Tornado Season Brings Danger, Need for Preparation

It is tornado season. Are you ready?

Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. They are violently rotating columns of air that extend from a thunderstorm to the ground.

Only the strongest thunderstorms produce tornadoes.

Tornadoes can be found worldwide but occur most often in the United States. In an average year, 1,200 tornadoes kill 70 people and injure 1,500 nationwide.

Can occur any time of year
Tornadoes can occur at any time of year. They have occurred in every state. They happen most often in the eastern U.S. during the spring and summer.

Wisconsin sees on average 21 tornadoes per year. Thirty-eight touched down in 2008. That included a rare January tornado that hit Kenosha County. That day, January 7, more than 100 homes were damaged or destroyed.

A record 62 tornadoes hit the state in 2005.

Weather forecasters rate tornadoes based on their strength.

They are rated on a scale of EF0 to EF5. EF5 tornadoes are the strongest – and the rarest. Winds in these tornadoes can top 250 miles per hour.

Several memorable EF-5 tornadoes have struck in the past decade.

One killed six people in Parkersburg, Iowa, in May of 2008.

Another EF5 was part of a tornado outbreak in Oklahoma and Kansas a decade ago. It struck near Oklahoma City during rush hour. Winds topped 300 mph.

In all, 74 tornadoes were reported that day. Forty-six people were killed. Almost 10,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

“We lost virtually everything, but it is at those moments in time that you do realize you are safe and your family is safe and that is really all that matters,” said Mark Pearson, who lived through the storm in Del City, Okla. “You realize how quickly your life could have been taken from you. We were fortunate. We did not have a scratch on us.

“You are able to replace possessions.”

The key to surviving a tornado is being prepared

Awareness is important to stay safe in a tornado, experts say.

Take tornado watches and warnings seriously.

A “tornado watch” means to watch the sky. Conditions are right for a tornado to form.

A “tornado warning” means a tornado has been sighted. Take cover immediately. Seek shelter in a basement or go to a bathroom or closet with no windows on the first floor. Cover and protect your head.

Experts also suggest that families prepare a severe weather emergency plan. They should know ahead of time where to seek shelter. They should also put together disaster supplies with a flashlight, bottled water, first aid kit and blankets.

A weather radio will also help to track storms.

Sources: The Associated Press, National Weather Service, Wisconsin Emergency Management