When a tornado hits, it’s too late to begin thinking about disaster preparedness and what your family will do if a tornado disaster strikes your area. Prepare in advance for tornado disaster with emergency kits from FoodInsurance.com.
tornado facts:
The following are facts about tornadoes:
• A tornado may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• Tornadoes may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary to 70 MPH.
• Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
• Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
• Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.
• Peak tornado disaster season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.
Protect you and your family from tornado disaster with emergency kits from FoodInsurance.com
Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging clouds obscure others. Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible. Before a tornado hits is the time to think about disaster preparedness. With a disaster preparedness plan and emergency kits from FoodInsurance.com, your family will be prepared in the event a tornado disaster strikes your city.
Follow these basic steps to develop your family’s tornado disaster preparedness plan:
- Gather information about hazards in your area. Find out how susceptible to tornadoes your area is and how you should respond. Learn your community’s warning signals and evacuation plans.
- Meet with your family to create a disaster preparedness plan and make sure it includes emergency kits for the whole family. Discuss the information you’ve gathered. Choose a place outside your home to meet in the event of an emergency, such as a fire, and a place away from your neighborhood in case you can’t return home. Choose a friend or relative who lives out-of-state as your “family check-in contact”
- Implement your tornado disaster preparedness plan:
- Post emergency telephone numbers by phones.
- Inspect your home for potential hazards such as items that can move, fall break or catch fire, and correct them.
- Install safety features such as smoke alarms and fire extinguishers and instruct others how to use them properly.
- Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local emergency medical services number.
- Keep emergency kits such as FoodInsurance.com’s The Essentials kit in your home with enough supplies for each member of your family for two weeks.
- Keep a disaster preparedness response kit with items you may need in case of evacuation. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers, such as backpacks or duffle bags. FoodInsurance.com makes it easy with the Emergency Plus kit!
- Keep important family documents in a waterproof container.
- Keep a smaller disaster preparedness emergency kit in the trunk of your car.
- Practice and maintain your plan:
- Ask questions to make sure your family remembers meeting places, phone numbers, and safety rules.
- Make sure everyone knows where to find your family’s emergency kits.
- Test your smoke detectors monthly.
- Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Replace spare batteries as required.
- Conduct periodic drills to make sure you are prepared in case of an actual emergency.
With a little planning, you can ensure your family is prepared for a tornado disaster with emergency kits from FoodInsurance.com. Don’t wait—put your disaster preparedness plan into effect before it’s too late.
