Spring in Oklahoma means the potential threat for severe weather is ever present so I thought I would post a few tornado safety tips I found from a radio website.   None of the tips include running outside with your camera to take pictures so when severe weather is approaching please take the proper precautions to keep you and your family safe.

*Look and listen for…large hail, heavy rain, strong winds, frequent intense lightning …bulge with a rotary motion at the base of the thunderstorm cloud …loud roar like the sound of a jet or train.

*Seek safe shelter…A basement is best. Otherwise choose ground-floor center rooms surrounded by other rooms. Never choose upstairs locations because tornado wind speeds increase with height above the ground.

*Choose rooms on the north and east sides of your shelter if no interior rooms are available.  Stay near the innermost walls. Avoid rooms on the south and west, because tornadoes usually travel from southwest to northeast.

*Choose a small closet or bathroom, because small rooms are less susceptible to collapse. Take shelter within the bathtub if there are no glass tub enclosures or large mirrors nearby.

HOW TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

• Stay calm
• Seek shelter immediately!
• Keep a portable tv/radio in your shelter
• Wear closed toed shoes to protect your feet from broken glass and other debris by left by storm
• Protect head and chest – crouch, face to floor, hands behind head
• Cover yourself with blankets, pillows or coats
• Hide under sturdy furniture
• Avoid candles, gas lanterns and oil lamps.
• In schools and offices: seek designated shelter in interior rooms or hallway’s on ground floor, or lowest floor possible. Avoid auditoriums and gymnasiums
• In shopping malls, seek the smaller interior shops on the ground floor
• In shopping centers, avoid large open rooms as well as the south and west walls
• Evacuate mobile homes and vehicles! Seek shelter in substantial structure, ditch or culvert

Be prepared before the storm hits: By the time a tornado is heading toward you, it is usually too late to make a plan. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, you should: · Conduct tornado drills each tornado season. · Designate an area in the home as a shelter, and practice having everyone in the family go there in response to a tornado threat. · Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the “family contact.” After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person. This will help should the family be separated during the storm.

Preparing a tornado safety kit: The American Red Cross suggests that you assemble a “disaster supplies kit” that you keep in your shelter area. The kit should contain:

1. A first aid kit with essential medication in addition to the usual items 2. A battery powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries 3. Canned and other non-perishable foods and a hand-operated can opener 4. Bottled water 5. Candles and matches 6. Sturdy shoes and work gloves 7. Cash and credit cards 8. Written instructions on how to turn off your homes utilities

After a tornado: 1. Help injured or trapped people. 2. Give first aid when appropriate. 3. Don’t try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. 4. Call for help. 5. Turn on a radio or television to get the latest emergency information. 6. Stay out of damaged buildings. 7. Return home only when authorities say it is safe. 8. Use the telephone only for emergency calls. 9. Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately. Leave the building if you smell gas or chemical fumes. 10. Take pictures of the damage, both to the house and its contents, for insurance purposes. 11. Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance–infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Published by AVC Communications, Incorporated.

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