Practical Safety Tips when tornado hits

The tornado that killed 24 people, injured 377 people, and damaged about 12,000 homes in Moore, Oklahoma on May 20, brought about a big buzz, not only in the United States, but in the whole world.

According to disaster modeling company Eqecat, Moore tornado is “the most powerful of a spate of 76 twisters that touched down in 10 states from May 18 to May 20”.

Many asked, “what went wrong?”

Five days prior to the Moore tornado occurrence, a heightened risk of severe weather across Oklahoma was issued by the Storm Prediction Center; sixteen minutes before the first twister dropped and thirty minutes before it hit Moore, a tornado warning was likewise issued.

TV meteorologists also warned schools, neighborhoods, and businesses in the twister’s path to take extra precautions. Warning systems worked, and saved hundreds or even thousands of lives, but some students from an elementary school died, and people from nearby areas were left injured and killed.

Storm Prediction Center of Oklahoma believe that the first step in order to avoid the adversity that happened in Moore, Oklahoma, is to equip people with useful knowledge about various tornado signs.

Thunderstorms often occur, but the good thing is only a few of them create tornadoes. Still, experts and officials strongly recommend people to be wary about it.

Here are some signs that a tornado is fast-approaching:

• strong rotation visible in the cloud base
• greenish, dark sky
• large high wall of clouds
• large hail
• a visible funnel shaped cloud
• a loud roaring sound, stronger than the consistent wind
• very calm wind during an ongoing storm
• small, bright flashes at ground level under a thunderstorm in the distance could be a tornado snapping power lines

Tornado zone

Moore in Oklahoma is considered as a tornado zone, so residents there, are always at risk of being struck by a disaster.

Meteorologists advised people to transfer to a place where tornadoes occurrence is low.

But in the event that one can’t really leave their homes, there are certain ways to improve these odds.

Home construction safety tips

• extra fasteners for roof decking to hold against strong winds
• special connector clips between roof trusses and walls
• design good roof angles to minimize wind effects
• anchor the house to its foundation
• situate your house to use natural barriers such as hills and trees
• build a storm shelter or strengthened safe roo

Disaster Preparedness

After tornado-proofing your home, it is now time to prepare all the members of the family. Here are some tips that can be of great help.

1. Devise a family plan and put it into practice.
2. The location of the ‘tornado shelter’ in your home should be properly identified.
3. Never put heavy furniture or appliances on the floor directly above your shelter location.
4. Determine a meeting place where absent family members can check in after the disaster.
5. Be aware of the location of various community tornado shelters.
6. Tools, outdoor furniture and toys should be placed in a sturdy shed or garage.

Safety Tips amidst a tornado occurrence

If the tornado is right in front of your area already, here are some safety tips you can consider.

• Go out of a mobile home and seek for assistance outside.
• Get an emergency kit for your family.
• Proceed to a place in your house where you can be safe, like your room or shelter.
• Crouch down, face down.
• In order to protect yourself from debris and glass, cover yourself with a mattress or thick blanket.
• The simplest tip during tornado occurrence: Using your arms, cover your head.
• Be patient and wait.

While riding in a vehicle towards the direction of the tornado, these are some safety precautions you should follow:

• Deviate from the traffic lanes quickly.
• Take note of this fact about tornado directions: “If the tornado is a ways away, take some time to monitor it to see if it is coming right at you or angling to your right or left. If it appears to be standing still but possibly growing larger, then it is coming right at you and you need to drive out of its path. If it is moving to left or right, then you should move the opposite direction or keep monitoring.”
• Ensure that vehicle emergency kit is handy with you.
• Search for a shelter in a well-built building.
• Never stay inside your car.
• Do not stay under a bridge or overpass.
• In the event that you are outside, and there are no possible means to reach shelter, here are solutions that you can put into use.
• Stay away from cars, trees, and other large objects that may be blown onto you.
• Look for low ground and not hilltops.

Practical safety tips: “Lie flat face down and cross your forearms over the back of your head for protection against flying debris.”

Safety Tips after tornado occurrence

You still need to take extra precautions even after tornado occurrence. Here are some helpful tips.

• Secure your family by bringing them in a safe place.
• Check your surroundings for hazards.
• Help those in need by giving them first aid.
• In case of system damage, shut off gas, electricity, and water.
• To avoid electric shock, stay away from wires and standing water.
• Watch when you walk to avoid contact with sharp debris, glass, and nails.
• Keep away from buildings that are not structurally sound.
• Do not use candles to avoid gas leaks; instead, use flashlights.
• To be updated with news, use your radio.
• Find available resources and determine your next steps.
• When you find puncture wounds or small cuts, clean and treat it right away.
• In the event that you need to call emergency lines, make use of your cellphone.
• Communicate with your insurance representative immediately.
• Make sure that all your insurance documents are secured.
• Finally, make minor repairs to your house, if it is already safe.