Tornado Facts and Preparation Tips

by Global Florida | Feb 10, 2021 | Blog | 0 comments

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.

Before a Tornado

• To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information. In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials.
• Be alert to changing weather conditions. Look for approaching storms.
• Look for the following danger signs:
  • Dark, often greenish sky
  • Large hail
  • A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
  • Loud roar, similar to a freight train.
  • If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

During a Tornado

If you are under a tornado warning, seek shelter immediately!  Most injuries associated with high winds are from flying debris, so remember to protect your head.

After a Tornado

Injury may result from the direct impact of a tornado or it may occur afterward when people walk among debris and enter damaged buildings. A study of injuries after a tornado in Marion, Illinois, showed that 50 percent of the tornado-related injuries were suffered during rescue attempts, cleanup and other post-tornado activities. Nearly a third of the injuries resulted from stepping on nails. Because tornadoes often damage power lines, gas lines or electrical systems, there is a risk of fire, electrocution or an explosion. Protecting yourself and your family requires promptly treating any injuries suffered during the storm and using extreme care to avoid further hazards.

Injuries

Check for injuries. Do not attempt to move seriously injured people unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Get medical assistance immediately. If someone has stopped breathing, begin CPR if you are trained to do so. Stop a bleeding injury by applying direct pressure to the wound. Have any puncture wound evaluated by a physician. If you are trapped, try to attract attention to your location.

General Safety Precautions

Here are some safety precautions that could help you avoid injury after a tornado:

• Continue to monitor your battery-powered radio or television for emergency information.
• Be careful when entering any structure that has been damaged.
• Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves and gloves when handling or walking on or near debris.
• Be aware of hazards from exposed nails and broken glass.
• Do not touch downed power lines or objects in contact with downed lines. Report electrical hazards to the police and the utility company.
• Use battery-powered lanterns, if possible, rather than candles to light homes without electrical power. If you use candles, make sure they are in safe holders away from curtains, paper, wood or other flammable items. Never leave a candle burning when you are out of the room.
• Never use generators, pressure washers, grills, camp stoves or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, basement, garage or camper – or even outside near an open window, door or vent. Carbon monoxide (CO) – an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if you breathe it – from these sources can build up in your home, garage or camper and poison the people and animals inside. Seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed or nauseated.
• Hang up displaced telephone receivers that may have been knocked off by the tornado, but stay off the telephone, except to report an emergency.
• Cooperate fully with public safety officials.
• Respond to requests for volunteer assistance by police, fire fighters, emergency management and relief organizations, but do not go into damaged areas unless assistance has been requested. Your presence could hamper relief efforts and you could endanger yourself.

Inspecting the Damage

• After a tornado, be aware of possible structural, electrical or gas-leak hazards in your home. Contact your local city or county building inspectors for information on structural safety codes and standards. They may also offer suggestions on finding a qualified contractor to do work for you.
• In general, if you suspect any damage to your home, shut off electrical power, natural gas and propane tanks to avoid fire, electrocution or explosions.
• If it is dark when you are inspecting your home, use a flashlight rather than a candle or torch to avoid the risk of fire or explosion in a damaged home.
• If you see frayed wiring or sparks, or if there is an odor of something burning, you should immediately shut off the electrical system at the main circuit breaker if you have not done so already.
• If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open all windows and leave the house immediately. Notify the gas company, the police or fire departments, or State Fire Marshal’s office and do not turn on the lights, light matches, smoke or do anything that could cause a spark. Do not return to your house until you are told it is safe to do so.

Safety During Clean Up

• Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves and gloves.
• Learn proper safety procedures and operating instructions before operating any gas-powered or electric-powered saws or tools.
• Clean up spilled medicines, drugs, flammable liquids and other potentially hazardous materials.

More info:

http://www.ready.gov/tornadoes

Tornado Safety Tips

by Global Florida | Jan 26, 2021 | Blog | 0 comments

The Warnings From the Sky:

Look for the weather cues of an oncoming tornado which are outlined in the below tornado safety tips:

A dark green-tinged sky;
Heavy rain or large hail followed by dead calm or fierce wind;
Intense and frequent lightening;
A rapidly approaching or rotating dark low-lying cloud;
Dark storm-clouds advancing from the horizon; or
At night, blue-green or white flashes at ground level (an indication that a powerful wind is snapping power lines.
You might not actually see a tornado; it might not be transparent until a funnel of cloud slithers down to earth, or until it solidifies by picking up debris and dirt.

Listen for danger warnings:

• Tune in to television weather newscasts, local radio stations, or the NOAA Weather Radio

• In case of a Tornado Watch or a Tornado Warning, pay close attention and follow the instructions of the local emergency officials.

• Outside, listen for a

load roaring

• (as if from a jet or a freight train).

• Your local community may warn you with a designated siren call.

Recognize the Preconditions

Check your calendar. Tornados are most frequently reported in the spring (March, April, and May), although they may continue through early summer.

Where do you live? Tornados often strike east of the Rocky Mountains.

Know the difference:

Tornado Watch: The event of a tornado is possible and likely. Remain alert and stay tuned to local weather forecast.
Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted. Seek shelter immediately.

