Take shelter if you see signs of a tornado. [22], North of the equator, tornado generally travel between a northerly and easterly direction and cause the most damage on the southwest corner of buildings and that the north side and northeast corner of buildings were safest. Also, even if there is no tornado, severe thunderstorms can generate winds strong enough to cause major damage. Use your arms to protect your head and neck, FEMA says. NOAA.gov, 2010, web: A speed of 300 miles per hour is 300*5280 = 1,584,000 feet per 8 Normally, the shelter location is the lowest level of the facility, away from windows and doors. Many tornadoes are wrapped in heavy precipitation and can't be seen. Remember, there is no such thing as guaranteed safety from a tornado. Online maps and weather sources can be valuable, but if the power is out, it helps to have paper maps. Take shelter immediately during a tornado warning. E)XN""Gm'8`2$S'YNHI6$7JvgA_& XP@\j(WVJ$k(6r$DK"! Tornado warnings are issued 13 minutes before the storm hits on average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). State of Georgia government websites and email systems use georgia.gov or ga.gov at the end of the address. Most tornadoes are actually much weaker, and can be survived using these safety ideas Prevention and practice before the storm: well-coordinated drills. Protect your head and neck with an object or with your arms. Will you know if your children are safe? Each school should be inspected and tornado shelter areas designated by a registered engineer or architect. [2] Also, some tornadoes have been seen against sunlit areas, but rain or nearby low-hanging clouds has obscured other tornadoes. Tornado Drill Information On Friday, April 12, two tornado drills will be conducted. If youre unable to make it to a safe shelter, either get down in your vehicle and cover your head and neck or leave your vehicle and seek shelter in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine. Keep everyone out of damaged parts of the school; chunks of debris or even that whole section of the building may fall down. NOAA. Continuous Tone), or a voice announcement. Preparedness involves knowing the major dangers to avoid. Avoid areas with many trees. Stay away Signs that a tornado may be approaching include, Loud roar that sounds like a freight train, Keep tuned to local radio and TV stations, a. Tornado drill - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Go to the interior hall or windowless room in an orderly Lunches or assemblies in large rooms should be postponed if severe weather The preparedness information in this brochure, combined with timely severe weather watches and warnings, could save your life in the event a tornado threatens your area. Basements offer the best protection. This is usually a room deep inside the . The fourth step is to practice your plan with your household. Have everyone go to your safe place as quickly as possible. 541 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<9FC5AFC4CE9BCB47A16F476D0C59A7CC>]/Index[522 34]/Info 521 0 R/Length 103/Prev 335649/Root 523 0 R/Size 556/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream "What to do Before a Tornado", Upon receiving the signal, building occupants of schools, hospitals, factories, shopping centers, etc. quickly as possible to an interior bathroom, storage room or other small enclosed area, away from windows. . NWS from power lines and puddles with wires in them; they may still be carrying electricity! For example, in rural areas, people might prepare to enter an external storm cellar, in case the main building collapses, and thereby allow exit without needing rescue from the main building as in urban areas. Some states, including Virginia, conduct an annual statewide tornado drill. They were advised to not stay under an overpass or bridge (where winds or debris might be funneled). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Others who did not flee the Moore tornado were also killed because the buildings they were hiding in were completely destroyed, highlighting the need for storm shelters and safe rooms constructed specifically to withstand very high winds.[15]. If you are caught by extreme winds or flying debris, park the car as quickly and safely as possible -- out of the traffic lanes. Storm cellars or basements provide the best protection. PDF 10 TIPS FOR KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE IN A TORNADO - Save The Children USA [11] Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. What would you do if basic services - water, gas, electricity or telephones - were cut off? [11] When a mobile home begins to roll, people have been injured by hitting objects inside, or being crushed when a trailer suddenly hits the ground and begins to collapse around them. When developing your plan, keep in mind certain factors, such as the different ages of family members, your pets or service animals, the dietary and medical needs of your household members including prescriptions and equipment. If youre outside and a tornado is approaching, get into a ditch or gully. Interior stairwells are usually NWS What should go into a successful tornado drill for your family, business. The NWS Houston/Galveston Forecast Office encourages schools to conduct tornado drills at least twice during the school year. Replace stored water and food every six months. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends following a four-step plan for preparing your family in case a disaster strikes. PDF Tornado Drill for Schools - National Weather Service If possible, lie flat and cover your head with your arms. