Tornado season is a time for safety awareness
Spring is the season when news media is filled with stories of tornado warnings and strikes. Several twisters were reported in North Texas and Oklahoma Wednesday.
Little can be done to protect property in the path of a tornado, but the toll on life and limb can be significantly reduced through awareness of the danger and knowing what to do, according to experts.
Generally, the death toll from tornadoes has been reduced in the age of modern meteorological technology and vastly improved public communication. But the loss of 324 lives in a four-day outbreak across 20 states as recently as 2011 is a stark reminder the danger of twisters is real.
Many North Texas residents know the drill on tornado safety, but as a reminder -- and a primer for people new to the area -- here are the basics:
Be aware
In addition to traditional media such as television, the National Weather Service and several private vendors offer websites and apps that can send instant weather alerts to computers, smartphones and other devices. NOAA Weather Radar Live, Weather Channel, WeatherBug and Weather Underground are among the free apps available.
Wichita Falls also has an extensive siren system to alert people when danger is imminent.
Go to a cellar or safe room
An underground cellar is the safest place to be during a tornado. Despite dramatized movie scenes, tornadoes do not suck people from cellars. If you don't have a cellar, a neighbor might. Make friends. In lieu of a cellar, a safe room -- a room that has been reinforced -- is the best option. Find out more about safe rooms here https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/safe-rooms/resources
Stay indoors
Most tornado deaths and serious injuries are caused by flying debris such as broken glass, nails and pieces of wood and metal. It's safer to be indoors when a tornado is approaching. The more walls you can put between you and the tornado the safer you are.
The safest spot indoors is a room that has no walls to the outside. In most homes this is an interior bathroom or closet. In a multi-story building such as an apartment complex, go to the bottom floor. Basements offer safety, but few homes in North Texas have basements.
Cover up
Coats, blankets, even mattresses have saved people from death and serious injuries in a tornado.
Don't try to outrun a tornado in a vehicle
In open country it might be possible to get away from a tornado. The 1979 tornado in Wichita Falls showed experts that trying to escape a twister in a vehicle in a city can have deadly consequences.
A driver's vision is obscured by buildings and trees, traffic congestion makes escape difficult and drivers are confined to streets and roads. Several victims of the 1979 tornado who were killed escaping in their cars would have survived in their homes. The size of the vehicle makes no difference. Tornadoes have swept away locomotives.
If outdoors, lie down
If you are trapped outdoors, lie down on your stomach, preferably in ditch or low area to make yourself as small a target as possible to violently rotating wind. Cover your head. Tornadoes are not likely to suck a person into the air, but are likely to strike them with debris or tumble or roll them along the ground if they present a target to the wind.
Wait until it's safe
Tornadoes sometimes occur in groups. Make sure all danger has passed before coming out of your safe spot. Nails, broken glass and downed power lines can present risks even after the storm has passed.
Prepare in advance
Make sure all members of your family know what to do and where to go in the event of a tornado. Vital documents such as insurance papers should be kept in a weather-proof container, along with a supply of crucial medical prescriptions.
Keep a supply of drinking water in a secure location. Tornadoes or other disasters may disrupt normal services such as electricity, gas and water for days. Be prepared to hunker down for several days if necessary.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Tornado season is a time for safety awareness
