Every year, weather disturbances wreak havoc in different parts of the world. In the coastal communities of the United States, residents will often experience hurricanes. In the northern areas, snowstorms and blizzards. But in the continental plains, there are tornadoes.
What is a tornado? This is a act of nature where a funnel of spiraling air comes out of nowhere and tears anything in its path. Most of these are a half kilometer wide and will disappear almost immediately just like how it popped into the air.
Unfortunately, weather forecasters are not able to predict when this will happen. These move similarly to hurricanes and when one appears, people should hunker down and wait till its over. Before that happens, here are some tips that can aid in tornado emergency preparation.
1. People who live in tornado prone areas should have a silo built a few feet under the ground. Studies have shown that this natural calamity can easily destroy the home so this is the best place to stay when disaster strikes.
2. The silo should have an amply supply of food, water, medicine and other necessities. It will take time to rebuild everything if the home sustained a direct hit and insurance companies won’t shoulder the repairs.
3. There may not be time to run to the silo if the tornado suddenly appears. When this happens, the person should find a place to hide until it is safe to come out. Family members who are separated must go to the assigned meeting place and wait there until the other members arrive.
4. The best way to recover from this will be to have hidden stash of money at home or in the bank at all times. Some call this the emergency fund and this will be one of those times that victims will be happy knowing that everything will be all right.
5. The community will probably not have power, water and communication with the outside world if all the lines went down. Having a portable radio and a set of batteries will keep the people informed of what is happening outside since emergency services will also be out to assess the damage.
6. If the parents are not home and the tornado strikes, someone must be designated as the leader until the elders get back. This individual must be ready to handle the situation and make sure that everyone stays together until help arrives.
7. The family should also hold tornado drills so everyone will know what to do when it happens. Setting a standard like going into the silo in less than 5 minutes will help prepare everyone for the real thing.
The tips mentioned regarding tornado emergency preparation should be taken seriously because this can happen at anytime. It is better to be prepared than caught unaware of what is going on which could mean someone getting injured or even killed.
There is no way to escape a tornado should the home be directly in its path. Everyone should just stay inside the silo and wait until the all-clear signal has been given for everyone to come out. Afterwards, this is the time to try and get in touch with those that are not home to make sure he or she is all right.