With the recent number of severe weather occurrences and the storm season just beginning, we wanted to give you a few useful reminders of things you should keep in mind when preparing for the next storm.- During any storm, listen to local news or a NOAAWeather Radio to stay informed about watches and warnings.
- Know your community’s warning system. Communities have different ways of warning residents about tornadoes, with many having sirens intended for outdoor warning purposes.
- Pick a safe room in your home where household members and pets may gather during a tornado. This should be a basement, storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.
- Practice periodic tornado drills so that everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching.
- Consider having your safe room reinforced. Plans for reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection can be found on the FEMA Web site at http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/rms/rmsp453.shtm.
- Prepare for high winds by removing diseased and damaged limbs from trees.
- Move or secure lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a projectile.
- Watch for tornado danger signs:
• Dark, often greenish clouds—a phenomenon caused by hail
•Wall cloud—an isolated lowering of the base of a thunderstorm
• Cloud of debris
• Large hail
• Funnel cloud—a visible rotating extension of the cloud base
• Roaring noise
SOURCE: http://www.redcross.org
