How to behave during a tornado: actions indoors and outdoors

How to behave during a tornado

To find out how to behave during a tornado (Figure 1), you should know its main signs:

A sharp decrease in atmospheric pressure;
Increased wind speed - sharp gusts;
Squally showers - an approaching thunderstorm front;
Heavy snowfall and ground dust.

Figure 1. Tornado options

What not to do during a storm warning

As soon as you have heard the warning, you should take care of your personal safety and your loved ones.

Figure 2. During a tornado, protect yourself by following a few important rules

During a storm it is strictly prohibited (Figure 2):

Use electrical appliances and gas stoves in the house;
Hide from bad weather behind trees, billboards, fences and dilapidated structures;
Go inside flimsy structures and damaged buildings;
Be near objects containing toxic and flammable substances, near power lines and poles;
Touch central heating, gas supply and drainage pipes;
Located on bridges and overpasses, any other elevations;
Park vehicles under trees;
Leave windows and doors of houses open, leave loose objects in the yard and on the balcony that can be easily caught by gusts of heavy wind.

How to make sure your loved ones are safe

As a rule, regions that are at risk of natural disasters have an established method of warning and action.

Figure 3. Safety measures during a tornado

When receiving an alarm, you should clearly know how to behave during a tornado or hurricane (Figure 3):

Strengthen buildings - roofs, stoves and ventilation pipes of buildings, close windows with shutters or boards;
Clear the yard area and space on the balconies from fire hazards and foreign objects;
In case of evacuation, collect supplies of food and water for 2-3 days, take with you a first aid kit and documents, the necessary minimum - a flashlight, candles, a spare set of clothes, a radio with batteries, personal hygiene products, a phone with a charger, money;
Move from light buildings to protective structures of civil defense, take safe places in permanent buildings;
Don’t forget about your pets - you need to take them into the shelter with you;
Contact loved ones and relatives, agree on a time for communication, warning them about the disaster.

In emergency cases, when it is not possible to evacuate from the disaster zone, you will have to take measures on your own to protect yourself and your family.

You can do the usual thing and call everyone in the phone book, but there is another option - most social networks have a security check feature, thanks to which you can ask your friends to confirm if they are okay.

Rules of conduct during hurricanes, storms and tornadoes briefly

leave light buildings and take refuge in stationary

What if you find yourself in the eye of a hurricane?

Take with you a supply of food and medicine for 2-3 days

· block all communications

Rules of conduct during hurricanes

· wait out the stormy wind in a basement or special room (under no circumstances are you on the upper floors of multi-story buildings)

· do not seek refuge in dilapidated buildings

· if it seems to you that there is no more hurricane, do not leave the house right away, in case this is a deceptive impression

· if a hurricane catches you on the street, take shelter in a trench, ditch or hole (lie down and cover your head with your hands) away from buildings

· if you find yourself in a field in winter during a hurricane, try to get to the main road so that road services can detect you

· in case of a snow storm, it is enough to take shelter in the house.

What to do if you are indoors?

Figure 4. When staying indoors during a tornado, follow a number of rules.
Here is a list of recommendations on how to behave during a tornado if you decide to wait it out in the building (Figure 4):

Close ventilation openings, windows, vents and doors;
Turn off all electrical appliances and turn off the gas;
If there is a basement, take everything you need and hide in it;
If there is no basement, take shelter in one of the interior rooms, a closet or bathroom, a doorway or corridor, do not go near the windows;
If you have time to spare, clear out the balconies and strengthen the roof.

What to do during a hurricane. Hurricane protection

How to behave if a hurricane catches you in nature, while traveling or hiking?

First of all, you should visually identify a potential threat. The stronger the gusts of wind, the precipitation, the darker the horizon, the more quickly you should act. If it is possible to get to serious shelters, this is a house, a basement, then immediately head there. Even if your expectations from the approaching mass of clouds do not come true and everything is limited to heavy rain and a couple of lightning bolts, it is better to play it safe. If circumstances call for you to meet the hurricane face to face, you need to:

– find as open an area as possible. Stay away from trees, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, the sea;

- the best place to hide from a hurricane is at the bottom of a ditch, hole, ditch, narrow ravine, gorge, you can even climb into a den, of course, provided that it is free, although I would not risk that, meeting a bear in most cases is more dangerous than a hurricane. In general, you need to position your body as low as possible to increase your chance of survival during a hurricane.

