NSF VIDEO: SCIENCE BEHIND THE NEWS: TORNADOES

FEMA INFORMATION ON SURVIVING TORNADOES

Credit:  FEMA

FROM: FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

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.

Be Informed

Emergency preparedness is not the sole concern of Californians for earthquakes, those who live in "Tornado Alley"; or Gulf Coast residents because of hurricanes. Most communities may be impacted by several types of hazards during a lifetime. Americans also travel more than ever before; to areas impacted by hazards they may not be at risk of near their homes. Knowing what to do before, during and after an emergency is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.

Some of the basic protective actions are similar for multiple hazards. For example, safety is necessary when experiencing all hazards, whether this means sheltering or evacuating depends on the specific emergency. Developing a family communications plan or making an emergency supply kit are the same for accidental emergencies, natural disasters and also terrorism. However, there are important differences among potential emergencies that should impact the decisions you make and the actions you take.

Use the links on this page to learn about the potential emergencies that can happen where you live and the appropriate ways to respond to them. When you know what to do, you can plan with your household and prepare in advance to be ready. These links also provide information about how protect your household and begin recovery following the initial disaster.

Before a disaster, learn how you will know there is an impending hazardous event. Familiarize yourself with the signs of events that come without warning and know the local advance alerts and warnings and how you will receive them. Knowing about the local emergency plans for shelter and evacuation and local emergency contacts will help you develop your household plan and will also aid you during a crisis.

Learning what to do in different situations and developing and customizing your plans for your local hazards, the locations frequented by members of your household and the specific needs of household members including animals will help you reduce the impact of disasters and may save lives and prevent injuries.

　

Make a Plan

Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes so it is important to plan in advance: how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations. Read more about Family Communication during an emergency.

Ready.gov has made it simple for you to make a family emergency plan. Download the Family Emergency Plan (FEP) (PDF - 750 Kb) and fill out the sections before printing it or emailing it to your family and friends.

You should also inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school, faith organizations, sports events and commuting. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one. Talk to community leaders, your colleagues, neighbors and members of faith or civic organizations about how you can work together in the event of an emergency. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance. Read more about school and workplace plans.

　

Build A Kit

A disaster supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You will probably 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 in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might 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.

APRIL 2011 U.S. TORNADO OUTBREAK SPAWNED 750 TORNADOES, KILLED 361 PEOPLE

FROM:  FEMA
ATLANTA, Ga. -- The relentless and destructive tornado outbreak in April 2011 that caused massive damage, injuries and loss of life across the South resulted in unprecedented response and recovery efforts coordinated by FEMA to every affected state across the region. The storms spawned a record 750 tornadoes. A reported 361 people lost their lives. Six states received major disaster declarations. In the year since, thousands of people have rebuilt their lives and homes, and communities continue recovering and rebuilding.

Tornado over the plains. This tornado was one of many spawned during a massive outbreak stretching from eastern Colorado to Oklahoma on May 23-May  Image ID: nssl0231, NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) Collection Location: Kansas Photo Date: 2008 May 23 Photographer: Sean Waugh NOAA/NSSL

That rebuilding involves everyone from the affected individuals, community volunteers, local and tribal governments and state and federal officials. Federal assistance alone has totaled nearly a billion dollars for housing and other disaster-related needs of individuals, emergency and permanent repair work for local governments and educational and nonprofit organizations, low-interest disaster loans, and dollars paid to other federal agencies to support the disaster response.

That assistance in the six (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee) of eight states in Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region IV includes:
24,773 disaster survivors were eligible for federal disaster assistance;
$118 million to disaster survivors as part of the Individual and Households Program, including:
$90.6 million to individuals for housing assistance;
Inclusive of that funding, FEMA provided the maximum grant ($30,200) to 1,341 registrants, representing more than $40 million in disaster assistance.

$27.7 million to individuals for other disaster-related needs such as medical costs and funeral expenses.
More than $321 million of the estimated $338 million total estimated reimbursements has been provided to help local governments and educational and non-profit organizations pay for emergency work and permanent repairs.

$160 million in low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
FEMA has set aside nearly $109 million to help state and local governments implement long-term measures to minimize the impact of future disasters.

Debris was so massive in Alabama that the amount—10 million cubic yards was enough to fill 67,000 18-wheelers. If those trucks were lined up, they would stretch from Mobile to Nashville and halfway back again.

“If we learned anything from last April, it is that we lost too many lives.” said FEMA Region IV Administrator Phil May. “A prepared public is our nation’s most valuable resource in a disaster, and through disaster preparedness we can save lives.”
FEMA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have designated April 22-28 as Severe Weather Preparedness Week to highlight the importance of making severe weather preparedness a national priority.