Emergency Checklist - Tornado
How can I prepare for a Tornado?
Tornado:
Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Tornadoes appear without warning and can be invisible until dust and debris are picked up or a funnel cloud appears. Planning and practicing specifically how and where you take shelter is a matter of survival. You must act quickly. Keep in mind that while tornadoes are more common in the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest, they can occur in any state at any time of the year, making preparation vitally important.
How can you be prepared?
Step 1: Get a Kit
4URSURVIVAL offers complete survival and 72 hour kits, designed and assembled according to guidelines given by government agencies and non-profit preparedness organizations. These kits include items such as:
•non-perishable food
•water
•a battery-powered radio
•flashlight and batteries
•first-aid kit
•blankets
•matches
•and much more
4URSURVIVAL also offers smaller portable kits with similar items that you should keep in your car.
Step 2: Make a Plan
Make a family emergency plan. Disaster can strike at any time, and the family may not be together, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
•Plan where your family will meet, both within and outside of your neighborhood
•Be sure that every family member knows what to do in different types of emergencies
•Be sure to consider the specific needs of each individual family member
Inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time such as work, daycare and school. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one.
Step 3: Be Informed
Familiarize yourself with the following terms:
•A tornado watch means that a tornado is possible in your area.
•A tornado warning is when a tornado is actually occurring. Take shelter immediately.
Prepare Your Home
•Cover all windows with pre-cut plywood or wind shutters to protect from high winds.
•Keep trees and shrubs well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.
•Secure your home by closing shutters, and secure all outdoor objects not tied down.
•Turn off utilities.
•Turn off propane tanks.
Prepare Your Business
•Carefully assess how your company functions, both internally and externally, to determine which staff, materials, procedures and equipment are absolutely necessary to keep the business operating.
•Plan what you will do if your building, plant or store is not accessible.
•Learn about programs, services, and resources at U.S. Small Business Administration
Listen to Local Officials
•Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government. In any emergency, listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials.
•For additional information on how to plan and prepare for tornadoes, as well as what to do during and after a tornado, visit the following:
◦Federal Emergency Management Agency
◦NOAA Watch
◦American Red Cross