Here are some important safety tips as we head into warmer months. Be prepared and be safe!
1. Never drive through a flooded road.
2. Flooding can happen from rain elsewhere.
3. There often is more than one round of severe weather in a given day.
4. Tornado sirens aren’t designed to be heard indoors.
Tornado sirens are meant to warn those outdoors to seek shelter. You may live too far away from the nearest siren to hear it.
5. Tornadoes can occur in severe thunderstorm watches and warnings.
When a severe thunderstorm watch is issued, the National Weather Service (NWS) is most concerned about the threats of damaging thunderstorm winds or large hail, or both. Occasionally, however, they’ll specify “a few tornadoes possible” in the severe thunderstorm watch, which cover situations where rotation in lines or clusters of storms could lead to brief tornadoes.
6. Take shelter for severe thunderstorm warnings, too.
Severe thunderstorm warnings deserve attention just as much as tornado warnings.
7. You may not have much time to seek shelter.
If a thunderstorm first develops strong rotation near your location, you won’t have much time to head to shelter when that initial tornado warning is issued.
You may also not have as much time if storms are moving fast. Individual supercell thunderstorms or lines of thunderstorms with widespread wind damage can sometimes move with forward speeds of over 60 mph.
8. Wear a helmet and shoes when taking shelter.
If time permits, put on a helmet when taking shelter from a tornado, whether it’s a bike, baseball, football, motorcycle or work helmet. Anything that can protect your head from flying debris could make the difference.
Getting under a heavy table or covering yourself with a mattress or blanket can also provide some protection.
Finally, put on a good, sturdy pair of shoes or boots. If your home is damaged, there may be debris with sharp edges, broken glass and exposed nails on the ground that could be a danger. You may not be able to locate your shoes if the storm heavily damages your home.
9. Lightning can strike several miles away from a thunderstorm.
Lightning is a danger even if it isn’t raining.
According to NOAA, lightning often strikes ground more than 3 miles from the center of the thunderstorm.
Reference:
9 Severe Weather Safety Tips That Could Save Your Life | Weather.com