Stay Tuned for Storm Watches and Warnings

Local Warning System

Learn about the tornado warning system of your county or locality. Most tornado-prone areas have a siren system. Know how to distinguish between the siren's warnings for a tornado watch and a tornado warning.

A tornado watch is issued when weather conditions favor the formation of tornadoes, for example, during a severe thunderstorm.

During a tornado watch, Stay tuned to local radio and TV stations or a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio for further weather information. Watch the weather and be prepared to take shelter immediately if conditions worsen. A tornado warning is issued when a tornado funnel is sighted or indicated by weather radar. You should take shelter immediately. Thunderstorms Because tornadoes often accompany thunderstorms, pay close attention to changing weather conditions when there is a severe thunderstorm watch or warning. A severe thunderstorm watch means severe thunderstorms are possible in your area. A severe thunderstorm warning means severe thunderstorms are occurring in your area.

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Keep fresh batteries and a battery-powered radio or TV on hand. Electrical power is often interrupted during thunderstorms--just when information about weather warnings is most needed.

Important Measures To Take

• Take a few minutes with your family to develop a tornado emergency plan. Sketch a floor plan of where you live, or walk through each room and discuss where and how to seek shelter.
• Show a second way to exit from each room or area. If you need special equipment, such as a rope ladder, mark where it is located.
• Make sure everyone understands the siren warning system, if there's such a system in your area.
• Mark where your first-aid kit and fire extinguishers are located.
• Mark where the utility switches or valves are located so they can be turned off--if time permits--in an emergency.
• Teach your family how to administer basic first aid, how to use a fire extinguisher, and how and when to turn off water, gas, and electricity in your home.
• Learn the emergency dismissal policy for your child's school.
• Make sure your children know--
  • What a tornado is
  • What tornado watches and warnings are
  • What county or parish they live in (warnings are issued by county or parish)
  • How to take shelter, whether at home or at school.

Extra Measures for People with Special Needs

• Write down your specific needs, limitations, capabilities, and medications. Keep this list near you always--perhaps in your purse or wallet.
• Find someone nearby (a spouse, roommate, friend, neighbor, relative, or co-worker) who will agree to assist you in case of an emergency. Give him or her a copy of your list. You may also want to provide a spare key to your home, or directions to find a key.
• Keep aware of weather conditions through whatever means are accessible to you. Some options are closed captioning or scrolled warnings on TV, radio bulletins, or call-in weather information lines.

Practicing Your Emergency Plan

Conduct drills and ask questions to make sure your family remembers information on tornado safety, particularly how to recognize hazardous weather conditions and how to take shelter.

Write Down Important Information

Make a list of important information. Include these on your list:

• Important telephone numbers, such as emergency (police and fire), paramedics, and medical centers.

• Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of your insurance agents, including policy types and numbers.

• Telephone numbers of the electric, gas, and water companies.

• Names and telephone numbers of neighbors.

• Name and telephone number of your landlord or property manager.

• Important medical information (for example, allergies, regular medications, and brief medical history).

• Year, model, license, and identification numbers of your vehicles (automobiles, boats, and RVs).

• Bank's or credit union's telephone number, and your account numbers.

• Radio and television broadcast stations to tune to for emergency broadcast information.

Storing Important Documents

Store the following documents in a fire- and water-proof safe:

• Birth certificates
• Ownership certificates (autos, boats, etc.)
• Social security cards
• Insurance policies
• Will
• Household inventory
  • List of contents of household; include serial numbers, if applicable
  • Photographs or videotape of contents of every room
  • Photographs of items of high values, such as jewelry, paintings, collection items

Health Issues

A well stocked first aid kit is a good idea to have even without a disaster. Here are some suggestions for what to stock and have available. Be sure everyone in your household knows where these first aid supplies are kept.

Store your first aid supplies in a tool box or fishing tackle box so they will be easy to carry and be protected from water. Inspect your kit regularly and keep it freshly stocked.

Reducing Household Hazards

Securing Your Home's Structure

No home is completely safe in a tornado. However, attention to construction details can reduce damage and provide better protection for you and your family if a tornado should strike your house. If an inspection using the "Home Inspection Checklist" reveals a possible hazard in the way your home is constructed, contact your local city or county building inspectors for more information about structural safety. They may also offer suggestions on finding a qualified contractor to do any needed work for you.

Walls and Roof Rafters

Strengthen the areas of connection between the wall studs and roof rafters with hurricane clips as shown in the above graphic.

Shutting Off Utilities

Gas

After a tornado, DO NOT USE matches, lighters, or appliances, or operate light switches until you are sure there are no gas leaks. Sparks from electrical switches could ignite gas and cause an explosion.

If you smell the odor of gas or if you notice a large consumption of gas being registered on the gas meter, shut off the gas immediately. First, find the main shut-off valve located on a pipe next to the gas meter. Use an adjustable wrench to turn the valve to the "off" position.

