Surviving a Tornado

​

Surviving a tornado is something that is possible today thanks to early detection methods. They are not efficient enough to give warning but are effective enough to give a sufficient enough warning for you to be ready. To survive a tornado, you must have a plan in place and know how to react on a moment's notice. Often you could be in a deep slumber in the middle of the night when you are awakened to the house shaking and a tornado on its way. You will have mere minutes to make decisions that could change the outcome of life or death. Knowing tornado drills and practicing them so that you are efficient at them is the best advantage you can have when it comes to surviving a tornado. Understanding that structures can be ripped apart and that no place is really safe that is above ground is key. If you have a tornado shelter having easy access and a planned route to it can make the difference in saving the life of you and your loved ones. If your home has a basement you should have a section of your basement, that is set up for emergency situations such as tornadoes where you and your family and friends have a place to escape to safety. Planning ahead will keep you safe in the future. A little preparation now can pay off a lot in the long run.

 

Also heads up to parents out there, your kids need to go into a carseat.
They are designed to protect children from impacts of a car wreck.
I did not know that this was something till I moved here.
Then I was updated on tornado situations here.
I lived in a town before this that seriously had no tornados in town.
I warned everyone that Tornado Alley was shifting south and East a little more each year.
This year they have had more tornado warnings than ever.

 

We live near a small town that was hit last month with a tornado. The pictures we got on Facebook were incredible.

And the expression on people's faces? Shell-shocked. Even with advance warning, you're just not prepared for the amount of devastation that can occur in 5 minutes' time.

 

Well, I have A LOT of experience with tornados and have been in some of the most devastating tornados in recent history.

Well, first I should say I grew up in Moore, Oklahoma. When I was only a child our house was destroyed in the May 3rd, 1999 tornado. That's the tornado that changed the way tornados are rated. Before that tornados were rated on the original Fujita Scale F-0 through F-5, this tornado was so strong technically it was an F-6. Stronger than they thought was possible. So, it had to be changed to the Enhanced Fujita scale. That's why they say EF-0 through EF-5 now.
Funny story (okay, not so funny) we actually moved to the suburbs in 1995 after the Murrah building bombing in '94 in downtown OKC because my parents thought it would safer for us... obviously, it wasn't.

We were actually at Moore Medical Center on May 20th, 2013. The day another devastating tornado hit, but we decided to leave before the storms hit. We were visiting family recovering from surgery. A large portion of the hospital was destroyed, no deaths at the hospital though.
Then! Near our house the widest tornado in history (yes, in recorded HISTORY) at 2.6 miles wide on May 31st, 2013. It touched down less than 10 miles from my home and was headed straight towards us and dissipated close to our house.

2013 was a rough weather year for us here in Oklahoma.

 

I haven't experienced a tornado yet, but I definitely would not want too. I think they're a lot easier to deal with than they used to be, but it's still one of those thing you never want to be caught up in. I think tornado bunkers make it pretty easy to survive though, right? Just go underground, and it can't really touch you. However, if it screws up your home real bad, that just sucks so much. I don't know if I'd ever want to move out to the mid-west, if it meant dealing with tornadoes regularly. I don't think tornadoes really tend to happen anywhere else in the U.S. nowadays.

 

In North Texas, we are taught at an early age how to protect ourselves in a tornado. In fact, I remember tornado drills in elementary school. Go to the bathroom or an inside hall with no windows. If your kids have football helmets, tell them to put them on to try to avoid serious head injuries. Always have your cell phone with you as there is a chance that you can reach someone when it is over and can call for help. If you are in the bathroom, get into the tub and place a twin mattress over you. In the hallway, put a twin mattress on you as well. I also like to turn up the radio or television so that I can hear the weatherman or the news as we shelter in place.