How can you stay in safety during a tornado warning :: wral.com

Tornados can cause widespread damage to property, bring families in their way and change life in the communities they have hit. In 2023 there were 241 confirmed Tornados in June alone, according to the disaster philanthropy.

In North Carolina we saw how devastating tornados can be.

In July 2023, an EF3 tornado rotated through parts of the counties Nash and Edgecompbe, which caused serious damage and 16 confirmed injuries in a pfizer system. Many remember the Tornado outbreak in April 2011, which became the largest one-day total for the state.

All that means it is important to precede a tornado and prepare for a potentially life -threatening situation. The tornado season generally becomes active at the beginning of spring when the temperatures warm up.

Download the Wral Weather app to maintain storm notifications during a power failure.

Tornado security tips

Find protection in an extensive building.

Move in a house or building in a previously defined accommodation such as basement, bathroom or closet.

If there is no underground protection, move to an interior or a hallway on the bottom floor and go under a stable piece of furniture.

Go in a large building such as a shopping center in the designated protected area or in a small, reinforced area within the building like a toilet. Avoid areas with a large roof surface, since large roofs collapse under the stress of a tornado or downburst winch.

Take it seriously and protect yourself

There is no guaranteed security during a tornado. Therefore, Tornado warnings should be taken seriously, even if there is only one possibility. Since tornadoes suddenly and without a long warning time, it is important that they follow the precautionary measures.

And of course you should seek protection immediately if a tornado warning is issued.

Keep away from Windows

Opening windows to your home during a tornado, formerly a common practice, is not recommended. At the same time, an exploding window can hurt or kill. It is best to avoid Windows as a whole and not waste a precious time to take care of them.

If you are caught outdoors, look for protection at a low place like a ditch or deduction. You want to get as low as possible to protect yourself in a tornado from all flying ruins. Protect your head with your hands.

What if I'm in a car?

If you are in a vehicle and are threatened by a tornado, leave your vehicle and look for protection in a significant structure or in a ditch. Never try to escape a tornado in a vehicle. Tornados do not travel to straight lines, and it can be very difficult to determine in which direction the tornado moves.

Never look for protection against a tornado under a transfer. There is no safe place under a transfer. If you are looking for protection under a transfer, there is a risk of violent winds and flying ruins.

Pay attention to flying debris. Flying debris from tornados cause most deaths and injuries.

Protection against tornados and should be abandoned, even if they are tied. Immediately go to a reinforced shelter.

Tornado Watch vs. Warning

A tornado clock means that weather conditions for the formation of tornado are cheap. A warning means that a tornado has been discovered or a radar has given a tornado.

Protect yourself during a warning on the lowest level of a house or a building, off the windows. Make sure you watch WRAL News during a Tornado watch or have access to warnings.

Every tornado warning in the area means WRAL News, on the digital channel 5.1, Wral News + and the Wral News app. You can also listen to us on the radio at 101.5 fm. You can activate notifications via the Wral app to know first when a tornado warning was issued.

“If we are under a tornado warning, you can betting someone from the writer's WRALT team who will be live on wral,” said meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth von Wral. “Take your phone with you when you come to your safe place so you can watch our reporting in the Wral News app.”

“When Thunder roars, go inside”

A good rule of thumb is that if you can hear thunder, you are in danger of being hit by lightning, and this is the best time to go inside, even though it may not rain at the moment.

“If you can hear thunder, you are in danger of being hit by lightning,” said Wilmoth. “I have seen it many times. We can have a lightning strike from the actual rain. My daughter plays football and she has coaches who let her play during the thunder. I always go to the coach and tell you that this is not safe. The children have to go to an animal shelter when they can hear Thunder.”

Get the lowest level of the building

“The number one that has to remember everyone if you reach the lowest level of the building under a tornado warning,” said Wilmoth.

A place like the center of a basement under the floor or the lowest floor of a house offers the greatest security. A middle corridor, a bathroom or a nearest agent are also good options.

If it is not possible to reach a low level, try to get under a door frame or to climb something like a switch that protects you from falling rubble.

Place as many walls between you and nature as possible

Go to the middle of the structure in which you are in order to lay the biggest distance between you and nature.

If you live in a mobile home, don't stay there. Go to another building nearby. Most mobile houses cannot resist the winds of the tornado strength.

Avoid windows

An exploding window can hurt or kill. Select a windowless room to escape. Earlier news in earlier times have opened the windows to relieve pressure in a house, but that is no longer proposed.

It is also a good idea to avoid rooms with heavy objects that could fall over, e.g. B. refrigerators or entertainment centers.

Create a tornado emergency kit

You can build an emergency preparation kit for tornado situations.

• Unused batteries and battery -operated television, radio, water in bottles, personal hygiene articles and not perishable foods
• Instructions for a tornado emergency plan
• Pack additional clothes for every family member
• Have a first help kit at hand
• A list of important contact information, including telephone numbers

The National Weather Service has more instructions for building a kit.

Protect your head

If you have time to snap something that can protect your head during a tornado warning -like a helmet or a pillow -it is a really good idea to protect your head when a tornado is near your location.

Do you have a tornado hole at school, at work and at home

At the Week weather week, many offices and school districts plan a tornado drill. For schools, this sometimes means that students go into a hallway and cover themselves against a wall, an important exercise to familiarize them with the preparation. In these situations, the students should stay away from areas such as cafeterias, gyms or auditors, as they are less likely to withstand the pressure of tornados.

You can carry out a family tornado drill and find the best place to cover yourself in your house.