This past Wednesday, as I was driving to work, I got a phone call from my boss telling me to turn around and go back home because there were tornadoes. (Since we have to drive for work, tornadoes hinder productivity.)
So I’m driving back home and thinking, “What the heck do I do if I see a tornado? Do I drive away from it? Do I pull over and hope that it doesn’t eat me!?” The only knowledge I had of tornadoes is from the tornado drills we did in elementary through high school. So it’s great to know that if I were in a school building at the time the tornado hit, I would know exactly what to do. However, seeing as how I was not in a school, but in my car, a little bit of panic hit me. All I could think of was this scene from Twister:
So I’m supposed to pull over and hope that there is a water pipe above
ground that I could tie myself to with leather straps? Awesome.
Obviously, I’m not familiar with tornadoes. Back in South Florida, we didn’t have to worry about these. We worried about hurricanes, and even then, we knew days in advance it was on its way.
So here is what FEMA says to do:
| If you are in: | Then: |
|---|
| A structure (e.g. residence, small building, school, nursing home, hospital, factory, shopping center, high-rise building) | Go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck. Do not open windows. |
| A vehicle, trailer, or mobile home | Get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. |
| The outside with no shelter | Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location.
Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter.
Watch out for flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries. |
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/tornado/to_during.shtm
Good to know, now! Luckily, I got home right before the storm hit. Here is what these lovely tornadoes did near my apartment:
This used to be a BP….then the tornado knocked it on its bootay. Some say this was
Mother Nature's way of saying, “Thanks for the oil spill!” Burrrrrn.
