Tornado preparedness facts for kids

Modern above ground storm shelter

Tornado preparedness means taking steps to stay safe before, during, and after a tornado. These steps can change depending on where you live and how much time you have before a tornado is expected. For example, people in the countryside might use an outdoor storm cellar. This helps them get out easily if their house collapses. In cities, people might use a special safe room inside a building. Since tropical storms can cause many tornadoes, preparing for a hurricane also means getting ready for tornadoes. Many groups, like government agencies, schools, and emergency teams, talk about tornado preparedness.

What are Tornadoes and Why are They Dangerous?

Being prepared means knowing the main dangers. Tornadoes are some of the most powerful storms in nature. They can be different strengths. Some tornadoes are hard to see because they don't pick up much dirt or debris. Tornadoes form from strong thunderstorms. They can cause deaths and destroy neighborhoods in just a few seconds.

A tornado with no obvious funnel from the upper clouds, although the rotating dust cloud indicates strong winds at the surface.

A tornado looks like a spinning, funnel-shaped cloud. It reaches down from a thunderstorm to the ground. Its winds can spin as fast as 300 miles per hour (480 km/h). Imagine traveling the length of a U.S. football field in just one second! That's over 130 meters (426 feet) per second. Tornadoes can create damage paths more than 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and 50 miles (80 km) long.

Not all tornadoes are easy to spot. A tornado funnel can be clear until it picks up dirt and debris. Some tornadoes are seen against the sunlight. But rain or low clouds can hide others. Sometimes, tornadoes form so fast that there is little or no warning.

Before a tornado hits, the wind might calm down, and the air can become very still. A cloud of debris can sometimes show where a tornado is, even if you can't see the funnel. Tornadoes usually happen at the back edge of a thunderstorm.

Here are some facts about typical tornadoes:

• They can strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• They might look almost clear until they pick up dust or a cloud forms.
• In the U.S., most tornadoes move from Southwest to Northeast. But they can move in any direction.
• The average tornado moves at 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). But they can be still or move as fast as 70 miles per hour (110 km/h).
• Tornadoes can also come with tropical storms and hurricanes when they reach land.
• Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
• Tornadoes are most often seen east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer.
• The busiest tornado season in the southern U.S. states is from March to May. In northern states, it's late spring to early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to happen between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time. But they can happen at any time.

Before a Tornado: Getting Ready

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suggests these steps before a storm arrives:

• Pay attention to changing weather.
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local news for updates.
• Watch for common danger signs, such as:
  • Large hail stones.
  • A big, dark, low-lying cloud, especially if it's spinning.
  • A loud roar of wind, like a freight train.

If you see an approaching storm or any danger signs, get ready to take shelter right away. Go to a safe room, an inside stairway, or another safe place.

Every person and family should have a disaster kit ready before a tornado. FEMA says this kit should have items you need to stay safe for up to 72 hours after a tornado.

What to Put in Your Disaster Kit

• Water: Have enough for everyone.
• Food: Non-perishable items that don't need cooking.
• Tools / Emergency Supplies: Flashlight, extra batteries, a whistle to signal for help.
• First Aid Supplies: Bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers.
• Clothing and Bedding: A change of clothes, blankets.
• Special Needs Items: Any specific medicines, baby formula, pet supplies.

Other Important Preparations

• Refill any prescription medicines. Keep them in a strong bag or small suitcase.
• Get some extra cash. Credit cards might not work if power is out.
• Fill your car's gas tank.
• Have extension cords and power strips ready.
• Think about booking a motel or hotel more than 50 miles away for a few nights after the tornado might hit.

During a Tornado: What to Do

In August 2010, FEMA advised people to do the following when a tornado strikes:

• If you are in a building (like a house, school, or store):
  • Go to a special shelter area. This could be a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest part of the building.
  • If there's no basement, go to an inside room on the lowest floor. A closet or hallway away from windows, doors, and outside walls is good.
  • Try to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.
  • Get under a strong table or other object. Use your arms to protect your head and neck.
  • Do not open windows.

• If you are in a car, trailer, or mobile home:
  • Leave immediately.
  • Go to the lowest floor of a strong, nearby building or a storm shelter.
  • Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer very little protection from tornadoes.
  • If your car is caught in high winds, there's a danger of broken glass.

• If you are outside with no shelter:
  • Lie flat in a nearby ditch or low area.
  • Cover your head with your hands.
  • Be careful of possible flooding in ditches.
  • Do not stay under an overpass or bridge. Winds and debris can be funneled there. It's safer to be in a low, flat spot.
  • Never try to outrun a tornado in a car or truck in busy areas. Leave your vehicle right away and find safe shelter.

