Mark Robertson

Mark Robertson

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RED CROSS THUNDERSTORM SAFETY

WE ARE LOOKING AT THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON. 

STORM ARE MOVING ACROSS ALABAMA AND INTO GEORGIA AND MAY ARRIVE IN OUR AREA MID-AFTERNOON BRINGING GUSTY WINDS, THUNDERSTORMS, HAIL AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES. HERE IS SOME INFORMATION FROM THE RED CROSS ABOUT BEING SAFE IN A THUNDERSTORM

CLICK HERE

The American Red Cross of Southeast and Coastal Georgia urges families to prepared for severe weather now and into the upcoming 2017 hurricane season. The below tips will help keep families safe and prepared.

Prepare

  • ∙ Free bilingual RED CROSS Emergency App (English , Spanish) expert advice on how to prepare & respond to tornadoes and other disasters and features real-time local alerts for severe weather and hazards and includes a map with local Red Cross shelters
  • Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be informed. Be Red Cross Ready Checklist (1 page) (English) (Spanish – Landing page)
  • If you or a member of your household is an individual with access or functional needs, including a disability, consider developing a comprehensive evacuation plan in advance with family, care providers and care attendants, as appropriate. Complete a personal assessment of functional abilities and possible needs during and after an emergency or disaster situation, and create a personal support network to assist.

Tornado Safety

What should I do to prepare for a tornado?

∙ Know the Difference

o Tornado Watch - Tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Review and discuss your emergency plans, and check supplies and your safe room. Be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or you suspect a tornado is approaching. Acting early helps to save lives!

o Tornado Warning - A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Tornado warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property. Go immediately underground to a basement, storm cellar or an interior room (closet, hallway or bathroom).

∙ During any storm, listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings.

∙ Know your community's warning system. Communities have different ways of warning residents about tornadoes, with many having sirens intended for outdoor warning purposes.

∙ Pick a safe room in your home where household members and pets may gather during a tornado. This should be a basement, storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.

∙ Practice periodic tornado drills so that everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching.

∙ Consider having your safe room reinforced. Plans for reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection can be found on the FEMA web site (open in Chrome)

∙ Prepare for high winds by removing diseased and damaged limbs from trees.

∙ Move or secure lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a projectile.

∙ Watch for tornado danger signs:

  • o Dark, often greenish clouds – a phenomenon caused by hail
  • o Wall cloud – an isolated lowering of the base of a thunderstorm
  • o Cloud of debris
  • o Large hail
  • o Funnel cloud – a visible rotating extension of the cloud base
  • o Roaring noise

What to Do During a Tornado

∙ The safest place to be is an underground shelter, basement or safe room.

∙ If no underground shelter or safe room is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building is the safest alternative.

o Mobile homes are not safe during tornadoes or other severe winds.

o Do not seek shelter in a hallway or bathroom of a mobile home.

o If you have access to a sturdy shelter or a vehicle, abandon your mobile home immediately.

o Go to the nearest sturdy building or shelter immediately, using your seat belt if driving.

o Do not wait until you see the tornado.

∙ If you are caught outdoors, seek shelter in a basement, shelter or sturdy building. If you cannot quickly walk to a shelter:

o Immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter.

o If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Now you have the following options as a last resort:

o Stay in the car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows, covering with your hands and a blanket if possible.

o If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, exit your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.


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