Tornadoes can happen anytime and anywhere. You may only have seconds to make a decision when a tornado is imminent. Advance planning and quick response are the keys to surviving a tornado.
Damage from the 2008 Parkersburg, Iowa tornado.
Tornado danger signs
An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible.
Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
Rain-wrapped tornadoes are especially dangerous. They are common with heavy precipitation supercell thunderstorms, which are frequently occurring in Iowa. Supercell storms have been observed to generate the vast majority of long-lived and violent (EF2-EF5) tornadoes, as well as downburst damage and large hail.
What to do before, during and after a tornado
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Conduct tornado drills each tornado season with your household and develop a family emergency communication plan for when you are not together. Identify the safe room in your home, at work, and at school.
Discuss with family members the difference between a “tornado watch” and a “tornado warning.”
Build an emergency kit so you have disaster supplies on hand.
Develop a family emergency communication plan.
If you are inside
Move to your pre-designated shelter. The designated shelter should be in a basement, storm cellar, or lowest level of the building. If you are at work or school, you should go to the basement or an interior hallway on the lowest level of the building where you are.
If you can, get under a sturdy piece of furniture.
Stay away from windows.
If you are caught outdoors (last resort)
Find shelter in a ditch
Stay in the car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows, covering it with your hands and a blanket if possible.
Do not take shelter under a highway overpass, where wind speeds can increase due to a tunneling effect.
Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes.
Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that advance warning is not possible. Remain alert for signs of an approaching tornado. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most deaths and injuries.
Don’t try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Call for help.
Turn on radio or television to get the latest emergency information. Save your phone calls for emergencies. Phone systems are often down or busy after a disaster. Use text messaging or social media to communicate with family and friends.
Check in on neighbors who may need assistance.
Take pictures of the damage – both to the house and its contents – for insurance purposes.
Be careful during clean-up. Wear thick-soled shoes, long pants, and work gloves. Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately. Leave the buildings if you smell gas or chemical fumes.
Stay out of damaged buildings. Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
Tornado mitigation
Mitigation includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or lessen the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Investing in preventive mitigation steps now, such as checking local building codes and ordinances about wind-resistant designs and strengthening un-reinforced masonry, will help reduce the impact of tornadoes in the future.
On May 25, 2008, an EF-5 tornado carved a 43-mile path of destruction in eastern Iowa, killing 9 people – 7 in Parkersburg, 1 west of New Hartford, and 1 north of New Hartford. Video: Iowa News Now.
