lookhigh: How To Survive A Tornado: Plan Ahead,...

How To Survive A Tornado: Plan Ahead, Avoid Debris

People who don’t have a tornado shelter can still do a lot to protect themselves from flying debris, says Harold Brooks, a research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory.

The important thing is to put as many walls as possible between you and the wind, he says. That usually means going to a closet, an interior bathroom or even a small hallway.

“Once you get in there, something like a bicycle helmet or a football helmet on your head can dramatically improve your chances of surviving without significant injury,” Brooks says.

But a lot of people don’t do any of that, tornado experts say. And what they do instead can make things worse. (Read more.)

What To Do During A Tornado

Indoors: Move to a basement or the building’s lowest possible floor. Find an interior room, hallway or stairwell – the more walls between you and the tornado, the better. Stay under a sturdy piece of furniture and protect your head. Move away from windows, and be sure to keep them closed, as high winds and dangerous debris can enter if they’re opened.

Outdoors: Find a ditch, depression or ravine in the ground, lie flat and cover your head. Be aware of the potential for flash floods. Watch for flying debris, as they cause the most fatalities during tornadoes.

In a vehicle or mobile home: Leave your vehicle or mobile home and, if possible, enter a nearby building. If there’s no building around, lie flat in a depression in the ground. Do not seek shelter under a highway overpass. If you do stay behind the wheel, don’t try to outrun the tornado — drive at a 90-degree angle away from the storm.

Sources: FEMA, Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(via NPR)

(Photo: Amy Womack and her daughter, Alexis Nelson, sit on the front steps of her parents’ house in Cleveland, Tenn., in late April. - Wade Payne/AP)

lookhigh:

How To Survive A Tornado: Plan Ahead, Avoid Debris

People who don’t have a tornado shelter can still do a lot to protect themselves from flying debris, says Harold Brooks, a research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory.

The important thing is to put as many walls as possible between you and the wind, he says. That usually means going to a closet, an interior bathroom or even a small hallway.

“Once you get in there, something like a bicycle helmet or a football helmet on your head can dramatically improve your chances of surviving without significant injury,” Brooks says.

But a lot of people don’t do any of that, tornado experts say. And what they do instead can make things worse. (Read more.)

What To Do During A Tornado

Indoors: Move to a basement or the building’s lowest possible floor. Find an interior room, hallway or stairwell – the more walls between you and the tornado, the better. Stay under a sturdy piece of furniture and protect your head. Move away from windows, and be sure to keep them closed, as high winds and dangerous debris can enter if they’re opened.

Outdoors: Find a ditch, depression or ravine in the ground, lie flat and cover your head. Be aware of the potential for flash floods. Watch for flying debris, as they cause the most fatalities during tornadoes.

In a vehicle or mobile home: Leave your vehicle or mobile home and, if possible, enter a nearby building. If there’s no building around, lie flat in a depression in the ground. Do not seek shelter under a highway overpass. If you do stay behind the wheel, don’t try to outrun the tornado — drive at a 90-degree angle away from the storm.

Sources: FEMA, Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(via NPR)

(Photo: Amy Womack and her daughter, Alexis Nelson, sit on the front steps of her parents’ house in Cleveland, Tenn., in late April. - Wade Payne/AP)