broken glass. Be aware of the possibility of broken gas lines and chemical spills. If you smell gas or chemical fumes, immediately evacuate the area and contact authorities. Stay out of damaged buildings and return home only after authorities have issued an all-clear signal.

Date source: FEMA, NWS


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