Warning Tornado | How to Prepare, Worst place to be and Stay Safe
- How to prepare and stay safe during Tornado
- What to do During a Tornado at Home
- Safest place to be during a tornado if you don’t have a basement
- What is one of the worst places to take shelter if you are on the highway during a tornado
Top 10 tornado safety tips
1. Have a tornado emergency plan in place: Know the safest areas of your home or workplace where you can take shelter during a tornado. Practice drills regularly.
2. Stay informed about potential tornadoes: Listen to local news or weather radio for updates and alerts. Sign up for weather alerts on your smartphone.
3. Identify a safe room: Choose an interior room on the lowest level of your home, away from windows. Ideally, a basement or storm cellar is the safest.
4. Seek shelter in a small, windowless, and sturdy room: If you don’t have a safe room, go to a small interior room like a bathroom or closet. Put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible.
5. Cover yourself with cushions or mattresses: Use whatever you have available to protect yourself from flying debris. Get under a sturdy piece of furniture if possible.
6. Stay away from windows and exterior walls: Flying debris is a significant danger during tornadoes. Protect yourself by staying away from windows and exterior walls.
7. Avoid mobile homes and vehicles: They provide little protection against tornadoes. If you’re in a mobile home, seek shelter in a nearby sturdy building or lie in a low-lying area away from your home.
8. Do not try to outrun a tornado: Tornadoes can move quickly and change direction unexpectedly. It is not safe to try and outrun a tornado in a vehicle. Find shelter immediately.
9. Stay low to the ground: If you’re caught outside with no shelter nearby, lie flat in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Cover your head with your hands to protect against flying debris.
10. Prepare an emergency kit: Keep a kit with essential supplies like water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, and a portable weather radio in case of a tornado emergency.
How to prepare and stay safe
According to ECCC, if you hear a roaring sound or see a funnel cloud, swirling debris near the ground, flying debris, or any threatening weather approaching, take shelter immediately.
Vaswani says a green sky could also be an indication of an imminent tornado.
“You want to head indoors immediately,” she said.
People should get to the lowest possible level of their home, preferably a basement, and keep away from windows and sharp objects. A fully enclosed space, such as a bathtub, can also provide some protection.
While a vehicle is not an ideal place to be during a tornado, if you do find yourself in that situation, keep low and hunker down in your vehicle, Vaswani says. Check out tornado in ottawa and other places warning alert.
What to do During Tornado at Home
During a tornado, it’s important to take immediate action to protect yourself and your family. Follow these steps to stay safe at home during a tornado:
1. Move to a safe location: Go to the lowest level of your home, such as a basement or storm cellar. If you don’t have a basement, go to a small, windowless interior room on the lowest floor, such as a bathroom or a closet.
2. Protect yourself: Get under a sturdy piece of furniture, such as a heavy table or workbench, to protect yourself from debris. Cover yourself with a mattress or heavy blankets to provide additional protection.
3. Stay away from windows: Avoid windows and glass, as they can shatter during a tornado and cause injury.
4. Listen to updates: Stay tuned to a reliable weather source, such as a battery-powered weather radio or your smartphone, for updates on the tornado’s progress and when it’s safe to come out.
5. Stay inside: Do not leave your safe location until the tornado has passed and you’ve received confirmation that it’s safe to do so. It’s important to avoid going outside during a tornado, as flying debris can be very dangerous.
6. Prepare for power outages: Have a flashlight and extra batteries handy in case
Safest place to be during a tornado if you don’t have a basement
1. Interior bathroom: If your bathroom is located on the first floor, it can be a safe place during a tornado. Get in the bathtub and cover yourself with a mattress, heavy blankets, or a mattress pad to protect yourself from flying debris.
2. Interior closet: A small, windowless closet on the ground floor can serve as a safe spot. Crouch down and cover yourself with a mattress, sleeping bags, or thick blankets.
3. Under a sturdy piece of furniture: If you have a heavy table or desk, get underneath it for added protection. Cover yourself with cushions, pillows, or a mattress to reduce the risk of injury from debris.
4. Hallway: If there are no windows and the hallway is on the ground floor, it can be a relatively safe place to take shelter. Again, covering yourself with a mattress or heavy blankets can provide additional protection.
Remember, staying away from windows is crucial during a tornado. Always ensure that your chosen safe place is as interior-facing and as low to the ground as possible. Additionally
What is one of the worst places to take shelter if you are on the highway during a tornado
One of the worst places to take shelter if you are on the highway during a tornado is under a highway overpass or bridge.
Contrary to popular belief, seeking shelter under an overpass is not a safe option during a tornado.
The overpass can create a wind tunnel effect, and strong winds can actually be intensified beneath it, leading to a higher risk of injury or being swept away by the tornado.
Instead, it is better to leave the highway and seek shelter in a sturdy building or lie flat in a low-lying area away from your vehicle, such as a ditch, while covering your head and neck with your hands and arms.
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