SolveYourProblem Article Series:
Home Emergency Preparation Tips &
Family Disaster Plans

Your Tornado Safety Plan

If you have ever experienced a tornado, then you probably understand that they can come and go faster than most expect. Tornados are natural disasters that can wreck havoc on entire towns at a time. Some have even been known to crash across an entire state or two. Tornados are dangerous events that no one wants to be caught up in. While it is true that you cannot escape a tornado when it hits, you can be as prepared as possible for a possible tornado. To do this effectively, you need to prepare a safety plan in advance.

The best way to prepare a safety plan in case of a tornado is for the adults in your home to sit down and develop a plan. After their plan is devised, they should then hold a family meeting to go over the plan with all members of the family. This will help even small children get familiar with the plan in case of emergency. It is a great idea to go over the plan at least twice a year (once at the start of each “tornado season” in your area). With everyone being on the same track, when you need to utilize your plan, it will likely be very smooth.

You may understand that you need to prepare a safety plan, but you may not know exactly what to do. The first thing you can do is to create a small “emergency kit”. This should be placed in an easily accessed area. You should include first aid items in your kit, such as bandages, antibiotic creams, and scissors. In addition to the first aid items, you should include fresh bottled water, a radio with new batteries, and a flashlight. Matches and candles are also great items for your kit.

After you finish your kit, you should decide that if there is an upcoming tornado, where your family should go. If your family has a basement or a partial basement that is underground, you should certainly go there. Pick a place that is away from windows and doors. When a tornado hits close to your home, one of the first things that may happen is that your windows will blow out. You don’t want to be near them when this happens, or the glass may cut you.

If you don’t have a basement, don’t fret. You can find other places that are safe to be in your home during inclement weather. Choose to get in a closet, under a stairwell, or in a central room. A central room would be a room that is in the center of your home. Bathrooms without windows are also great places, as the piping in the walls can act as a barrier between you and the weather outside.

Once you pick one place for everyone to go in case of emergency, place your “emergency kit” in this location, so it will be there if you need it. When bad weather hits, you will not have time to search for your kit, so if you leave it in your ”safe spot” you will know it is waiting on you. In the confusion before a tornado strikes, it is sometimes difficult to get everyone to understand what’s going on. You may want to plan an emergency word that should only be used in case of emergency. Make sure everyone in your family knows the word and what to do when it is spoken.

Part of being prepared for an emergency is practice. Emergency officials train constantly in order to be effective on their job. Therefore, if you want an effective emergency plan, you and your family should practice what to do. Choose a time when there is no threat of emergency, like the winter months. Then, alert your family with the emergency word and put your plan in action.

Do this several times a year to keep everyone on his or her toes. It may seem annoying, but if your family is comfortable with the plan, it will be overall more effective. Having a plan is a great idea, but you must understand how to use it and make sure it is appropriate for your family and home. After you perfect your plan, you can feel secure knowing that in an emergency, such as a tornado, your family will know exactly what to do!

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2006

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