How To Prepare For A Twister

Do you know what to do if a twister comes to your area?



If you stay in a place that frequently gets tornados (like Kansas or Texas), chances are high you do know what to do when these funnel clouds come to town. However, tornados do sometimes show up in less likely locations, and you should know what to do.



What Are Tornados?



Tornados are funnels from the ground to the clouds created by extraordinarily high speed spinning air. After they touch down to the ground, they destroy just about every thing they touch … timber, bushes, houses, automobiles, animals … everything. And unfortunately, they tend to form quickly with little warning.



Before A Tornado



If you reside in an area susceptible to tornados, it's best to keep an eye on the weather channel on TV or the Internet or listen for the weather on the radio. Nonetheless, it helps if you recognize what type of weather conditions are inclined to accompany tornados as well. So, should you see these conditions, be particularly vigilant and follow the weather news more closely.



How To Know A Twister Is Coming



Tornados are almost always preceded by a cold front moving into the area where there's already a warm front with moist air and heavy winds. This added to massive, darkish, low couds … or a wall of huge, ominous-looking clouds … are perfect conditions for tornados. Also, when a tornado is imminent, there's usually rain, hail, and excessive winds. These conditions don’t assure a tornado, but tornados are normally preceded by such conditions. If you see debris blowing in the winds, that’s a bad sign.



Tornados are typically very loud (many individuals describe it as sounding like a freight train), so you'll likely hear a tornado coming before you see it. The sky will often turn greenish or greenish-black.



Getting ready For A Twister



To be ready for a tornado, you should keep a kit in your home including a portable communications radio (e.g., FRS or GPRS), a cellular phone with charged batteries, a flashlight (LED type is preferred), and a whistle, horn, or air horn. It’s also helpful to include protective clothing, food, water, batteries, and a portable radio to hear the news reports.



Written by Dr. Bryan Stoker. Websites by Dr. Stoker: Comparing Coffee Makers and Should You Buy Electric Piano.