September: National Preparedness Month

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NATIONAL PREPAREDENSS MONTH | 2012

Issue 1

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Tornado Safety

Issue 1 PLEDGE TO PREPARE – AWARENESS TO ACTION

Tornado Safety September is National Preparedness Month, and is a good reminder that we need to do our own part in preparing for disaster. We will be focusing on one disaster planning area during each week this month. This week we will focus on Tornado Safety, including weather conditions that typically precede tornadoes, creating a family emergency kit, what to do during a tornado, Indiana’s history of tornadoes, and what you should do to prepare before and after a storm.

A Quick Peak at Tornadoes: Tornadoes are one of nature’s most violent storms. Created by powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in just mere seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a storm cloud 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, including Indiana, is at some risk from this hazard. Severe weather knows no boundaries and does not discriminate –so always be prepared! Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while rain or low-hanging clouds can obscure others.

Occasionally, tornadoes develop so quickly that little or no warning is possible, so it’s important to know the warning signs. 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, therefore it is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

Take a Look! Please take a moment to read through this newsletter and take note as to what to do if a tornado strikes while at the office. Although tornado season is typically March through June, tornadoes can occur during any month, as you’ll read later in the Indiana Tornado History article.

A well-developed emergency plan can save time, money and lives in the event of a disaster

MAKE AN EMERGENCY KIT!

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:  Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

 Food, at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food

 Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both

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Flashlight and extra batteries First aid kit Whistle to signal for help Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-inplace

 Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

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Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities Manual can opener for food Local maps Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger


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