Be READY: Severe Storms

11/9/2015 (Permalink)

Storm damaged caused by tree

Severe weather can happen anytime, but what can you do to be ready in case disaster strikes?

Build an Emergency Kit. An emergency kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. You will want to assemble this kit well in advance of an emergency. You may need to evacuate at a moment’s notice and may not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them. 
You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately, especially if the disaster is widespread. You may get help in hours or it could take days.
Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.
It is also important to have your insurance information, phone numbers, and other important documents in a secure place so you will have all necessary information you may need in the event of a disaster.   

Have an Emergency Communication Plan
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes. It is important to think about the follow and plan just in case. 
•How will my family/household get emergency alerts and warnings?
•How will my family/household get to safe locations for relevant emergencies?
•How will my family/household get in touch if cell phone, internet, or landline doesn’t work?
•How will I let loved ones know I am safe?
•How will family/household get to a meeting place after the emergency?
You can visit http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan for template plans you can download and fill out for your family.
Understand how to receive emergency alerts and warnings.  Make sure all household members are able to get alerts about an emergency from local officials. Check with your local emergency management agency to see what is available in your area, and learn more about alerts by visiting: www.ready.gov/alerts.

Before a Storm
•Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.
•Postpone outdoor activities if there is a storm on the way.
•Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.
•Shutter windows and secure outside doors. If shutters are not available, close window blinds, shades or curtains.
•Unplug any electronic equipment well before the storm arrives.

Know the Terms
Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a thunderstorm hazard:
Severe Thunderstorm Watch - Tells you when and where severe thunderstorms are likely to occur. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Issued when severe weather has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar. Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property to those in the path of the storm.

During Thunderstorms and Lightning
If thunderstorm and lightning are occurring in your area, you should:
•Use your battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio for updates from local officials.
•Avoid contact with corded phones and devices including those plugged into electric for recharging.  Cordless and wireless phones not connected to wall outlets are OK to use.
•Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. Unplug appliances and other electrical items such as computers and turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage.
•Avoid contact with plumbing. Do not wash your hands, do not take a shower, do not wash dishes, and do not do laundry. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity.
•Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
•Do not lie on concrete floors and do not lean against concrete walls.
•Avoid natural lightning rods such as a tall, isolated tree in an open area.
•Avoid hilltops, open fields, the beach or a boat on the water.
•Take shelter in a sturdy building. Avoid isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.
•Avoid contact with anything metal—tractors, farm equipment, motorcycles, golf carts, golf clubs, and bicycles.

Tornadoes
Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one-mile-wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard. 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, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. A 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.

Before a tornado:
•Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information. In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials.
•Be alert to changing weather conditions. Look for approaching storms.

Look for the following danger signs:

• Dark, often greenish sky
• Large hail
• A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
• Loud roar, similar to a freight train.

If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

Know the Terms
Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a tornado hazard:
Tornado Watch - Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information.
Tornado Warning - A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter immediately.

During a Tornado
If you are under a tornado warning, seek shelter immediately!  Most injuries associated with high winds are from flying debris, so remember to protect your head.

Build a Safe Room
Extreme windstorms in many parts of the country pose a serious threat to buildings and their occupants. Your residence may be built "to code" but that does not mean it can withstand winds from extreme events such as tornadoes and major hurricanes. The purpose of a safe room or a wind shelter is to provide a space where you and your family can seek refuge that provides a high level of protection. You can build a safe room in one of several places in your home.
•Your basement
•Atop a concrete slab-on-grade foundation or garage floor.
•An interior room on the first floor.
Safe rooms built below ground level provide the greatest protection, but a safe room built in a first-floor interior room also can provide the necessary protection. Below-ground safe rooms must be designed to avoid accumulating water during the heavy rains that often accompany severe windstorms.
To protect its occupants, a safe room must be built to withstand high winds and flying debris, even if the rest of the residence is severely damaged or destroyed. Consider the following when building a safe room:
•The safe room must be adequately anchored to resist overturning and uplift.
•The walls, ceiling and door of the shelter must withstand wind pressure and resist penetration by windborne objects and falling debris.
•The connections between all parts of the safe room must be strong enough to resist the wind.
•Sections of either interior or exterior residence walls that are used as walls of the safe room must be separated from the structure of the residence so that damage to the residence will not cause damage to the safe room.

After the Storm:
SERVPRO of Franklin County has experience restoring homes affected by storms and flooding. We can respond immediately with highly trained technicians who employ specialized equipment and techniques to restore your home or business back to pre-storm condition.

SERVPRO of Franklin County is located in Union, MO so we are part of this community too. When you have a flooding or storm emergency, we’re already nearby and ready to help. We take pride in being a part of the Franklin County, MO community and want to do our part in making it the best it can be.
We are proud to serve our local communities.

Need Storm or Flood Cleanup Services? Call Us Today (636) 583-5200