Prepare an Emergency Plan.

Designate a “safety room” which would serve as the best shelter during a tornado. This shelter should be at the lowest level (like a basement or storm cellar).
Ensure that everyone in the family is aware of the safety room and that it is easily accessible to all.

Choose Your Sanctuary Wisely

If you are in a solid building (home, workspace, skyscraper):

If you’re at home, head to your pre-designated shelter.
First option: lowest level of a building, at the center of an interior room.
Second option: in a high-rise building, head to the hallway, a small interior room or closet in the lowest floor, or beneath a stairwell.
Choose rooms on the east or north sides of the shelter if there is no interior room.
Rooms (such as the kitchen) with lots of potentially flying objects.
Avoid large rooms with poorly supported roofs (auditoriums, gymnasiums, etc.).

Inside that room,

Stay close to the innermost walls of the building.
Crouch beneath a sturdy table or desk.
Cover yourself with padding—blankets, mattress, a helmet.
Adopt a protective crouch: low against the floor, face-down, covering your head with your hands.
Avoid windows, doors, and corners.

Don’t bother opening windows (to equalize air pressure); the wind will shatter them soon enough.

Avoid glass.
Avoid candles, gas lanterns, and other such flammable objects.
Avoid elevators; you may be trapped if the power goes out.
Avoid being beneath the part of the ceiling which supports a very heavy object (piano, fridge) on the above level
f you are in a shopping mall or large store:

Stay inside an interior bathroom, storage room, or any other windowless interior room.
Do not evacuate the building to go outside or to your car!

If you are in a mobile home, trailer, or other automobile:

Get out immediately and head to the nearest solid building.
A tied-down mobile home or trailer will not offer protection—a mobile home can quickly morph into an airborne missile.

If you are in a car:

Try to drive away: if the tornado is far and traffic is light, try to drive out of its path by moving at right angles to the tornado.
Never try to outrun (or out-drive) a tornado in a congested urban area; you may be stuck in traffic in an exposed road.
Seek shelter in a building or underground.
If there is a ditch or area noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, abandon your car and lie down in that area.
If storm catches up, pull over (out of traffic lanes), buckle up, and crouch down (gathering as much padding on you as possible).
Avoid bridges; they offer little protection from flying debris, and pose lethal traffic hazards.
Avoid buses and vans; big flat-surfaced vehicles are most vulnerable to the storm (and heavy!).

If you are outside with no shelter to access:

If you can’t get to a sturdy building, lie flat and face-down on low ground.
Clasp the back of your head protectively with your hands.
Avoid nearby trees and cars; they may be uprooted or dislocated, and could hit you.

Safety After the Tornado Strikes

Help or get help for those who are trapped or injured.

Do not attempt to move seriously injured individuals; call for help.

tay tuned to the local media for the latest emergency updates. They may have tornado safety tips that are uniquely relevent to your situation.

Evacuate or avoid damaged buildings, which may collapse.

Use your phone only for emergencies.

leave a building immediately if you smell gas or chemical fumes.

Clean up spilled medicine, bleach, gasoline, or other flammable liquids immediately and if possible.

Beware of other fire hazards:

Anything containing gas can potentially rupture and explode
Beware severed electrical wires
Ensure that appliances aren’t emitting sparks and smoke

For insurance, photograph the damage.

A stash of padding gear (blankets, a mattress, coats)

Sturdy shoes, to protect you from glass and debris

Portable, battery-powered TV or radio to stay updated

lashlights and batteries, or unlit candles and matches

Never strike a match until you’re sure you haven’t had a gas leak!

A first aid kit (include aspirin, prescription items, and antacids)

Any essential medication

Tools including a utility knife, can opener, and wrench

Bottled water

Canned food and other non-perishables

Experts recommend having supplies for at least three days

Cash and credit cards, passport, social security cards, etc.

Thunderstorms & Lightning Facts and Information

by Global Florida | Mar 3, 2018 | Blog | 0 comments

All thunderstorms are dangerous. Every thunderstorm produces lightning. While lightning fatalities have decreased over the past 30 years, lightning continues to be one of the top three storm-related killers in the United States. In 2010 there were 29 fatalities and 182 injuries from lightning. Although most lightning victims survive, people struck by lightning often report a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms.

Other associated dangers of thunderstorms include tornadoes, strong winds, hail and flash flooding. Flash flooding is responsible for more fatalities – more than 140 annually – than any other thunderstorm-associated hazard. Dry thunderstorms that do not produce rain that reaches the ground are most prevalent in the western United States. Falling raindrops evaporate, but lightning can still reach the ground and can start wildfires.

Before Thunderstorm and Lightning

To prepare for a thunderstorm, you should do the following:

• To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.
• Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.
• Postpone outdoor activities.
• Remember the 30/30 Lightning Safety Rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.
• Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.
• Get inside a home, building, or hard top automobile (not a convertible). Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.
• Remember, 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.
• Shutter windows and secure outside doors. If shutters are not available, close window blinds, shades or curtains.
• Unplug any electronic equipment well before the storm arrives.

