TORNADOES ARE THE MOST ERRATIC...MOST UNPREDICTABLE...AND MOST VIOLENT OF STORMS ON EARTH. THEY MOST COMMONLY OCCUR IN WISCONSIN DURING THE WARMER PART OF THE YEAR...WITH THE MONTHS OF MAY...JUNE... AND JULY BEING THE PEAK MONTHS. A TORNADO MAY RANGE FROM A FEW YARDS TO NEARLY A MILE IN WIDTH. IT MAY PROPAGATE VERY SLOWLY OR AS FAST AS 60 MILES AN HOUR. IT MAY SKIP ALONG OR EVEN MAKE A U-TURN. IT MAY TRAVEL ALONG THE GROUND A FEW HUNDRED FEET OR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES. THEY MAY APPEAR SINGLY OR IN GROUPS.
FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION...BE FAMILIAR WITH TORNADO SAFETY RULES AND HAVE A PRE-ARRANGED PLAN TO GET TO SAFE SHELTER WHEN THESE DEADLY STORMS THREATEN. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE AND BROADCAST TORNADO WATCHES AND WARNINGS. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A NOAA WEATHER RADIO AVAILABLE...PREFERABLY ONE THAT CAN OPERATE ON BATTERIES. LISTEN FOR DIRECT TORNADO WATCH OR WARNING INFORMATION ON NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LISTEN TO OTHER COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TV STATION BROADCASTS.
BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TORNADO WATCH AND TORNADO WARNING. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A TORNADO WATCH TO GIVE YOU ADVANCE NOTICE THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN YOUR LOCALITY. THIS GIVES YOU THE TIME TO MAKE PRELIMINARY PLANS FOR MOVING TO A SAFE SHELTER QUICKLY IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED. THE TORNADO WARNING IS AN URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT A TORNADO HAS BEEN REPORTED OR DETECTED BY RADAR AND WARNS YOU TO TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS. WHEN A WARNING IS ISSUED...MOVE QUICKLY...SECONDS SAVE LIVES.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE OPEN DURING A TORNADO WARNING...TRY TO HIDE IN A DITCH OR RAVINE. LIE FLAT AND COVER YOUR HEAD. IF YOU CAN... WRAP A COVERING AROUND EXPOSED PORTIONS OF YOUR BODY. EVEN SMALL GROUND DEBRIS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY WHEN DRIVEN BY TORNADO STRENGTH WINDS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES YOU TO MEMORIZE THESE BASIC SAFETY RULES...YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON KNOWING THEM.
IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME...BE SURE YOU HAVE A PLAN OF SAFE ACTION SHOULD THE WEATHER BECOME THREATENING. THE SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION OF MOBILE HOMES MAKE THEM PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO OVERTURNING AND ROLLING IN HIGH WINDS. SOME PROTECTION MAY BE PROVIDED AGAINST THIS HAZARD BY SECURING THEM WITH CABLES ANCHORED IN CONCRETE FOOTINGS. BUT...FOR SAFETY SAKE...WHEN HIGH WINDS ARE IMMINENT...MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE EVACUATED FOR SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER IS NOT AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN A DITCH OR RAVINE AND COVER YOUR HEAD. HOWEVER...WATCH FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING.
IN THE HOME...THE SAFEST PLACE FROM TORNADO WINDS IS IN A BASEMENT OR CELLAR BELOW GROUND LEVEL. IF POSSIBLE...GET UNDER A STURDY TABLE OR WORK BENCH. IF A BASEMENT OR CELLAR IS NOT AVAILABLE...TAKE COVER IN AN INTERIOR CLOSET...HALLWAY...OR BATHROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE HOUSE. SOME PEOPLE HAVE FOUND THAT AN EMPTY BATH TUB WITH A MATTRESS OR BLANKET FOR A COVER MAKES A GOOD EMERGENCY REFUGE. DON/T OPEN WINDOWS OR DOORS...THIS ACTION WILL WASTE PRECIOUS SECONDS THAT COULD BE USED TO SEEK THE PROPER SHELTER. OPENING YOUR WINDOWS...DOORS...OR THE GARAGE DOOR WILL ALLOW WINDS TO PENETRATE YOUR HOME...LEADING TO A PRESSURIZATION OF YOUR HOME. THIS PRESSURIZATION MAY LEAD TO THE SO-CALLED EXPLOSION THAT PEOPLE REPORT. ALSO...KEEP IN MIND THAT BROKEN GLASS AND OTHER FLYING DEBRIS BECOME MISSILES THAT CAN INJURE OR KILL A PERSON.Source:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/product.php?site=mkx&product=pns&issuedby=MKX&format=CI&version=1&glossary=0
FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION...BE FAMILIAR WITH TORNADO SAFETY RULES AND HAVE A PRE-ARRANGED PLAN TO GET TO SAFE SHELTER WHEN THESE DEADLY STORMS THREATEN. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE AND BROADCAST TORNADO WATCHES AND WARNINGS. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A NOAA WEATHER RADIO AVAILABLE...PREFERABLY ONE THAT CAN OPERATE ON BATTERIES. LISTEN FOR DIRECT TORNADO WATCH OR WARNING INFORMATION ON NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LISTEN TO OTHER COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TV STATION BROADCASTS.
BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TORNADO WATCH AND TORNADO WARNING. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A TORNADO WATCH TO GIVE YOU ADVANCE NOTICE THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN YOUR LOCALITY. THIS GIVES YOU THE TIME TO MAKE PRELIMINARY PLANS FOR MOVING TO A SAFE SHELTER QUICKLY IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED. THE TORNADO WARNING IS AN URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT A TORNADO HAS BEEN REPORTED OR DETECTED BY RADAR AND WARNS YOU TO TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS. WHEN A WARNING IS ISSUED...MOVE QUICKLY...SECONDS SAVE LIVES.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE OPEN DURING A TORNADO WARNING...TRY TO HIDE IN A DITCH OR RAVINE. LIE FLAT AND COVER YOUR HEAD. IF YOU CAN... WRAP A COVERING AROUND EXPOSED PORTIONS OF YOUR BODY. EVEN SMALL GROUND DEBRIS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY WHEN DRIVEN BY TORNADO STRENGTH WINDS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES YOU TO MEMORIZE THESE BASIC SAFETY RULES...YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON KNOWING THEM.
IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME...BE SURE YOU HAVE A PLAN OF SAFE ACTION SHOULD THE WEATHER BECOME THREATENING. THE SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION OF MOBILE HOMES MAKE THEM PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO OVERTURNING AND ROLLING IN HIGH WINDS. SOME PROTECTION MAY BE PROVIDED AGAINST THIS HAZARD BY SECURING THEM WITH CABLES ANCHORED IN CONCRETE FOOTINGS. BUT...FOR SAFETY SAKE...WHEN HIGH WINDS ARE IMMINENT...MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE EVACUATED FOR SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER IS NOT AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN A DITCH OR RAVINE AND COVER YOUR HEAD. HOWEVER...WATCH FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING.
IN THE HOME...THE SAFEST PLACE FROM TORNADO WINDS IS IN A BASEMENT OR CELLAR BELOW GROUND LEVEL. IF POSSIBLE...GET UNDER A STURDY TABLE OR WORK BENCH. IF A BASEMENT OR CELLAR IS NOT AVAILABLE...TAKE COVER IN AN INTERIOR CLOSET...HALLWAY...OR BATHROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE HOUSE. SOME PEOPLE HAVE FOUND THAT AN EMPTY BATH TUB WITH A MATTRESS OR BLANKET FOR A COVER MAKES A GOOD EMERGENCY REFUGE. DON/T OPEN WINDOWS OR DOORS...THIS ACTION WILL WASTE PRECIOUS SECONDS THAT COULD BE USED TO SEEK THE PROPER SHELTER. OPENING YOUR WINDOWS...DOORS...OR THE GARAGE DOOR WILL ALLOW WINDS TO PENETRATE YOUR HOME...LEADING TO A PRESSURIZATION OF YOUR HOME. THIS PRESSURIZATION MAY LEAD TO THE SO-CALLED EXPLOSION THAT PEOPLE REPORT. ALSO...KEEP IN MIND THAT BROKEN GLASS AND OTHER FLYING DEBRIS BECOME MISSILES THAT CAN INJURE OR KILL A PERSON.Source:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/product.php?site=mkx&product=pns&issuedby=MKX&format=CI&version=1&glossary=0