Electricity

After a major disaster, shut off the electricity. Sparks from electrical switches could ignite leaking gas and cause an explosion.

Water

• Water may be turned off at either of two locations:
  1. At the main meter, which controls the water flow to the entire property.
  2. At the water main leading into the home. If you may need an emergency source of fresh water, it is better to shut off your water here, because it will conserve the water in your water heater.
• Attach a valve wrench to the water line. (This tool can be purchased at most hardware stores.)
• Label the water mains for quick identification.

Arranging and Securing Household Items

• Arrange furniture so that chairs and beds are away from windows, mirrors, and picture frames.

• Place heavy or large items on lower shelves.

• Secure your large appliances, especially your water heater, with flexible cable, braided wire, or metal strapping.

• Identify top-heavy, free-standing furniture, such as bookcases and china cabinets, that could topple over.

• Secure your furniture by using one of two methods.

1. "L" brackets, corner brackets, or aluminum molding, to attach tall or top-heavy furniture to the wall.

2. Eyebolts, to secure items located a short distance from the wall.

• Install sliding bolts or childproof latches on all cabinet doors.

• Store all hazardous materials such as poisons and solvents--
  • in a sturdy, latched or locked cabinet
  • in a well-ventilated area
  • away from emergency food or water supplies

Signs of an Approaching Storm

Some tornadoes strike rapidly, without time for a tornado warning, and sometimes without a thunderstorm in the vicinity. When you are watching for rapidly emerging tornadoes, it is important to know that you cannot depend on seeing a funnel: clouds or rain may block your view. The following weather signs may mean that a tornado is approaching: A dark or green-colored sky. A large, dark, low-lying cloud. Large hail. A loud roar that sounds like a freight train.

If you notice any of these weather conditions, take cover immediately, and keep tuned to local radio and TV stations or to a NOAA weather radio.

Sighting a Funnel Cloud

Taking Shelter

Your family could be anywhere when a tornado strikes--at home, at work, at school, or in the car. Discuss with your family where the best tornado shelters are and how family members can protect themselves from flying and falling debris.

The key to surviving a tornado and reducing the risk of injury lies in planning, preparing, and practicing what you and your family will do if a tornado strikes. Flying debris causes most deaths and injuries during a tornado. Although there is no completely safe place during a tornado, some locations are much safer than others.

At Home

Pick a place in the home where family members can gather if a tornado is headed your way. One basic rule is AVOID WINDOWS. An exploding window can injure or kill.

The safest place in the home is the interior part of a basement. If there is no basement, go to an inside room, without windows, on the lowest floor. This could be a center hallway, bathroom, or closet.

For added protection, get under something sturdy such as a heavy table or workbench. If possible, cover your body with a blanket, sleeping bag, or mattress, and protect your head with anything available--even your hands. Avoid taking shelter where there are heavy objects, such as pianos or refrigerators, on the area of floor that is directly above you. They could fall though the floor if the tornado strikes your house.

In a Mobile Home

DO NOT STAY IN A MOBILE HOME DURING A TORNADO. Mobile homes can turn over during strong winds. Even mobile homes with a tie-down system cannot withstand the force of tornado winds.

Plan ahead. If you live in a mobile home, go to a nearby building, preferably one with a basement. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine, or culvert and shield your head with your hands.

If you live in a tornado-prone area, encourage your mobile home community to build a tornado shelter.

On the Road

The least desirable place to be during a tornado is in a motor vehicle. Cars, buses, and trucks are easily tossed by tornado winds.

DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO IN YOUR CAR. If you see a tornado, stop your vehicle and get out. Do not get under your vehicle. Follow the directions for seeking shelter outdoors (see next section).

Outdoors

If you are caught outside during a tornado and there is no adequate shelter immediately available--

• Avoid areas with many trees.
• Avoid vehicles.
• Lie down flat in a gully, ditch, or low spot on the ground.
• Protect your head with an object or with your arms.

Long-Span Buildings

A long-span building, such as a shopping mall, theater, or gymnasium, is especially dangerous because the roof structure is usually supported solely by the outside walls. Most such buildings hit by tornados cannot withstand the enormous pressure. They simply collapse.

If you are in a long-span building during a tornado, stay away from windows. Get to the lowest level of the building--the basement if possible--and away from the windows.

If there is no time to get to a tornado shelter or to a lower level, try to get under a door frame or get up against something that will support or deflect falling debris. For instance, in a department store, get up against heavy shelving or counters. In a theater, get under the seats. Remember to protect your head.

Office Buildings, Schools, Hospitals, Churches, and Other Public Buildings

Extra care is required in offices, schools, hospitals, or any building where a large group of people is concentrated in a small area. The exterior walls of such buildings often have large windows.

