Emergency Management
Learn About Tornados
Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms - they can devastate an area in seconds.
A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud, striking the ground with whirling winds of up to 200 miles per hour. A tornado spins like a top and may sound like an airplane or train. Most tornadoes travel a distance of about 10 miles, although "tornado tracks" of 200 miles have been reported. tornadoes can happen just about anywhere in the United States.
Safety Messages for Kids
"Wherever you are, if you hear or see a tornado coming, take cover right away."
"If you're in a house or apartment building, go to the basement or storm cellar. If there is no basement, go to the middle section of the building on the lowest level - and go into a bathroom or closet, if possible."
"Get under something sturdy, such as a heavy table, and stay there until the danger has passed. Use your arms and hands to protect your head from falling or flying objects."
"If you're outside, in a car or in a mobile home, go immediately to the basement of a nearby sturdy building. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in a low spot. Use your arms and hands to protect your head. If you hear or see water, move quickly to another spot."
Action Steps for Adults
With children, find some safe places in your home or classroom. Make sure these places are away from windows and heavy furniture that could tip over. Also, show children an example of a safe place outside.
Know the terms used on the radio or television that warn of possible approaching tornadoes:
Tornado Watch.
Weather conditions are right for tornadoes to develop. A watch does not necessarily mean a tornado will develop.
Tornado Warning.
A tornado has been sighted and is dangerous. This is the time to go to a safe place and listen to a battery-operated radio for instructions.
Find out what warning system is used in your community.
If you live in a single-family home in a tornado-prone area, find out how to reinforce an interior room on the lowest level of your home (such as the basement, storm cellar, bathroom or closet) to use as a shelter.
More Information....
Tornado Preparedness in Buildings
Tornado Preparedness in Daycares
Tornado Information for Kids
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