Tornado Safety Rules…

With significant severe weather threatening Alabama tonight…now is a good time to review your tornado safety rules…

Tornadoes are nature’s most violent weather phenomena. Despite vastly improved detection and warning systems, seconds often make the difference between life and death when you are in the path of a tornado.

First, you need to have reliable sources of severe weather information. A NOAA Weatheradio is as important as a smoke detector here in Alabama. Of course, the best source for tornado information is ABC3340. Now, with streaming coverage on AL.com, that gives one more great option for getting the best longform weather coverage in the country. You can also stay updated on the general situation with our blog.

Know the difference between a watch and a warning. We talk about it all the time, but invariably after a storm, people who are questioned don’t understand the difference. A Tornado Watch means that conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes. You can expect Tornado Watches to be issued early this morning. During a watch, you should be extra alert for developing weather conditions and keep track of the situation continuously. A Tornado Warning is issued when a possible tornado is indicated on Doppler radar or has been sighted. You must take action when a warning is issued. It is important to learn a little geography. Know your county and surrounding counties and communities.

Because you might only have seconds, you need to know instinctively what to do. Put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible. Think lowest floor, center of the house or building, away from windows.

In public facilities, buildings or shopping centers go to the designated shelter area. At home, a basement is best. Stay away from areas where chimneys might collapse. Stay away from large span roofs, which are prone to collapse.

Get under something sturdy like a workbench or heavy piece of furniture. Protect yourself with mattresses or pillows. If no basement is available, get in an interior closet or bathroom, or hallway. Seal off any areas that have windows. If bicycle or baseball helmits are available, put them on to protect the head.

Do not open windows. It is an old wives tale that houses explode from the pressure difference. If you are close enough to the tornado to experience the pressure difference, the winds getting inside the building through the open window are much more dangerous to the structure.

If you live in a mobile home, you should evacuate to a safer structure when watches are issued. Even mobile homes that are properly tied down are not safe in strong winds, much less any tornado. Go visit friends or family.

If you are driving during a tornado warning, stop, park and go in a substantial structure. If there is no such shelter, or if you are caught out in the open, find a ditch or depression, but get away from where your car might be blown by the tornado.

Remember that you cannot always depend on hearing a warning. You should become aware of the signs of an approaching tornado. Many of the tornadoes in our area are obscured by rain, low clouds or terrain. Look for dark, rolling clouds. Intense lightning can be a sign. Large hail can often indicate that a tornado is nearby.

Tornadoes are just one of the weapons in the arsenal of a thunderstorm. A severe thunderstorm is defined as one having winds of 58 mph or greater and/or hail that is ¾ of inch in diameter or greater (about the size of a penny.) Thunderstorms frequently produce strong straight line winds in excess of 100 mph that are as damaging as F2 tornadoes and just as deadly.

Lightning is the other underrated killer. Get inside safe shelter anytime any thunderstorm approaches. Do not drive during a strong thunderstorm. Heavy rains can reduce visibility to nearly zero and strong winds could flip your vehicle.

Be safe. Be ready tonight.

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