Tornado Safety

What is a Tornado?

Tornadoes are huge gusts of wind that can decimate anything that stands in their way. In addition, voilent weather occur during thunderstorms, such as hail, flashfloods, and lightning. A The amount of damage a tornado can do depends on their rating on the Fujita Scale (F-scale for short). From F0, which means some light damage, to F5, which means that it's very destructive and castastrophic. This webpage was made to help both you and your loved ones know what to do before, during, and after a tornado with simple and easy steps.

How to Prepare Before a Tornado

Find out whether or not your home or place of work is a tornado zone
Pay attention to weather reports
Have extra supplies such as batteries, flashlights, first aid kit, food/water, and thick clothing to protect youself from sharp objects
Develope plans for a go-to shelter for future reference
Storing any important documents somewhere water/fire proof

What to do During a Tornado

Turn off the electricity to avoid fires
Shut off the gas to prevent gas leaks
Place chairs and beds away from windows, mirrors, and picture frames
Use radio to updated on current events
If you're not at home, immediatly hed towards a FEMA safe room (alternatively, go to a building that looks sturdy)

Post-Tornado Procedures

Avoid any sharp objects
Do not breathe on dust if trapped inside
Wear heavy boots for feet protection
Try to information from any radios or local news stations
Take a photo of your damaged property to receive insurance

Fujita Tornado Damage Scale

Developed in 1971 by T. Theodore Fujita of the University of Chicago

SCALE	WIND ESTIMATE * (MPH)**	TYPICAL DAMAGE
F0	< 73	Light damage. Some damage to chimneys; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over; sign boards damaged.
F1	73-112	Moderate damage. Peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos blown off roads.
F2	113-157	Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars overturned; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated; cars lifted off ground.
F3	158-206	Severe damage. Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in forest uprooted; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown.
F4	207-260	Devastating damage. Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown away some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5	261-318	Incredible damage. Strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept away; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters (109 yds); trees debarked; incredible phenomena will occur.

*** IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT F-SCALE WINDS: Do not use F-scale winds literally. These precise wind speed numbers are actually guesses and have never been scientifically verified. Different wind speeds may cause similar-looking damage from place to place -- even from building to building. Without a thorough engineering analysis of tornado damage in any event, the actual wind speeds needed to cause that damage are unknown.

Reference Links

https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1409003506195-52740fd2983079a211d041f7aea6b85d/how_to_prepare_tornado_033014_508.pdf