WEATHER SAFETY TIPS

Much of the time, the weather across southern Arizona is beautiful. However...mother nature still presents the desert dweller with a number of hazards including monsoon thunderstorms...flash floods...heat waves and occasional tornadoes. Knowing what to do when one of these hazardous situations occurs could potentially save your life. Below are a number of safety tips/procedures/instructions for the most common Arizona weather hazards.

THUNDERSTORMS

Before the Storm

• Know the county in which you live and the names of nearby major cities. Severe weather warnings are issued on a county basis.

• Check the weather forecast before leaving for extended periods outdoors.

• Watch for signs of approaching storms.

• If a storm is approaching, keep a NOAA Weather Radio or AM./FM radio with you.

• Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms are imminent. This is your best way to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation.

When Thunderstorms Approach

• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning. Go to safe shelter immediately!

• Move to a sturdy building or car. Do not take shelter in small sheds, under isolated trees, or in convertible automobiles.

• If lightning is occurring and a sturdy shelter is not available, get inside a hard top automobile and keep the windows up.

• Get out of boats and away from water.

• Telephone lines and metal pipes can conduct electricity. Unplug appliances not necessary for obtaining weather information. Avoid using the telephone or any electrical appliance. Use phones ONLY in an emergency.

• Do not take a bath or shower.

• Turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lighting can overload the compressors.

If Caught Outdoors and no Shelter is Nearby

• Find a low spot away from trees, fences and poles. Make sure the place you pick is not subject to flooding.

• If you feel your skin tingle or your hair stand on end, squat low to the ground on the balls of your feet. Place your hands on your knees with your head between them. Make yourself the smallest target possible, and minimize your contact with the ground.

• If you are boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter immediately.

FLASH FLOODS

• Get out of areas subject to flooding. This includes dips, low spots, canyons, washes, etc.

• Go to higher ground - climb to safety!

• Avoid already flooded and high velocity flow areas. Do not attempt to cross flowing streams.

• If driving, be aware that the road bed may not be intact under flood waters. Turn around and go another way. NEVER drive through flooded roadways or washes!

• If the vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and seek higher ground. Rapidly rising water may engulf the vehicle and its occupants and sweep them away. Remember, it's better to be WET than DEAD!

• Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.

• Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams and washes, particularly during threatening conditions.

• Even 6 inches of fast-moving flood waters can knock you off your feet, and a depth of 2 feet will float your car! NEVER try to walk, swim or drive through such swift water. If you come across flood waters, STOP! TURN AROUND AND GO ANOTHER WAY!

HEAT WAVE

• Heat Safety Page.

TORNADOES

• In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement.

• If an underground shelter is not available, move to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and get under a sturdy piece of furniture.

• Stay away from windows.

• Get out of automobiles.

• Do NOT try to outrun a tornado in your car; instead, leave it immediately.

• If caught outside or in a vehicle, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression.

• Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes, and should be abandoned.

• Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that advance warning is not possible. Remain alert for signs of an approaching tornado. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most deaths and injuries.