Tornadoes: Mitigation
Individuals should be prepared to take appropriate action when a tornado watch or warning is issued. A tornado watch indicates that weather conditions are favorable for the formation of tornadoes. A warning indicates that a tornado has been spotted or indicated on radar. In the event of a tornado warning, individuals should seek shelter. Inside your home, go to an interior room, preferably on the lowest level. If caught in an automobile, stop, get out, and lie down in a ditch or other depression. Mobile homes, even if firmly tied to a foundation, provide little protection. If possible, leave, and seek shelter outdoors or in a more permanent structure nearby. Improvements in tornado warning systems have helped to significantly reduce the number of casualties caused by tornadoes. Take heed when warnings are issued. The National Weather Service's StormReady (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/stormready/) program provides a blueprint to help communities prepare and act in the event of a natural hazard emergency. The program is built around a continuous communication node through which a community immediately receives and disseminates warnings of severe storms, including tornadoes. It also requires a community preparedness plan, education and training activities, and emergency response exercises. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in cooperation with the Wind Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech University, has developed guidelines for the construction of tornado shelters (http://www.fema.gov/mit/saferoom/). Construction criteria address resistance to loads from wind pressure, windborne missile impact resistance, other loads that may impact the shelter, access doors and door frames, shelter ventilation, emergency lighting, shelter sizing, shelter accessibility, etc.
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