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. . Go to one of those shelters, or to a nearby permanent structure, using your tornado evacuation plan. Get as far away from trees and cars as you can; they may be blown onto you in a tornado. tornado drill or warning, they should be instructed to respond to a specific command . [11] If a car is flipped by high winds, there is also the danger of broken glass. Ideally, the lowest possible level is the safest. Our teachers, throughout the year, will do a practice tornado drill," said Myers, a 5th grader who sat . Having a first aid kit in the safe haven is advised to help victims recover from minor injuries. Strong, persistent rotation in the cloud base. Students should face an interior wall, with knees and el- bows on the ground, and hands over the back of their head. The safest place in a tornado is in the interior part of a basement. Source: National Weather Service, Experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The elderly, very young, and the physically or mentally impaired, People who may not understand the warning due to a language barrier. PDF Tornado Safety Drill Checklist - ISRI hbbd```b``3df/Hm i:"#\$2I[_,RS f`v 1 0 obj During a drill Announce the start of the tornado drill and inform participants that they should act as though a tornado warning has been issued. to direct all the kids and staff down into safe areas in an organized manner. Know where you can take shelter in a matter of seconds, and practice a family tornado drill at least once a year. In an office building, hospital, nursing home or skyscraper:Go directly to an enclosed, windowless Year To Date Plots NOAA weather radios and broadcast stations then transmit a test message alerting citizens to take cover and rehearse their tornado emergency plan. Portable classrooms are most often constructed like mobile homes; and they are just as dangerous. DANGER - GYMS and AUDITORIUMS: Large, open-span areas, such as gymnasiums, auditoriums and most lunchrooms, can be very dangerous even in weak tornadoes, and should not be used for sheltering people. During a tornado, people face hazards from extremely high winds and risk being struck by flying and falling objects. Where will your family be when disaster strikes? Social Media Dashboard D5m W{Yo:qEgN.ec~"'Q0EYuR+X8#E YXV!CSHqR]tl8_Sb`t,b@'5Csie~?? %lf\/GJ6xacTr] TEqIec`r(1G9h"@9w3p`@0$8s4g=Whnb& During the Tornado Drill Announce the start of the drill by using a public address system or having designated volunteers alert staff by phone or radio. still includes some warnings with NO lead time, or just a minute or Watch your step to avoid broken Disasters may force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. Practice and maintain your plan. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries.[11]. [2] Tornadoes have varied in strength, and some tornadoes have been mostly invisible due to a lack of loose dirt or debris in the funnel cloud. Please Contact Us. South of the equator, the south side and the southeast corner were safest.[23][24][25]. Tornadoes can touch down rapidly, leaving a limited time to react. Florida statewide tornado drill: NWS to alert using NOAA weather radio If you are in a building with no basement, then get to a small interior room on the lowest level. For example, the idea of a relatively safe hallway becomes invalid if the hall is lined with plate glass, or if it has windows to the outdoors. SECONDS COUNT. Upon seeing an approaching storm or noticing any of the danger signs, they were advised to prepare to take shelter immediately,[2] such as moving to a safe room, internal stairway, or other safe-haven area. Tornado drills (also known as severe weather drills) are an important element in tornado preparedness. Stay away from windows and dont go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gyms, or auditoriums. Hallways can turn into wind tunnels filled with flying glass and other dangerous objects. For added protection, get under something sturdy such as a heavy table or workbench. What is my family/household communication plan? After you have received the warning or observed threatening skies, YOU must make the decision to seek shelter before the storm arrives. Practicing what to do helps reduce the time it takes to respond in a true emergency. Season Snowfall Maps head with your arms. NOTE: The All Hazards Outdoor Emergency Warning Sirens are not designed to notify people inside a building. Crouch low, head down, and protect the back of your head 'pn: Lpxg aL- OJ_Cu ,Y/\(nu_ f3g'0M0R.0N01_&NQ/LFK9@N|;E' Statewide tornado drill held Wednesday morning - WITN You know our fire drills, our tornado drills, our earthquake and hurricane drills, but we try to make it as real as it can be." Both principals believe these drills are are a priority to. Even in an interior room, you should cover yourself %%EOF Children are safer at school than in a bus or car. Severe Weather Awareness Week and Tornado Drill | VDEM How will the drill be sent? Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Injuries sustained during a tornado vary in nature and in severity. Tornadoes typically occur along the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. Have a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning alarm tone and battery back-up to receive warnings. Practice tornado drills. This safety drill is an important element of tornado preparedness. Please select one of the following: Map of NOAA Weather Radio stations across Michigan. Blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen are also injuries obtained following a tornado, but only account for less than 10% of overall injuries.[26]. PDF Tornado Safety and Preparedness - Ohio Depending on location, various safe-haven areas have been prepared. <>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 11 0 R 12 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>>