Devastation down south

Please Pray for our friends and family down south that have been afflicted by the recent wave of tornadoes.

-------------

I have never been through an actual tornado, but have witnessed several first hand and seen the aftermath. Please, just read this information on what to do if you are issued a tornado warning. It may save your life.

*This information is courtesy Weather.com

When a tornado warning has been issued, you may have very little time to prepare. 
How you respond now is critical. And how you react depends on where you are.

In a Frame Home :
Make sure you have a portable radio, preferably a NOAA weather radio, for information.

Seek shelter in the lowest level of your home (basement or storm cellar). If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway, a smaller inner room, or a closet. Keep away from all windows.

You can cushion yourself with a mattress, but do not use one to cover yourself. Do cover your head and eyes with a blanket or jacket to protect against flying debris and broken glass. Don't waste time moving mattresses around.

Keep your pet on a leash or in a carrier.

Multiple tornadoes can emerge from the same storm, so do not go out until the storm has passed.

Do not leave a building to attempt to "escape" a tornado. 
 
In a Mobile Home :

Leave your mobile home immediately and take shelter elsewhere.

Outside: 
Try to get inside and seek a small protected space with no windows.

Avoid large-span roof areas such as school gymnasiums, arenas, or shopping malls.

If you cannot get inside, crouch for protection beside a strong structure, or lie flat in a ditch or low-lying area and cover your head and neck with your arms or a piece of clothing.

In a Car :
Ideally, you should avoid driving when tornadoes or other kinds of dangerous weather threaten, because a vehicle is a very unsafe place to be. If, however, this is not possible, stay as calm as possible, and assess the situation.

Your best option might be to get out of the car and lie flat in a ditch or other low-lying area that is sufficiently deep enough to protect against the wind.

If you do so, beware of water runoff from heavy rain that could pose a hazard; get as far away from the vehicle as possible and shield your head from flying debris.

Or, if possible, take shelter immediately in a nearby building.


249 Americans are dead (as of now) from a result of these last storms. Tornadoes can strike no matter where you live. I have seen them in Maine, Massachusetts, and Indiana. No matter what the disaster -be it a hurricane, tornado, or the zombie apocalypse-  it is always good to keep an emergency kit on hand. You can view the Government emergency kit check list or see what I keep in mine:


Water, bottled
Food, canned
Medicines, [a one week supply that you or your family are on]
First Aid Kit
Blankets
Radio (with spare batteries)
Flashlight (with spare batteries, but I suggest the self charging type- L.L. Bean carries them)
Candles or kerosene lamp
Knife
Flares
Matches, waterproof
Lighter 
Toilet paper 
Duct tape or Gaff tape
Rope 
Tarp
Lysol wipes (or equivalent product) 
Soap

Optional according to needs: 
Diapers, Formula, Depends, Legal gun and ammunition, pet food, contact lenses or glasses. 

The upkeep on an emergency kit is minimal, but can be life saving. Change out your food, water, and medicines every 6 months. Change out flares, matches, batteries, Lysol wipes, and tape once a year. Everything else should be changed out every 2 years.

Blankets take up the most space by far, so if you can pack them in one of those 'space bags' it's great. Spare clothing can also be put into the kit in a 'space bag', though it's not ultimately necessary to survival. Everything should be able to be packed into 1 Rubber-maid tote, or 2 backpacks. Additionally, everyone in the family should know where the kit(s) are located. By far, the most important things are water, food, medications, first aid, blankets, and light.

*Keep in mind, this is only my guide. Make sure you pay extra attention to Medication expiration dates (such as Insulin or even contact lenses) that may need more frequent switch-outs than the 6 month period suggested.