MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – With spring upon us, tornadoes may soon be an issue we have to deal with. Local emergency management agencies prepare year-round for tornadoes.
“We make sure that our radio system is up and running, and that we have a backup system in case something happens with it,” said Odie Barrett, the Lauderdale County Emergency Management director. “So we’ve got our guys that are monitoring the weather and we’re pushing that out to all emergency personnel, what we’re looking at, the time frames, and where this particular storm’s path is going.”
The National Weather Service issues alerts for tornadoes. A tornado watch is issued when conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form and a warning is issued when a tornado has been seen by someone or indicated by radar. A tornado emergency is rare, but is generally issued when a tornado is expected to cause catastrophic damage and/or numerous deaths.
The safest place to be when under a tornado warning is in a storm shelter or basement. If that is not available, you need to be on the lowest floor in a sturdy structure, in a room that leaves as much space between you and the outside world as possible.
“Could be in a bathtub,” Barrett said. “You want some pillows, you want some blankets that you could bring in and put on top of you, to keep you safe from any type of debris that’s flying around.”
Now is the time to make sure to have a tornado action plan in place that is ready to be used when tornadoes threaten. This includes making sure you and your family know exactly where to go when a tornado warning is issued. If you live in a mobile home, you must find an sturdy structure to take shelter in. Have a plan in place for this before a tornado watch is issued.
You can download the free WTOK Weather App to get alerts directly to your phone. Remember to have multiple ways of receiving weather alerts! This way you have a backup in case one of your methods stops working.
by Andrew Samet (2021, Mar 8) WTOK
