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Tornado Preparedness, the Right Way for Families and Organizations

“In the USA, every year more than 60 people die because of tornadoes. That is to be expected since the country gets the highest number of tornadoes per year on an average.

In the country, tornado has the highest possibility of occurring during the spring season. However, tornado can occur in any other season, too. Also, tornadoes can occur during the day or the night. When the latter happens, the situation becomes more dangerous since people fail to spot the warning signs and read situations with accuracy.

Tornado watch and tornado warning
Usually, a tornado watch is issued when the weather seems favorable for the occurrence of a tornado. During a watch, people are expected to keep themselves updated about the weather. However, a tornado watch does not automatically imply the need for evacuation.

A tornado warning, on the other hand, is issued when a tornado is expected to hit a particular region. That is when people are asked to leave their places immediately.

Handling a tornado for families
A tornado can be one of the hardest disasters to face for any family. Still, if proper measures are taken, most families can survive tornadoes without getting harmed.

In order for a family to survive a tornado well, two things are important – planning and execution.

A family can plan ahead by:
• Keeping track of all the medical conditions of the family members and storing medicines accordingly
• Knowing the dismissal policy of the children’s school
• Reviewing the community siren system to make sure that it is working
• Carrying out sample emergency tornado drills from time to time
• Recognizing the safest spots of the house and all its exits

As far as execution goes, when a tornado hits, a family should:
• Cut all the utility connections like water, electricity, gas, etc.
• Get a battery operated radio to keep track of updates
• Keep a flashlight
• Hide in the safest corner of the house
• Keep the fire extinguisher and first aid within close reach

Handling a tornado for organizations

When it comes to organizations, the stakes can be too high. In fact, according to the law, many organizations are even obligated to have an emergency tornado handling plan in advance.

An organization can take measures like:
• Testing the warning systems on a regular basis
• Developing an efficient system for knowing how many people are inside the building during a tornado
• Making a plan to communicate any emergency to non-English speakers and disabled workers
• Identifying evacuation spots in advance for times when the situation may get uncontrollable”

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