Weathering the Storm

Weathering the Storm

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WEATHERING THE STORM 7 1.28.2018 By Sarah Haney NWA Democrat-Gazette If you are under a tornado warning, seek shelter immediately. Knowing what is an appropriate shelter during a tornado warning can be the difference between life and death. If you are in a school, nursing home, hospital, factory, shopping center, or high-rise building, go to a pre-designated area such as a safe room, or a small interior windowless room on the lowest level, below ground in a basement, or storm cellar, is best. (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and cover your head and neck with your arms and cover your body as best you can with a heavy coat, blankets, or pillows. Do not open windows. If you are in a manufactured home or office during a tornado warning, then get out immediately and go to a pre- identified location such as the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, do not offer protection from tornadoes. If you are outside and not in a sturdy building, there is no single research- based recommendation for what last- resort action to take because many factors can affect your decision. Do not get under an overpass or bridge — you will be safer in a low, flat location like a roadside ditch. Never try to outrun a tornado in a vehicle. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for protection in a sturdy building. If you have enough warning, it is best to not be outside during a tornado warning. Outdoor areas are not protected from flying debris and this causes the most fatalities and injuries during a tornado. "Benton County has a registration process to where if you register your shelter with Benton County, when the storm does come through, we can pull those records and see who has shelters in that path," stated Benton County's Deputy Director of Emergency Management Michael Waddle. "What that allows us to do is focus our first responders on those areas — because even though you have a storm shelter, your house may be on top of that storm shelter. These first responders can then clear a path to your shelter." Safe rooms built below ground level provide the greatest protection, but a safe room built in a first-floor interior room also can provide the necessary protection. Below-ground safe rooms must be designed to avoid rising waters during the heavy rains that often accompany severe storms. To protect its occupants, a safe room must be built to withstand high winds and flying debris, even if the rest of the residence is severely damaged or destroyed. "If you don't have a storm shelter, try to have a designated storm area in your home," added Waddle. "We recommend an interior-most room away from windows. Try to stay away from exterior walls, as well." DENTS, DINGS, AND HAIL DAMAGE 501.269.8776 • 479.553.7596 1104 SW I St. • Bentonville, AR 72712 nwadentrepair.com Identifying appropriate shelter during a tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground and is often — although not always — visible as a funnel cloud. Lightening and hail are common in thunderstorms that produce tornadoes. Tornadoes cause extensive damage to structures and disrupt transportation, power, water, gas, communications, and other services in its direct path and in neighboring areas. Related thunderstorms can cause heavy rains, flash flooding, and hail About 1,200 tornadoes hit the United States every year and every state is at risk. Tornadoes can strike in any season, but occur most often in the spring and summer months. According to FEMA, they can occur at all hours of the day and night, but are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. The extent of destruction caused by tornadoes depends on the tornado's intensity, size, path, time of day, and amount of time it is on the ground. Wind from tornadoes can reach more than 300 miles per hour, and damage paths can be more than 1 mile wide and 50 miles long. Wind from tornadoes can destroy buildings and trees, transform debris into deadly projectiles, and roll vehicles. They may strike quickly, with little or no warning and may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel. The average tornado moves southwest to northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction. Before a tornado occurs, build an emergency kit (including a weather radio) and make an emergency communications plan. This can include identifying safe rooms, storm shelters, or other potential protective locations in your home, work, or other locations you are frequently. Be alert to any changing weather conditions — a dark greenish sky, large hail, a large dark and low-lying cloud (especially if rotating), and a loud roar (similar to a freight train) are all potential signs of a developing tornado. If you see approaching storms or any of the previously mentioned danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately. Knowing the difference between a "tornado watch" and a "tornado warning" is also important. If a "tornado watch" has been issued, it means that tornadoes are possible. You should move to be near enough to a shelter to be able to get there quickly in a few minutes if a warning is issued. During a "tornado watch," you should remain alert for approaching storms and any change in the status of the storm. If the storm status changes to "tornado warning," this means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar and shelter should be sought immediately. After a tornado, if you are trapped do not move. Tap on a wall or pipe, or whistle, so you can be located by rescuers. Check-in with family members by texting or using social media and listen to local officials for updates and instructions. Be sure to watch out for downed power lines after a tornado and stay out of damaged buildings and homes until local authorities indicate it is safe. To assist in filing an insurance claim, it is a good idea to photograph the damage to your property. Photo by Mike Eckels | Darby Bybee, Chief Meteorologist for Channel 40/29, points out a tornado at the bottom of a super cell thunderstorm to the second grader classes at Decatur Northside Elementary Jan. 21. Bybee visit was part of his tornado safety class he teaches to children in the Northwest Arkansas region.

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