Severe Weather Awareness Week: Tornadoes

...TORNADO AWARENESS DAY...

YOUR SAFETY DEPENDS ON BEING CONSTANTLY ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADOES FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT APPROACH YOU. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE DURING TORNADO WATCHES. A CAREFUL LOOKOUT SHOULD BE KEPT DURING ANY PERIOD OF SEVERE WEATHER ACTIVITY. PLAN IN ADVANCE WHERE YOU WILL GO AND WHAT YOU WILL DO IF A TORNADO THREATENS YOU.

REMEMBER... A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADO DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE... SO WATCH THE SKY FOR DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS AND ALL THE HAZARDS THEY BRING. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO... COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR WEATHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.

A TORNADO WARNING... USUALLY ISSUED FOR 1 OR 2 COUNTIES AT A TIME... MEANS THAT A TORNADO HAS BEEN SIGHTED OR INDICATED BY WEATHER RADAR. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM NEED TO IMMEDIATELY FIND SHELTER... PREFERABLY IN A STURDY BUILDING... BELOW GROUND IF POSSIBLE.

HERE ARE SOME TORNADO SAFETY RULES:

• IN HOMES OR SMALL BUILDINGS... GO TO THE BASEMENT OR STORM SHELTER... OR TO AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET OR BATHROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL. GET UNDER SOMETHING STURDY... SUCH AS A HEAVY TABLE OR A BED.
• IN MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES...ABANDON THEM AND GO TO A STORM SHELTER OR STURDY STRUCTURE. IF THERE IS NO SUCH STRUCTURE NEARBY... LIE FLAT IN A DITCH RAVINE...GULLY...CULVERT...OR A LOW SPOT WITH YOUR ARMS AND HANDS SHIELDING YOUR HEAD.
• IN LARGE BUILDINGS SUCH AS SCHOOLS... FACTORIES... HOSPITALS... NURSING HOMES... AND SHOPPING CENTERS... GO TO THE PREDESIGNATED SHELTER AREA. INTERIOR HALLWAYS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR ARE USUALLY BEST. STAY AWAY FROM ROOMS THAT ARE LARGE IN AREA BECAUSE THEY HAVE WEAKLY SUPPORTED ROOFS.
• STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

The state of Tennessee will conduct a statewide tornado drill at 9:30am today. The drill includes the sounding of outdoor warning sirens, but they will only sound if there is no ongoing inclement weather.

MWN has partnered with Take Cover Storm Shelters of Fayette County to keep Mid-South residents safe in the path of the storm.  We have become very familiar with Take Cover's high-quality product, as well as their outstanding customer service, and have no reservations about endorsing this fantastic company.  You can learn more about Take Cover and their in-ground shelters, which are installed in a concrete slab such as a garage floor, at their website.  Be sure to mention MemphisWeather.net when you contact Jessica!

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For weather information for Memphis and the Mid-South, where and when you need it, visit MemphisWeather.net on the web, m.memphisweather.net on your mobile phone, download our iPhone or Android apps, or visit us on Facebook or Twitter.