Tips on staying safe during spring storms
By
Donnie Barrera-
The peak tornado season in Ohio is April through July. I would like to offer some safety tips to help residents of Highland County to be prepared in such case of a disaster strike to our county.
First, I urge schools, businesses, and households to set up emergency plans and practice tornado drills.
People need to understand the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning:
• A tornado watch is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes. They are usually issued for four to eight hours. Be prepared to move to a place of safety if threatening weather approaches. Listen to a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather radio or local radio newscast.
• A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been detected by Doppler radar or sighted by storm spotters. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. Warnings are usually for 30 minutes.
Whether practicing in a tornado drill or sheltering during a warning, the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness encourages Ohioans to DUCK!
• D - Go down to the lowest level
• U - Get under something
• C - Cover your head
• K - Keep in shelter until the storm passes.
If you are a person with special needs, register your name and address with the local Emergency Management Agency: (937) 393-5880, Jim Lyle, Director.
The safest place to be during a tornado is a basement. If the building has no basement or cellar, go to a small room (bathroom or closet) on the lowest level of the structure, away from windows and as close to the center of the structure as possible.
Be aware of emergency shelter plans in stores, offices and schools. If no specific shelter has been identified, move to the building's lowest level. Try to avoid areas with large glass windows, large rooms and wide-span roofs, such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways and shopping malls.
If you are outside or in a mobile home, find shelter immediately by going to the lowest level of a nearby sturdy building. Sturdy buildings are the safest structures to be in when tornadoes threaten. Winds from tornadoes can blow large objects, including cars and mobile homes, hundreds of feet away.
If you cannot quickly get to shelter, get into your vehicle, buckle your seatbelt and try to drive to the nearest sturdy shelter.
If you experience flying debris while driving, pull over and park. Choose either to stay in your vehicle, stay buckled up, duck down below the windows and cover your head with your heads, or find a depression or ditch, exit your vehicle and use your arm and hands to protect your head. Never seek shelter under highway overpasses and bridges.
Please remember that a tornado can strike at any hour, day or night. Let's all be safe this tornado season.
This article is written as the opinion of Donnie Barrera and is not fully inclusive as to all possible situations in a tornado emergency.[[In-content Ad]]
First, I urge schools, businesses, and households to set up emergency plans and practice tornado drills.
People need to understand the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning:
• A tornado watch is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes. They are usually issued for four to eight hours. Be prepared to move to a place of safety if threatening weather approaches. Listen to a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather radio or local radio newscast.
• A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been detected by Doppler radar or sighted by storm spotters. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. Warnings are usually for 30 minutes.
Whether practicing in a tornado drill or sheltering during a warning, the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness encourages Ohioans to DUCK!
• D - Go down to the lowest level
• U - Get under something
• C - Cover your head
• K - Keep in shelter until the storm passes.
If you are a person with special needs, register your name and address with the local Emergency Management Agency: (937) 393-5880, Jim Lyle, Director.
The safest place to be during a tornado is a basement. If the building has no basement or cellar, go to a small room (bathroom or closet) on the lowest level of the structure, away from windows and as close to the center of the structure as possible.
Be aware of emergency shelter plans in stores, offices and schools. If no specific shelter has been identified, move to the building's lowest level. Try to avoid areas with large glass windows, large rooms and wide-span roofs, such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways and shopping malls.
If you are outside or in a mobile home, find shelter immediately by going to the lowest level of a nearby sturdy building. Sturdy buildings are the safest structures to be in when tornadoes threaten. Winds from tornadoes can blow large objects, including cars and mobile homes, hundreds of feet away.
If you cannot quickly get to shelter, get into your vehicle, buckle your seatbelt and try to drive to the nearest sturdy shelter.
If you experience flying debris while driving, pull over and park. Choose either to stay in your vehicle, stay buckled up, duck down below the windows and cover your head with your heads, or find a depression or ditch, exit your vehicle and use your arm and hands to protect your head. Never seek shelter under highway overpasses and bridges.
Please remember that a tornado can strike at any hour, day or night. Let's all be safe this tornado season.
This article is written as the opinion of Donnie Barrera and is not fully inclusive as to all possible situations in a tornado emergency.[[In-content Ad]]