Tornado Preparedness for Your Family

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February 25th – 27th, 2022 is designated as Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday across the state of Alabama. Purchases of flashlights, batteries, tarps, plywood, weather radios, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, coolers, and other supplies priced under $60 per item are tax-exempt during this holiday. Additionally, generators costing $1,000 or less are also tax-exempt. This is a great opportunity to save some money while increasing your family’s preparedness for a tornado.

If you were living in Lee County on March 3rd, 2019, you probably remember that day vividly. This was my experience: my family of seven went to worship at Cornerstone Church in Auburn that morning. We stayed for lunch and a meeting. Before we left, the staff said they were canceling youth activities that evening because of possible severe weather. When we left the church it was overcast and lightly raining, but nothing noteworthy. After being home in Salem for an hour or two, I was nursing the baby in our living room when we suddenly got an alert on our phones that I had never seen before: Tornado Emergency. I wasn’t even aware that there was a tornado warning for our area. We scooped up our toddlers from their naps and crammed all 7 of us into our tiny bathroom under our stairs, the only safe space in our home that we could all fit in. Our 16-year-old son was standing in the doorway so we could keep an eye on the weather report on the TV. Suddenly the sky got very dark, the wind picked up, the power went out, and he closed the door. For about a minute, we all huddled there in the dark while the tornado thundered past our neighborhood. I felt my ears pop as it passed by. When the wind died down we opened the door to the bathroom and saw that our swingset had been blown over in the backyard. A few minutes later, my friends were texting with me and said that the news was reporting another tornado was headed our way. We returned to the bathroom but, thankfully, that tornado did not follow the predicted path.

Following the storm, our power was out for 20 hours. As often happens with tornadoes, the weather got very cold the next day and was going to be down in the 20s on the night of March 5th. Alabama Power initially reported that it would take 7 days for our power to be restored. A friend graciously offered us the use of their house in West Point, GA, so I began packing up for us to leave for several days. Literally, as soon as we had everyone loaded up in the van, the power came back on! We learned a lot from that experience, and here are some tips for making an emergency plan for your family in the event of tornadoes.

Prepare Your Safe Space or Shelter

The safest place to be during a tornado is in a basement or underground shelter. If you do not have access to that, look for an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor, preferably with no windows. If you do not have such a space in your home, or you live in a mobile home, you need to find another designated safe space you can go to when a tornado watch is issued. It could be a nearby friend or family member with a better-suited space, or a community storm shelter. When a tornado WATCH is issued, begin preparing your safe space or preparing to relocate to your shelter if it is not in your home. If a tornado WARNING follows, this is when you actually need to be hunkered down, not running around the house grabbing supplies or on the road driving to your shelter.

In your safe space, you should have sturdy shoes and a helmet for each member of the family. Most fatalities related to tornadoes are the result of head injuries. If you have to walk to find help after the storm you’ll want to protect your feet from broken glass and other debris. You should also have one or more light sources. Glow sticks are fun for kids but also provide light for several hours without a power source. Flashlights, headlamps, and lanterns are also good to keep on hand. Just be sure to have an adequate supply of batteries for each device. A weather radio is a good backup to your smart phone for weather alerts during a power outage. You can also prepare a go-bag with a change of clothes for each person, first aid kit, power bank and charging cord for your phone, and your wallet.

Prepare Your Family

Most people don’t like to talk about frightening possibilities, especially with children. However, it’s important to have a plan and communicate it with your family so that there will be less panic if the occasion arises. With our young kids, we practice saying their first and last names, how old they are, their parents’ first and last names, and where they live. We recently ordered bracelets that have our phone numbers on them that they wear when we go to crowded places, and we will also put them on in our safe space. Alternatively, you can write a child’s ID information on their skin, diaper, or clothing with a permanent marker. I remember writing on our babies’ diapers one night as we were preparing for bad storms. It was very sobering, and fortunately, we didn’t need it, but I was glad I had learned that tip ahead of time.

You can financially prepare for tornadoes or other unexpected expenses by having an emergency fund. Ideally, you want to have three to six months of your living expenses set aside in a savings or money market account that you can access quickly. But even having $1,000 saved will reduce the financial burden you feel in the event that you are displaced, injured, or need to replace property due to a tornado.

Prepare Your Home

Beyond having your safe space in mind and knowing what supplies to grab when you go in there, you also need to prepare the rest of your home and property. If you have a trampoline, swingset, basketball goal, furniture, firewood, or other large items in your yard, be sure they are anchored or otherwise secured so they don’t become projectiles. If you have large trees close to your house, consider having a tree specialist come out to assess them for pruning or removal. For extended power outages, keep a stock of shelf-stable food and fuel (if needed) for cooking. We decided to invest in a generator and had an electrician install the outlet needed to connect it directly to the circuit breaker so we can easily control the lights, appliances, and outlets we need to use. A 3-day supply of potable water is also recommended in the event of flooding that compromises your tap water.

 

I hope you never need it, but these preparations could save you in the event of a tornado emergency. Be prepared and stay safe!