FEMA Director Warns Of Spring Season Tornadoes, Tells Residents To Prepare Now
Release Date: April 19, 2005
Release Number: HQ-05-076
WASHINGTON, D.C -- Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Michael D. Brown told residents in tornado-prone areas across the United States to begin preparing for the severe weather that often comes with the spring season.
“As the spring season approaches, it is important for residents in tornado-prone areas to plan now for how they will respond when disaster strikes. Taking time now to think ahead about what to do in the event of a tornado can help reduce the risk to your life, your home and your family,” Brown said.
Tornadoes routinely wreck havoc every spring – tearing through towns, ripping off roofs, smashing houses, uprooting trees, flattening whole neighborhoods – and causing injuries and even deaths. The United States has the highest occurrence of tornadoes of any nation in the world. During an average year, over 1,000 tornadoes occur across the country.
When a tornado is coming, you have only a short amount of time to make life-or-death decisions. Advance planning and quick response are the keys to surviving a tornado:
- Conduct tornado drills each tornado season.
- Designate an area in the home as a shelter and practice having everyone in the family go there in response to a tornado threat.
- Have disaster supplies on hand -
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
- First aid kit and manual
- Emergency food and water
- Non-electric can opener
- Essential medicines
- Cash and credit cards
- Sturdy shoes
- Develop an emergency communication plan - In case family members are separated from one another during a tornado (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together.
Tornado Watches and Warnings:
A tornado watch is issued by the National Weather Service when tornadoes are possible in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms. This is the time to remind family members where the safest places within your home are located, and listen to the radio or television for further developments.
A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar.
Learn these tornado danger signs:
- An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible.
- Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still.
- Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
To hear Undersecretary Michael Brown’s recent public service announcement about being prepared for tornadoes during the Spring season, please visit: http://www.fema.gov/radio/.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 21-Apr-2005 13:13:56