While the chances that a particular building will be struck by a tornado in any given year is very small, about 1,000 tornadoes occur each year in this country, causing an average of $1.1 billion in property damage, 80 deaths and thousands of injuries.  For those of us living in “Tornado Alley” the odds are significantly higher.  While Kansas has recorded the highest number of tornadoes since 1880, Iowa has the greatest number of F5’s per square mile and ranks number 6 for tornado frequency.

Tornadoes vary in intensity and the accompanying damage can result in everything from minor repairs to complete destruction with little warning. Most tornadoes are relatively weak, and therefore, primarily damage roofs, windows and trees. While only two percent of tornadoes achieve the most violent and damaging classification, one quarter of tornadoes are powerful enough to cause 90 percent of the damage and two-thirds of the deaths.

Tornadoes have a unique destructive power among wind-related natural disasters because they concentrate a massive amount of energy in a relatively small area. Tornadoes are classified according to a scale originally developed by and named for Tetsuya (Ted) Fujita, a tornado researcher at the University of Chicago. The storms are classified from 0 to 5 with 5 being the most intense. Typically, tornadoes are classified by the damage they cause and then wind speeds are inferred from the damage. Consequently, the scale really is a damage scale rather than a wind speed scale. The strongest tornadoes can generate maximum wind speeds of more than 250 mph, which is enough to destroy most buildings and structures in their path. These maximum wind speeds generate forces that are about twice as large as those generated by the strongest hurricanes.

Reducing Your Tornado Risk

Even homes that have been strengthened in critical areas or are built to hurricane standards will suffer damage and may be completely destroyed if they are subjected to one of the most intense tornadoes. The most economical and effective way to provide protection for you and your family, when a tornado strikes, is to have a storm shelter that has been built to meet well established national standards.

The key issues are having a safe place and time to get there, so be sure to keep in mind location and access considerations if you build a tornado storm shelter.

Short of building or installing a tornado shelter, you should identify the safest area of your home.  This is usually the basement or a small interior room without windows, such as a bathroom, where you can ride out the storm.

• Be sure you can easily access this area when a tornado threatens.
• The more walls between you and the outside, the better.
• Reduce the risk of injury from windborne debris and broken glass, stay away from windows and doors.
• Replace rock/gravel landscaping material with shredded bark.
• Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed. Cut weak branches and remove pine trees that could fall on your home.
• Keep exterior doors and windows closed to minimize rain and flying debris. Closing interior doors will also help to compartmentalize the building home and provide more barriers between you and the storm.

Having time to seek shelter in severe weather situations is critical.

Using a NOAA all-hazard radio that is specifically tuned to pick up warnings for your local area is a good option.  This will minimize more frequent and broader warnings that may or may not apply to you.

Become familiar with your community’s severe weather warning system and make certain every adult and teenager in your family knows what to do when a tornado “watch” or “warning” sounds.

Identify escape routes from your home and neighborhood and designate an emergency meeting place for your family to reunite if you become separated. Also establish a contact person to communicate with concerned relatives.

Put together an emergency kit that includes first aid supplies, a portable NOAA all-hazard radio, a flashlight, fresh batteries, basic tools, work gloves, portable lanterns, a signaling device such as an air horn, prescription medications, extra car keys, extra eyeglasses, cash and important documents such as insurance policies.

Stay Safe after the Tornado Passes

The danger doesn’t end when the tornado passes. A recent study indicated that 50% of reported injuries occurred after the storm during rescue and cleanup activities.

• Continue to monitor your battery-powered radio or television for emergency information.
• Be careful when entering any structure that has been damaged.
• Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves, and gloves when handling or walking on or near debris.
• Be aware of hazards from exposed nails and broken glass.
• Do not touch downed power lines or objects in contact with downed lines. Report electrical hazards to the police and the utility company.
• Use battery-powered lanterns, if possible, rather than candles to light homes without electrical power. If you use candles, make sure they are in safe holders away from curtains, paper, wood, or other flammable items.
• Never use generators, pressure washers, grills, camp stoves, or other gasoline, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, basement, garage, or camper—or even outside near an open window, door, or vent.
• Respond to requests for volunteer assistance by police, fire fighters, emergency management, and relief organizations, but do not go into damaged areas unless assistance has been requested. Your presence could hamper relief efforts, and you could endanger yourself.