FEMA Urges Texans To Prepare For Tornado Season
Release Date: March 13, 2006
Release Number: 1606-155
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AUSTIN, Texas -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says that good planning and quick response are the keys to surviving tornados. Some 1,000 tornadoes develop across the United States annually, but the State of Texas typically leads the nation in the number of reported tornadoes each year due to the size of the state and its location in the Southern Great Plains area of the country.
Tornadoes are most destructive when they touch ground. Normally a tornado will stay on the ground for no more than 20 minutes; however, one tornado can touch ground several times in different areas. Winds with speeds approaching 300 miles per hour can uproot trees and structures and turn harmless objects into deadly missiles, all in a matter of seconds. Mobile homes and travel trailers are particularly vulnerable to tornadoes.
More than 80 percent of all tornadoes strike between noon and midnight and generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
When a tornado threatens, individuals need to have a safe place to go and time to get there. Injury or deaths related to tornadoes most often occur when people are hit by flying objects, are caught in a collapsing building or when they try to escape the tornado in a car.
Even with advances in meteorology, warning times may be short or sometimes not possible. Lives are saved when individuals receive and understand the warning, know what to do, and know the safest place to go.
BEFORE A TORNADO
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.
Discuss with family members the difference between a "tornado watch" and a "tornado warning" (the latter is an actual sighting). Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter for more information on tornadoes or visit the FEMA Web site at www.fema.gov.
Have disaster supplies on hand, such as the following:
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
- First aid kit and manual
- Emergency food and water
- Non-electric can opener
- Essential medicines
- Cash and credit cards
- Sturdy shoes
Develop an emergency communication plan. In case family members are separated from one another during a tornado - a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school - have a plan for getting back together. 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.
Mobile Homes and Travel Trailers
Mobile homes and travel trailers are particularly vulnerable. A mobile home or travel trailer can overturn very easily even if precautions have been taken to tie down the unit. When a tornado warning is issued, take shelter in a building with a strong foundation. If shelter is not available, lie in ditch or low-lying area a safe distance away from the unit.
DURING
If at home:
- Go at once to the basement, storm cellar, or the lowest level of the building.
- If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway or a smaller inner room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet.
- Get away from the windows.
- Go to the center of the room. Stay away from corners because they tend to attract debris.
- Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
- Use arms to protect head and neck.
- If in a mobile home, get out and find shelter elsewhere.
If at work or school:
- Go to the basement or to an inside hallway at the lowest level.
- Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls.
- Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
- Use arms to protect head and neck.
If outdoors:
- If possible, get inside a building.
- If shelter is not available or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
- Use arms to protect head and neck.
If in a car:
- Never try to out drive a tornado in a car or truck. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift up a car or truck and toss it through the air.
- Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building.
- If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
AFTER
Help injured or trapped persons. Give first aid when appropriate. Don't try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Call for help.
- Turn on radio or television to get the latest emergency information.
- Stay out of damaged buildings. Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
- Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
- Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately. Leave the buildings if you smell gas or chemical fumes.
- Take pictures of the damage - both to the house and its contents - for insurance purposes.
Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance - infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Visit the FEMA Web site at www.fema.gov for additional information on protecting your business, your community and your home from tornado damage.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 18-May-2006 09:45:32