If you are in any of these buildings--

• Move away from windows and glass doorways.
• Go to the innermost part of the building on the lowest possible floor.
• Do not use elevators because the power may fail, leaving you trapped.
• Protect your head and make yourself as small a target as possible by crouching down.

Shelter for People with Special Needs

Advance planning is especially important if you require assistance to reach shelter from an approaching storm (see specific instructions in the next section).

• If you are in a wheelchair, get away from windows and go to an interior room of the house. If possible, seek shelter under a sturdy table or desk. Do cover your head with anything available, even your hands.

• If you are unable to move from a bed or a chair and assistance is not available, protect yourself from falling objects by covering up with blankets and pillows.

• If you are outside and a tornado is approaching, get into a ditch or gully. If possible, lie flat and cover your head with your arms.

Injury may result from the direct impact of a tornado, or it may occur afterward when people walk among debris and enter damaged buildings. A study of injuries after a tornado in Marion, Illinois, showed that 50 percent of the tornado-related injuries were suffered during rescue attempts, cleanup, and other post-tornado activities. Nearly a third of the injuries resulted from stepping on nails. Other common causes of injury included falling objects and heavy, rolling objects. Because tornadoes often damage power lines, gas lines, or electrical systems, there is a risk of fire, electrocution, or an explosion. Protecting yourself and your family requires promptly treating any injuries suffered during the storm and using extreme care to avoid further hazards.

Injuries

General Safety Precautions

• Continue to monitor your battery-powered radio or television for emergency information.

• Be careful when entering any structure that has been damaged.

• Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves, and gloves when handling or walking on or near debris.

• Be aware of hazards from exposed nails and broken glass.

• Do not touch downed power lines or objects in contact with downed lines. Report electrical hazards to the police and the utility company.

• Use battery-powered lanterns, if possible, rather than candles to light homes without electrical power. If you use candles, make sure they are in safe holders away from curtains, paper, wood, or other flammable items. Never leave a candle burning when you are out of the room.

• Never use generators, pressure washers, grills, camp stoves, or other gasoline, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, basement, garage, or camper—or even outside near an open window, door, or vent. Carbon monoxide (CO)--an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if you breathe it--from these sources can build up in your home, garage, or camper and poison the people and animals inside. Seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseated.

• Hang up displaced telephone receivers that may have been knocked off by the tornado, but stay off the telephone, except to report an emergency.

• Cooperate fully with public safety officials.

• Respond to requests for volunteer assistance by police, fire fighters, emergency management, and relief organizations, but do not go into damaged areas unless assistance has been requested. Your presence could hamper relief efforts, and you could endanger yourself.

Inspecting the Damage

• After a tornado, be aware of possible structural, electrical, or gas-leak hazards in your home. Contact your local city or county building inspectors for information on structural safety codes and standards. They may also offer suggestions on finding a qualified contractor to do work for you.

• In general, if you suspect any damage to your home, shut off electrical power, natural gas, and propane tanks to avoid fire, electrocution, or explosions.

• If it is dark when you are inspecting your home, use a flashlight rather than a candle or torch to avoid the risk of fire or explosion in a damaged home.

• If you see frayed wiring or sparks, or if there is an odor of something burning, you should immediately shut off the electrical system at the main circuit breaker if you have not done so already.

• If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open all windows, and leave the house immediately. Notify the gas company, the police or fire departments, or State Fire Marshal's office, and do not turn on the lights, light matches, smoke, or do anything that could cause a spark. Do not return to your house until you are told it is safe to do so.

Safety During Clean Up

• Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves, and gloves.

• Learn proper safety procedures and operating instructions before operating any gas-powered or electric-powered saws or tools.

• Clean up spilled medicines, drugs, flammable liquids, and other potentially hazardous materials.

Children's Needs

Children will be less likely to experience prolonged fear or anxiety if they know what to expect after a tornado. Here are some suggestions: Talk about your own experiences with severe storms, or read aloud a book about tornadoes. Encourage your child to express feelings of fear. Listen carefully and show understanding. Offer reassurance. Tell your child that the situation is not permanent, and provide physical reassurance through time spent together and displays of affection. Include your child in clean-up activities. It is comforting to children to watch the household begin to return to normal and to have a job to do.

NOTE: Symptoms of anxiety may not appear for weeks or even months after a tornado; they can affect people of any age. If anxiety disrupts daily activities for any member of your family, seek professional assistance through a school counselor, community religious organization, your physician, or a licensed professional. Counselors are listed under Mental Health Services in the yellow pages of your telephone directory.

Protect Yourself from Mold

Recognizing Mold

You may recognize mold by:

• Sight (Are the walls and ceiling discolored, or do they show signs of mold growth or water damage?)
• Smell (Do you smell a bad odor, such as a musty, earthy smell or a foul stench?)

After natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, excess moisture and standing water contribute to the growth of mold in homes and other buildings. When returning to a home that has been flooded, be aware that mold may be present and may be a health risk for your family.

• Clean up and dry out the building quickly (within 24 to 48 hours).
• Open doors and windows. Use fans to dry out the building.
• When in doubt, take it out!
• To prevent mold growth, clean wet items and surfaces with detergent and water.
• To remove mold growth, wear rubber gloves, open windows and doors, and clean with a bleach solution of 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water.
• Throw away porous items that cannot be dried quickly or that have been wet for more than 48 hours. These items can remain a source of mold growth and should be removed from the home. Porous, noncleanable items include carpeting and carpet padding, upholstery, wallpaper, drywall, floor and ceiling tiles, insulation material, some clothing, leather, paper, wood, and food.
• Removal and cleaning are important because even dead mold may cause allergic reactions in some people.
• If there is mold growth in your home, you should clean up the mold and fix any water problem, such as leaks in roofs, walls, or plumbing.
• Controlling moisture in your home is the most critical factor for preventing mold growth.
• Homeowners may want to temporarily store items outside of the home until insurance claims can be filed. See recommendations by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
• If you wish to disinfect, refer to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) document, A Brief Guide to Mold and Moisture in Your Home.

To remove mold growth from hard surfaces use commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Use a stiff brush on rough surface materials such as concrete.

If you choose to use bleach to remove mold: Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners. Mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaning products will produce dangerous, toxic fumes Open windows and doors to provide fresh air. Wear non-porous gloves and protective eye wear. If the area to be cleaned is more than 10 square feet, consult the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guide titled Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings. Although focused on schools and commercial buildings, this document also applies to other building types. You can get it free by calling the EPA Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse at (800) 438-4318. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using bleach or any other cleaning product. More information on personal safety while cleaning up after a natural disaster. If you plan to be inside the building for a while or you plan to clean up mold, you should buy an N95 mask at your local home supply store and wear it while in the building. Make certain that you follow instructions on the package for fitting the mask tightly to your face. If you go back into the building for a short time and are not cleaning up mold, you do not need to wear an N95 mask. 3M 8210Plus Particulate Respirator N95, 20-Pack

People at Greatest Risk from Mold

People with asthma, allergies, or other breathing conditions may be more sensitive to mold. People with immune suppression (such as people with HIV infection, cancer patients taking chemotherapy, and people who have received an organ transplant) are more susceptible to mold infections.

Possible Health Effects of Mold Exposure

People who are sensitive to mold may experience stuffy nose, irritated eyes, wheezing, or skin irritation. People allergic to mold may have difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath. People with weakened immune systems and with chronic lung diseases, such as obstructive lung disease, may develop mold infections in their lungs. If you or your family members have health problems after exposure to mold, contact your doctor or other health care provider.

Protect Yourself from Animal and Insect Related Hazards

• Avoid wild or stray animals and biting or stinging insects.
• Call local authorities to handle animals.
• Get rid of dead animals, according to local guidelines, as soon as you can.
• For more information, contact your local animal shelter or services, a veterinarian, or the Humane Society for advice on dealing with pets or stray or wild animals after an emergency.

Prevent Temperature-Related Illness

• When standing or working in water that is cooler than 75 °F (24°C):
  • Wear rubber boots.
  • Ensure that clothing and boots have adequate insulation.
  • Take frequent breaks out of the water.
  • Change into dry clothing when possible.
• Prevent heat–related illness:
  • Stay in air-conditioned buildings.
  • Take breaks in shaded areas or in cool rooms.
  • Drink water and nonalcoholic fluids often.
  • Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
  • Do outdoor activities during cooler hours.

Prevent or Treat Wounds

Immediately clean out all open wounds and cuts with soap and clean water. Keep wounds covered with clean, dry bandages that are large enough to cover the wound and contain any pus or drainage. Change bandages as needed and when drainage can be seen through the bandage. Contact a doctor to find out whether more treatment is needed (such as a tetanus shot). If a wound gets red, swells, or drains, seek immediate medical attention. Avoid wild or stray animals. If you are bitten by any animal, seek immediate medical attention. If you are bitten by a snake, try to identify it, so that if it is poisonous, you can be given the correct anti-venom. Do not cut the wound or attempt to suck the venom out. If your skin or eyes may have come in contact with hazardous materials, such as acid from a car battery, wash thoroughly with decontaminated water and seek medical attention as needed. If you have wounds, you should be evaluated for a tetanus immunization, just as you would at any other time of injury. If you receive a puncture wound or a wound contaminated with feces, soil, or saliva, have a doctor or health department determine whether a tetanus booster is necessary based on individual records.

For further guidance, see Emergency Wound Care After a Natural Disaster.