Most deaths and injuries from tornadoes are caused by flying debris.

Because preparations can be different in various places, it's good to check your local area's plans. Don't just assume they are the same everywhere. Find out which local buildings are chosen as storm shelters.

A study in 2012 found that wearing a helmet, like for football or biking, can help prevent head injuries and deaths. The CDC suggested keeping helmets close by so you don't waste time looking for them.

After a Tornado: Staying Safe

When cleaning up after a tornado, wear thick-soled shoes or boots, long pants, and work gloves. Be careful of electric shock, sharp debris (nails, broken glass), dirty water, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Long-Term Tornado Safety Plans

Depending on where you live, different safe places can be prepared. The goal is to avoid outer walls that might fall if the roof blows away. Many inside rooms are stronger because their smaller walls are connected. Outer walls take the full force of the wind.

mobile homes usually don't have strong foundations and have large flat sides that catch the wind. So, it's best to find a safe place somewhere else, like a stronger building nearby. When a mobile home starts to roll, people can get hurt by hitting things inside or being crushed.

In a building with many floors, an inside stairway (away from broken windows) is often a safe spot. The stairs make the walls stronger and block falling debris. If a stairway has many windows, flying glass could be a danger. So, an inside stairway or a small inner room is better.

In houses, similar stairway rooms or an inside room/closet can be kept clear. This allows quick entry when a storm is seen or heard coming. The wind roar gets louder, sounding like a fast "freight train" getting closer.

If you have weeks or months to prepare, you can build an inside safe room. This room can hold emergency water, food, flashlights, and a phone to call for help if the exit is blocked. Some safe rooms built above ground use steel-rebar rods in cement-filled cinder blocks. These can stand up to 250 mph (400 km/h) winds. Country homes might have an outside storm cellar or other bunker. This helps avoid being trapped inside a collapsing house. In rural homes, generators are also useful to keep power for a few days.

Professor Joseph Eagleman found that in the Northern Hemisphere, tornadoes usually travel between north and east. They cause the most damage on the southwest corner of buildings. He found that the north side and northeast corner of buildings were often the safest. The southwest corner and south side were the least safe. South of the equator, the south side and southeast corner were safest.

First Aid and Medical Needs

Having a first aid kit in your safe place is a good idea. It can help with small injuries. People who need prescription medicines should have a medicine bag ready to take to the shelter. Some people say their "ears pop" because of air pressure changes, but this usually goes away. Covering people with mattresses or cushions has helped prevent injuries from flying debris when walls collapse nearby.

The most common injuries after a tornado are dirty wounds to soft tissues. These make up over half of the cases seen in emergency rooms. These wounds often have soil and foreign objects because of the strong winds. Broken bones are the second most common injury, making up about 30% of injuries. Head injuries are also common, but severe head injuries are less than 10% of the total. Even though severe head injuries are rare, they are the most common cause of death after a tornado. Injuries to the chest and stomach also happen but are less than 10% of all injuries.

Tornado Drills

Students participate in a tornado drill, lining up along an interior wall and covering their heads.

Tornado drills, also called severe weather drills, are very important for tornado preparedness. Like other safety drills, they help you know what to do if a real tornado threatens.

Many states in the central and southern United States have a statewide tornado drill in late winter or early spring. This gets people ready for severe weather season. During these drills, the National Weather Service sends out test tornado warnings. Local Emergency Alert Systems and NOAA Weather Radio are also used, along with outdoor warning sirens. Schools and businesses might also do a tornado drill at the same time.

A tornado drill is when you practice going to a safe place in case a tornado hits. This safety drill is a key part of getting ready for tornadoes.

Usually, a signal is given, like a series of sounds or a voice message. When they hear the signal, people in schools, hospitals, factories, and shopping centers go to a special place. This is usually an inside room or hallway with no windows. They then get into a protective position.

In homes and small buildings, you should go to the basement or an inside room on the lowest floor (like a closet or bathroom). Stay away from glass.

If you are in a car or mobile home, you must leave it. Only try to drive away if you have a very good chance of getting to safety quickly.

Some places require schools to have regular tornado drills. These are usually less often than fire drills.

During school tornado drills, students usually huddle against the walls of the building, often in a hallway. This helps protect them from harm. Staff, like teachers and janitors, might also huddle against the wall.

Tornado Drills by State

In many states, tornado drills are part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.

• Alabama
• Florida
• Georgia
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Ohio
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Texas
• Virginia
• Wisconsin
• North Carolina

See also