– cover your head with clothes, tree branches;

– it is not recommended to be inside a car or other vehicle (only a tank will be safe), get out and follow the instructions above;

How to behave during a hurricane or tornado in a building?

If the threat of a hurricane overtakes you in a building or you have the opportunity to quickly take shelter in it, you should:

This is interesting: How to get out of a forest fire zone

– move away from the windows, take a safe place near the walls of the interior, in the hallway, near built-in closets, in bathrooms, toilets, closets, closets; if there is, go down to the basement.

– extinguish the fire, turn off the electricity, gas;

– turn on the portable radio and mobile phone to receive information from the civil defense headquarters;

– follow the instructions given to you over the radio. If there is none, wait until the weather stabilizes and the threat of a hurricane has passed;

What to do outside during a hurricane?

When disaster strikes you in the middle of a city street, you should stay as far as possible from light buildings, buildings, bridges, overpasses, power lines, trees, rivers, lakes, and industrial facilities. Move further away from shopping centers and “glass” buildings. The ideal option is to go to the metro or underground parking; you can also hide in the basement of a store.

What to do if a hurricane catches you outside?

Do not approach isolated or unsafe buildings, beware of billboards, act according to the instructions:

Find a hole, notch or depression in the ground (Figure 5), a ditch or ditch - lie down in it and protect your head with your hands or clothing;
Stay away from gas stations, high-voltage lines, flammable objects and chemical plants;
If possible, take shelter in an underground passage, at a metro station, or any strong building;
If you find yourself in a car, leave the vehicle, leaving it near a wall in the direction of the wind to prevent it from overturning and hide in a road ditch or the nearest fortification.

Figure 5. If a hurricane finds you outside, your chances of survival are still very high

Memo on the actions of the population during a hurricane, storm, showers and thunderstorms

A hurricane is a large atmospheric vortex with wind speeds of up to 120 km/h, and in the surface layer - up to 200 km/h.

A thunderstorm is an atmospheric phenomenon in which strong electrical discharges—lightning—accompanied by thunder occur in powerful cumulonimbus clouds and between the clouds and the ground. As a rule, during a thunderstorm there is intense rainfall, often hail, and increased wind.

Lightning is a spark discharge of static electricity accumulated in thunderclouds. There are several types of lightning: linear, pearl and ball.

A storm is a very strong (60-100 km/h) and prolonged wind that causes great destruction.

Depending on the situation, you must act according to the simple rules given below.

If you receive a storm warning (it can be transmitted after the “Attention everyone!” signal or only through the media), while at home, you must:

- close windows, doors, attics;

- remove things from balconies, loggias, window sills;

- turn off the gas, put out the fire in the stoves;

— prepare emergency lighting, lanterns, candles;

— create a supply of water and food for 2-3 days;

— prepare medications and dressings;

- take shelter in the basement, cellar or occupy an inner room, away from the windows;

- shelter pets in a stable or shed, close the doors and windows tightly. Create a supply of food and water for 2-3 days;

- do not go outside immediately after the wind weakens: after a few minutes the gust may repeat;

- leave the TV, radios, radio on;

— after the hurricane ends, make sure there is no smell of gas. Do not light a fire until you are sure there is no gas leak.

If a hurricane finds you outside, you must:

- take shelter in a strong nearby building (shops, libraries, shopping centers, clinics, etc.), ravines, beams and other natural shelters;

— avoid situations in which the likelihood of being struck by lightning increases (a hurricane may be accompanied by a thunderstorm): do not take shelter under isolated trees, do not approach power line supports or substation buildings;

— in the city, stay away from anything metal (fences, etc.);

What to do after?

Now let's figure out how to behave during a tornado, when its threat has passed:

Do not touch downed power lines and do not use open fire, as well as electrical appliances until they are checked for serviceability;
Avoid trees, swaying signs, banners and banners, damaged buildings (Figure 6), even if you live or work in them;
Do not take any independent actions to eliminate the consequences of the storm until the emergency services personnel arrive;
Beware of gas leaks and the possibility of electrical shock from lightning, as storms are usually accompanied by severe thunderstorms.

Figure 6: Even after the storm is over, stay safe and careful