Tornado: How to survive when twisters strike

CATHOLIC ONLINE - The terrible string of tornados that hit Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and Alabama on Tuesday night and killed more than 50 people strike fear among many. Although twisters are most common in the Southwestern, Southeastern and Midwestern United States, they can strike anywhere, sometimes with little or no warning.

How can we prepare for a tornado strike? What can we do if one does hit our area?

Warning signs

Stormy and windy conditions normally precede a tornado's formation, and meteorologists from the National Weather Service often can issue a tornado watch when conditions are ripe for a tornado to occur. When a funnel cloud is observed, even before it touches down, a tornado watch becomes a tornado warning. It is therefore highly recommended that you tune in to the television or radio, an emegency weather-band radio if possible, to monitor such information whenever a major storm is at hand.

Many communities also have a "tornado siren." Find out if yours does and whether you would be able to hear it from your residence or place of work.

If you watch the skies for twisters, look for a very dark, often greenish sky, a cloud that appears like a wall, the falling of large hail, and a loud sound like a freight train. Some tornados are clearly visible, but others are harder to see due to rain or low clouds. If you see a funnel cloud but it does not appear to be touching the ground, look more closely for signs of debris below the funnel that could indicate that the funnel has indeed touched down.

Here is advice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on what to do if your area receives a tornado warning or if you see or fear that one is approaching:

If you are in a structure such as a residence, small building, school, nursing home, hospital, factory, shopping center, or high-rise building:

Go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck. Do not open windows

If you are in a vehicle, trailer, or mobile home:

Get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes.

If you are outside with no shelter:

Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of the potential for flooding. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location. Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter.

Watch out for flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries.

Not all tragic effects of natural disasters can be avoided. With a little preparation and a cool head, however, you and your loved ones can give yourselves your best shot at surviving the wrath of a tornado.

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