How To Avoid Tips For Tornado Activity

It's that time of the year for tornado activity to start rising with the March winds & April showers. Listed below are things to avoid, some safety tips, & a little history about tornadoes.

What Is A Tornado?

• It is the instability of the atmosphere & is associated with severe thunderstorms.
• There becomes an updraft & then the thunderstorm develops a rotational momentum & then falling of hail or rain occurs, then all of a sudden the rush of air tightens Thus causing rapid rotational movement creating what we call the TORNADO!
• Typical conditions occur during cold fronts but can develop behind cold fronts &/or in front of warm fronts. Basically, tornadoes are unpredictable......
• The peak season for tornadoes is Spring & early Summer. A bad time for the South is early Spring. They seem to hit more towards the middle & late afternoon part of the of the day.
• The United States ranks the highest for tornado activity with Australia following behind for major tornado storms.
• These are classified by using a "Fujita Scale" & determine the speed of the tornado & damage.....

Fujita Scale Chart:

Scale                   Wind Speed                   Damage

F0                         40-72                               Light

F1                         73-112                         Moderate

F2                        113-157                    Considerable

F3                        158-206                          Severe

F4                        207-260                      Devastating

F5                        261-318                        Incredible

If you look up in the sky & notice a funnel growing from the bottom of the cloud, well, it's time to prepare yourself for some tornado activity!

Did you know that the (NEXRAD) which is the U.S. National Network of Doppler Radars wasn't completed till 1996...........

Safety Tips

• Develop a tornado plan in case of emergency & practice it with your family & put it in place! Also, decide on a place to meet after the tornado has ended in case you do get seperated.....
• Have a tornado shelter built near your home. These are the best tips & a shelter will usually cost you around $2500 to $6000 depending on the size & etc....
• If you choose some other area for your storm shelter, it is recommended you place mattresses, thick blankets, & sleeping bags in the area of protection. Keep in mind, flying debris is very danderous & accounted for with most deaths from tornadoes.
• Keep a weather radio nearby..........
• Basements are very good places to go but a good bit of houses built more than 20 years ago do not have basements in most areas of the southland. However, a lot of new home constructions are starting to phase these in down south.
• Aways! Avoid being near windows, & other good places to choose quickly can be under a stairwell, bathroom, closet, & even bathtubs.
• The best thing to do is cover your head with both arms & lay face down & crouch as low as possible to the lowest part of the floor!
• Warning! if you live in a mobile home (trailer) even if it is tied down! Get Out! Your odds are much better running for a ditch to lay in or drain gutter. Just find a low place to lay in & cover your head with your face down! More people are killed in mobile homes....
• After, the tornado has finally passed & left it's damage, avoid fallen power lines, nails, broken glass, sharp objects, do not go into damaged houses, buildings, because these may still fall on you! Wait for the emergency personnel to arrive! Always, try to remain alert to your surrounding & stay calm! i know it sounds easier than done but this is the basics to survival in any catastrophe event......

How To Observe The Signs:

• Watch the cloud base & check for any strong or persistent rotation.
• Keep in mind! Not all tornadoes have funnels & if you see debri or dust whirling around, take cover!
• Typically, you will see rain or hail which usually appears to be blowing sideways! Very Strong!
• A continuous loud roaring noise like a train! Remember! Thunder fades in a few seconds!
• If you see a blue-green-white flash low to the ground, probably best to take cover!

Hope this hub was helpful! listed below are links to learn more about tornadoes & storm shelters.

Links About Tornadoes

http://climate.ok.gov/tornadosafety/

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html

http://www.tornadoproject.com/safety/safety.htm

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/tornadoguide.html

Links To Storm Shelters

http://www.tornadoproject.com/safety/shelters.htm

http://www.flatsafe.com/

http://www.shelters-of-texas.com/

http://stormsaferoom.com/

Thanks for stopping by........... Stay Safe!!!!!!!!!

Michael Gladden