[Air Force Emergency Management logo] ♫ music ♫
[Various b-roll shots of natural and man-made disasters]
[Be Ready logo] "Tornadoes"
Corey Dobridnia: "This presentation is part of a series to make you aware of the emergencies that could affect
your installation or local community and the steps you can take to ‘be ready’.
Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes
can cause fatalities and devastate neighborhoods in seconds. Over twelve hundred tornados occur
in the United States every year. Although they can occur anywhere, most occur in the
Midwest and the south. This is because of the mostly flat terrain, which is ideal for
super cell thunderstorm development. According to the National Weather Service there are
about 42 tornado related deaths each year.
A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to
the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in
excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while
rain or nearby low-hanging clouds obscure others. Occasionally, tornadoes develop so
rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible. Once they make contact with the
ground, tornadoes usually travel from west to east, with the exception of tornadoes that
develop from hurricanes; which travel east to west. Tornadoes occur when cool air overrides
a layer of warm air, forcing warm air to rise rapidly. This may happen as a result of a
thunderstorm or sometimes a hurricane.
Tornadoes are rated based on a scale called the Enhanced Fujita Scale. This scale estimates
how large a tornado is based on the amount of damage its winds cause.
In the U.S., tornado season is generally from March through August, although tornadoes can
happen at any time of year. Over 80 percent of all tornadoes strike between noon and Midnight
and they can last less than a minute or more than an hour.
There are steps you can take to stay safe during tornados. First, you should familiarize
yourself with tornado watches and tornado warnings. Tornado watches are issued when
conditions could be possible for a tornado to form. Tornado warnings are issued when
a tornado has been sighted by weather radar.
Having an established emergency supply kit and emergency plan will also help you be prepared.
These should be prepared weeks or months before the season starts. Water is one of the most
important items in your kit. Your kit needs to have enough water and nonperishable foods
for three days for each member of your family and don’t forget about any pets.
You can survive for eight weeks without food but only three to five days without water.
Also, have a radio available so you can tune into local news broadcasts and gather important information.
Remember to have extra batteries too! Make sure your first aid kit is sufficiently stocked
to handle any medical emergency you may encounter. Some of these items can also be found in your home.
Include special needs items, such as prescription medications, eye glasses, contact
lens solution, or hearing-aid batteries.
A good resource for information is the Air Force’s “Be Ready” Mobile App.
It has an emergency supply kit listing, important links, and contact information.
It’s an extremely useful tool to have on your mobile device.
Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information.
In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency
management officials. Be alert to changing weather conditions. Look for approaching storms.
Look for the following danger signs; dark, often greenish sky, large hail, a large, dark,
low-lying cloud (particularly if its rotating), loud roar, similar to a freight train.
If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter.
If you are at home or work, and a tornado warning is declared, stop what you are doing immediately
and find shelter. Locate a windowless interior room, bathroom, storm cellar, or basement,
get inside, and get under and hold onto a piece of sturdy furniture while protecting
your head and neck. If you are in a building that has more than one floor, you need to
try and get to the lowest level to seek shelter if possible.
If you’re outside when a tornado warning is declared, get inside an available building
if possible to take shelter. If a sturdy structure is not available or you don’t have time
to get to one, lie down in a ditch or low-lying area and use your arms to protect your head and neck.
Follow these same directions if you are driving when a tornado warning is declared.
Be aware of potential flooding or low-lying areas while in your vehicle, and never try to outrun a tornado.
After the tornado warning is cancelled and it is safe to leave your shelter, remember
these things; check for injuries and perform first aid to those that need it, watch out
for dangerous debris and do not enter damaged areas or buildings until told it is safe to do so.
If you must enter a damaged building, do so cautiously. Since gas lines may be damaged,
do not use candles or other open flame. Finally, remember to report property damage to your
insurance company immediately.
Hopefully the information has helped you better prepare for what to do before, during, and
after a tornado. For more information, please take the time to visit your installation’s
Office of Emergency Management, the “Be Ready” web site, download the “Be Ready”
Mobile Phone App, or pick up an AFEM Preparedness Guide. This has been Corey Dobridnia reporting
for the Emergency Management Division of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center.
Stay safe and Be Ready!
[Be Ready logo] www.BeReady.af.mil