Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms, with whirling winds that can reach 300 mph.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms, with whirling winds that can reach 300 mph. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Massachusetts residents have recently experienced the destruction of the Greater Springfield Tornado in June 1, 2011 which killed three, injured over 300 and destroyed or damaged over 1,400 homes and businesses. The infamous Worcester Tornado, which swept through Central Massachusetts in June 9, 1953, killed 94, seriously injured over 1,200 and over 4,300 homes and businesses destroyed or damaged.

Although tornadoes as severe as the Springfield and Worcester tornadoes are rare, they can and do happen here in Massachusetts. It is important that everyone familiarize themselves with what to look for and what steps to take if a tornado is forecast.

Before a Tornado threatens

• Know the terms used by meteorologists:
  1.Tornado Watch - Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Listen to the Media for updates.
  2.Tornado Warning - A tornado has been sited or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter immediately.
  3.Fujita-Pearson Tornado Scale:
  • F-0: 40-72mph;chimney damage, tree branches broken
  • F-1 73-112mph;mobile homes pushed off foundations/overturned
  • F-2: 113-157mph;considerable damage, demolished mobile homes, uprooted trees
  • F-3: 158-205mph; roofs/walls torn down, cars thrown, trains overturned
  • F-4: 207-260mph;well-constructed walls leveled
  • F-5: 261-318mph;homes lifted off foundations/carried considerable distances
• Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio with a battery backup and tone-alert feature, as well as a battery-powered commercial radio and extra batteries.
• Download the free Massachusetts Alerts app to your Smartphone to receive important weather alerts and emergency messages from MEMA.  Easy instructions are available at www.mass.gov/mema/mobileappp
• Determine locations to seek shelter, such as a basement or storm cellar. If an underground location is not available, identify an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor.
• Practice going to your shelter with your household.
• Know locations of designated shelters in places where your family spends time such as public buildings, nursing homes, shopping centers and schools.
• Assemble your family's Disaster Supply Kit. (See)
• Make a record of your personal property, taking photographs/video of your belongings. Store these documents in a safe place.

During a Tornado Watch

• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or commercial Media for updates.
• Be alert for approaching storm, particularly revolving funnel-shaped cloud. Other tornado danger signs include a dark, almost greenish sky; large hail; a large, dark, low-lying cloud; or a loud roar, similar to a freight train.
• Be warned that sometimes tornadoes develop so rapidly; there is no visible advanced warning.
• Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as an auditorium, cafeteria, supermarket or shopping mall.
• Be prepared to take shelter immediately. Gather household members, pets and Disaster Supplies.

During a Tornado Warning

• In a residence or small building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement or storm cellar. If there is none, go to an interior room on the lower level (Closet, interior hallway). Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to cover your head and neck.
• Do not open windows. Use the time to seek shelter.
• Go to the center of the room, avoiding the corners, which attract debris.
• In large public buildings, go to predetermined shelter areas. Interior hallways on the lowest floor are usually safest. Stay away from windows and open spaces.
• In a high-rise building, go to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest possible floor.
• Get out of vehicles, trailers and mobile homes immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy nearby building. Never try to outrun a tornado in a congested area.
• If caught outside with no shelter, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of the potential of flooding.
• Do not go under a bridge or overpass. You are safer in a low, flat location.
• Watch out for flying debris from tornadoes, the cause of most fatalities and injuries.

After a Tornado

• Listen to the Media for the latest emergency information.
• Be aware of broken glass and downed power lines.
• Help injured or trapped persons. Do not attempt to move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of death or further injury.
• Stay out of damaged buildings, returning only when authorities deem it safe.
• Use the telephone only in emergencies.
• Leave the area if you smell gas or chemical fumes.
• Take photographs/video of the damage for insurance purposes.
• Remember to help your neighbors, particularly those who may require special assistance.

Thunderstorms, Lightning & Severe Weather

Thunderstorms are very common in the Spring and Summer months. Despite their small size in comparison to hurricanes and blizzards, all thunderstorms are dangerous. Every thunderstorm produces lightning and has the potential to produce associated dangers such as tornadoes, destructive winds, hail and flash flooding. Of the estimated 100,000 thunderstorms each year in the U.S., about 10% are classified as severe, meaning it produces hail, at least ¾" in diameter, has winds of 58 mph or higher, or produces a tornado. Thunderstorms must be taken very seriously.

MEMA offers thunderstorm, and more particularly, lightning safety tips:

Before the Thunderstorm

• Know the terms used by weather forecasters:
  • 1.Severe Thunderstorm Watch - Tells where and when severe thunderstorms are likely to occur. Watch the sky and stay tuned to the Media.
  • 2.Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Issued when severe weather has been reported by spotters or indicated on radar. Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property to those in the path of the storm.

• Before a thunderstorm strikes, keep an eye on the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of light, or increasing wind.
• Thunderstorms can occur singly, in clusters or in lines. The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter, producing heavy rain for a brief period from 30 to 60 minutes.
• When a thunderstorm approaches, secure outdoor objects that could be blown away or cause damage. Shutter windows, if possible, and secure outside doors.
• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be affected by lightning, and should go inside to safe shelter immediately.
• Remember that lightning can strike up to 10 miles ahead of or after the arrival of the storm. Listen to weather forecasts on NOAA Weather Radio, or to local radio and television stations for the latest information. Lightning kills an average of 73 people in this country annually, more than tornadoes or hurricanes. In general, lightning will travel the easiest route from the clouds to the ground, which means it often strikes the tallest object.
• During this season people are taking part in activities that place them in locations most vulnerable to being struck by lightning, such as on golf courses, ball fields, beaches and large bodies of water. In the U.S., an average of 300 people are injured and 80 killed each year by lightning.

During the Thunderstorm

• If you are caught outside during a thunderstorm, you should protect yourself from lightning by going to a low-lying, open place away from trees, poles or metal object, which can serve as a natural lightning rod. (Make sure the place you pick is not subject to flooding).
• Make yourself the smallest target possible by squatting low to the ground and by placing your hands on your knees with your head between them. Be as low to the ground as possible, with as little of your body touching the ground as possible. (Don't lie flat; this will make you a larger target!).
• Do not stand on a hilltop, in an open field, on a beach or in a boat on the water.
• If boating, or swimming, get to land immediately.
• Avoid isolated sheds or small structures in open areas.
• Get away from anything metal such as tractors, farm equipment, motorcycles, golf carts, golf clubs, bicycles, wire fences, clotheslines, metal pipes, rails, and other metallic paths that could carry lightning to you from a distance.
• In a forest, seek shelter in a low area under a growth of smaller trees.
• If indoors, avoid metallic objects and fixtures.
• Avoid showering or bathing. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity.
• Avoid using a corded telephone, except for emergencies. Cordless or cellular telephones are safe to use.
• Unplug appliances and other electrical items such as computers. Turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage.
• Use your battery operated NOAA Weather Radio for updates from local officials.

Note that rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from lightning. However, the steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection, if you are not touching metal. Although you may be injured if lightning strikes you car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.