Natural Disasters - Tornadoes
Tornadoes:
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm
to the ground. The most violent tornadoes have rotating winds of 250 miles per
hour or more. They are capable of causing extreme destruction, including
uprooting trees and well-made structures, and turning normally harmless objects
into deadly missiles. Most tornadoes are just a few dozen yards wide and only
briefly touch down, but some may carve paths more than a mile wide and more than
50 miles long.
Tornados develop from severe thunderstorms in warm, moist, unstable air
along and ahead of cold fronts. Land falling tropical storms and hurricanes also generate tornadoes.
Such tornadoes are usually common ahead of the storm's path and near the
storm's center as it comes ashore.
Be Prepared!
Florida has the highest frequency of tornadoes per square mile in the United
States. Tornadoes can occur with little or no warning, at any time of the day or
night. You may have only minutes to make life or death decisions. To improve
your chances learn basic tornado safety.
Don't wait unit a warning is issued to begin planning how you will
respond. Take responsibility for your safety and plan now. Have a plan. Meet with household members to discuss how to respond to
an approaching tornado. Hold tornado drills. Learn how to turn off the
water, gas and electricity at the main switches.
During a Tornado:
Listen to the radio, local television, weather channel, or National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) radio for information. The safest place to go during a tornado is underground in a basement or
storm cellar. If you don't have a basement, go to an inner hallway or
smaller inner room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet. Go to the
center of the room. Protect yourself. Try to find something sturdy to get under and hold
onto to protect yourself from flying debris and/or collapsed roof. Use your
arms to protect your head and neck. Stay away from windows and objects that might fall. If you live in a mobile home park, talk to management about the
availability of a nearby shelter. If no shelter is available, go outside and
lie on the ground, if possible in a ditch or depression. Use your arms to
protect your head and neck and wait for the storm to pass. While waiting, be
alert for flash floods that sometime accompany tornadoes.
If You're Outdoors:
Get inside, if possible. If you have no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area
or crouch near a strong building. Flooding is a potential danger. Protect you head and neck by using your arms.
If You're in a Car
Never try to outrun a tornado in a car. A tornado can toss cars and
trucks around like toys. If you see a funnel cloud or hear a tornado warning
issued, get out of your vehicle and find safe shelter. Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building. If there is not time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a
ditch or low-lying area away from the car. Flooding is a potential danger.
Be Alert to Your Surroundings:
If there is a watch or warning posted, consider hail storms a real
danger sign. An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado,
even if a funnel is not visible. Tornadoes generally occurnear the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It
is typical to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
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