Tornado Safety Tips

August 22, 2016

When it comes to tornadoes, there’s no substitute for advance planning. Storms that produce tornadoes can develop quickly and even though this is not peak season for tornadoes, events that happened like last week can happen at any time. It’s important for you and your family to know exactly what to do before and during a tornado. Here are some helpful tips.

Before a Tornado Strikes

  • Create a family tornado plan including where you will seek shelter when a tornado warning is given and where you will meet after the disaster in case you get separated. Practice your family’s tornado plan at least once per year.
  • Gather items that can protect you such as mattresses, sleeping bags, and thick blankets and place them near your shelter area.
  • When the National Weather Service issues a tornado watch, go to your shelter area and check to see that everything you need for protection is there.
  • Gather bottled water, non-perishable food items, flashlights and a battery-operated radio.
  • Keep an ear to the radio or television and listen for storm status updates, and stay alert for warnings.

Signs of a Tornado
In addition to listening to weather reports, the following signs may indicate a tornado is near:

  • Strong, persistent rotations at a cloud’s base
  • Whirling dust or debris
  • Hail or heavy rain, followed by a dead calm or intense wind shift
  • Loud rumbles of noise that do not fade away in seconds like thunder

During a Tornado

  • Go to the basement or lowest level of your home, get under a sturdy structure, such as a table, and then cover yourself with protective materials. If your home does not have a basement, go to a small, central space such as bathroom, closet, under a stairwell or a hallway with no windows. Then, crouch down to the floor, face down and cover your head with your hands.
  • If you live in a mobile home, leave your house and seek shelter. If there is nowhere else to go, lie flat on the ground and cover your head with your hands.

Does your insurance policy properly cover you in the event of a tornado?

For more information or to discuss your policy, contact Brenda Parker or a Shepherd Insurance agent at one of our offices nearest you.

 

Source: Zywave, Inc.