During Thunderstorms and Lightning

If thunderstorm and lightning are occurring in your area, you should:

• Use your battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio for updates from local officials.
• Avoid contact with corded phones. Use a corded telephone only for emergencies. Cordless and cellular telephones are safe to use.
• Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. Unplug appliances and other electrical items such as computers and turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage.
• Avoid contact with plumbing. Do not wash your hands, do not take a shower, do not wash dishes, and do not do laundry. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity.
• Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
• Do not lie on concrete floors and do not lean against concrete walls.
• Avoid natural lightning rods such as a tall, isolated tree in an open area.
• Avoid hilltops, open fields, the beach or a boat on the water.
• Take shelter in a sturdy building. Avoid isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.
• Avoid contact with anything metal—tractors, farm equipment, motorcycles, golf carts, golf clubs, and bicycles.
• If you are driving, try to safely exit the roadway and park. Stay in the vehicle and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rain ends. Avoid touching metal or other surfaces that conduct electricity in and outside the vehicle.

After a Thunderstorm or Lightning Strike

If lightning strikes you or someone you know, call 9-1-1 for medical assistance as soon as possible. The following are things you should check when you attempt to give aid to a victim of lightning:

• Breathing – if breathing has stopped, begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
• Heartbeat – if the heart has stopped, administer CPR.
• Pulse – if the victim has a pulse and is breathing, look for other possible injuries. Check for burns where the lightning entered and left the body. Also be alert for nervous system damage, broken bones and loss of hearing and eyesight.

After the storm passes remember to:

• Never drive through a flooded roadway. Turn around, don’t drown!
• Stay away from storm-damaged areas to keep from putting yourself at risk from the effects of severe thunderstorms.
• Continue to listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or to local radio and television stations for updated information or instructions, as access to roads or some parts of the community may be blocked.
• Help people who may require special assistance, such as infants, children and the elderly or those with access or functional needs.
• Stay away from downed power lines and report them immediately.
• Watch your animals closely. Keep them under your direct control.

More info:

http://www.ready.gov/thunderstorms-lightning

Hurricane Essentials

by Global Florida | Feb 16, 2018 | Blog | 0 comments

1. Water and Food

Keep at least 1 gallon of water per person per day and make sure you have enough for 3 to 7 days.

Keep enough dry, non-perishable or canned food for 3 to 7 days, make sure to stock up on specific food elderly or very young family members might require.

Remember to pack a can opener, as many people who survived Andrew will tell you, canned foods aren’t much use when you can’t open them.

Also remember to pack any utensils and fuel you might need to cook the foods you’re storing.

Snacks and paper plates are also a good idea.

2. First Aid and Prescription Medication

Keep a two week supply of any prescription medication you need in your kit, as you may not be able to renew your prescription immediately after the storm.

3. Baby items

Remember to pack baby supplies such as diapers, wet naps, pacifiers, lotions and anything else your baby might need for at least the first week after the storm.

4. Personal toiletries

Anything you many need to maintain your personal hygene for the first two weeks after the storm, for example, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine hygene products, etc.

5. Blankets, pillows, clothing, etc.

Make sure to pack sufficient clothesfor the members of your family, include rain gear and tough shoes.

Blankets, pillows and similar items may go a long way towards providing comfort, especially in shelters as they are meant to keep you alive, but not necessarily comfortable.

6. Flashlight, radio, batteries and phones

Pack a battery operated radio that can keep you informed of the current weather forecast.

Keep a flashlight in case the power goes out, a spare batteries for both the radio and flashlight.

A fully charged cell phone is also important for emergencies, as well as an extra battery if that’s possible.

For your home, make sure you have acorded phone in case the power goes out and renders cordless phones useless.

7. Important documents and insurance information

Keep important documents such as medical records, insurance policies, social security documents, bank account numbers, etc. in waterproof containers

Take pictures or video of your belongings in case you need to make an insurance claim after the storm.

8. Tools

Pack tools to help you make immediate temporary repairs after a storm.

9. Fuel

Keep your vehicle’s tank filled up as fuel may go quick before a storm and not be immediately available after.

10. Generator

If you have a generator, keep plenty of fuel for it too and never, ever run it indoors.

11. Your pets

Make plans for your pets beforehand, most shelters, hotels and motels won’t take pets, so if you have them make sure you know how to keep them safe before any storm looms over the horizon.

Also, keep an extra supply of water for your pets, as well as pet food, identification documents, a leash and a carrier for them.

12. Communications plan

Plan a communications strategy to let your family know you’re ok after a storm if possible, and to let them know before a storm where you are going and what you’re doing.

13. Cash!

After a storm ATMs may not be working, you should make sure you have plenty of cash money to cover any expenses you may have immediately after a storm hits.

Make sure you have enough for at least a few days after the storm in case power is not immediately restored (and those who went through Wilma a few years ago know it may not be).

14. Entertainment

Another consecuence of the power going out is: no tv, no video games, no computers.

Make sure to pack board games, playing cards, or other type of non-electronic games to entertain your family until things return to normal.