Are you ready for the rumble?

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mark Hellwig
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Safety office
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Each year about a thousand tornadoes touch down in the United States. The chance a tornado will strike a building you are in is very small, however the chance does exist.

One of the most important precautions you can take to prevent injury from a tornado is be alert at the onset of severe weather. Most deaths and injuries happen to people who are unaware of the dangers surrounding them.

At the first indication of bad weather, watch or listen to the weather report and watch for signs of bad weather such as hail, greenish or blackish skies and fast moving clouds in rotating patterns. Turn on your radio or television station and get the current local forecast. Local radio and television stations carry continuous weather coverage during periods of severe or anticipated severe weather.

Kansas ranks third in the nation in the number of tornadoes, with an average of 49 per year. The months of April through June account for 71 percent of all tornadoes, 88 percent of all injuries and 93 percent of all deaths in Kansas each year.

Keep in mind when you hear a siren, take shelter as soon as possible. The Sedgwick County and McConnell AFB warning sirens are independent systems. All sirens in Sedgwick County activate together no matter where the tornado is located within the county. The McConnell weather flight activates the sirens if a tornado is present or has been sighted within five miles of the base.

If a tornado watch is issued for your area, it means that a tornado is possible. Weather conditions are optimal for a tornado to develop. If a tornado warning is issued, it means a tornado has been spotted or is strongly indicated on radar and it's time to take shelter immediately.

A basement away from west and south walls is a safe place to take shelter in your house. If there is no basement, find safety in a small windowless first floor room like a closet or bathroom. Sheltering under the steps in your house or in the bathtub with cushion or mattress over you can help prevent injuries. Lastly, crouching beneath a heavy work table or kitchen table can decrease chances of injuries.

If you are outside or in a car, you should take shelter immediately. If in a car or walking and no shelter is available, lay flat in a ditch or get in a culvert in a ditch if there is no rain, be careful of flash flooding.

The American Red Cross suggests the follow items to start out your disaster preparedness kit:
· A first-aid kit with essential medication in addition to usual items.
· A battery powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
· Canned and other non-perishable food and a hand-operated can opener.
· Several gallons of bottled water.
· Sturdy shoes and work gloves.
· Instructions on how to turn off your home utilities.
· A Cell phone or a traditional wall plug- in phone, cordless phones will not work if power is lost.