Tornado Tips
A Message From the Glenview Fire Dept.
The Tornado season is now upon us. Every year communities big and small are terrorized by these natural disasters, creating millions of dollars in property damages. Tornadoes, however, can endanger something far more precious than property---our lives. The best way to prevent disaster is to prepare for it. Read and familiarize yourself with the following definitions and tips.
TORNADO WATCH:
Weather conditions are right for a tornado and one is expected to develop. Monitor weather reports and conditions and be prepared to take shelter.
TORNADO WARNING:
A tornado has actually been sighted Listen closely to information contained in the warning. If the tornado is reported nearby or moving in your direction, take protective cover immediately.
PREPARATION TIPS:
- Pick an uncluttered place where family members can gather if a tornado is heading your way. It could be the basement or a center hallway, bathroom or closet on the lowest level.
- If you are in a high-rise building, you may not have time to go to the lowest level. Pick a hallway in the center of the building, where there are no windows.
- Assemble a disaster safety kit containing the following necessities: first aid kit and essential medications, battery-powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, boots, work gloves, rain gear, and blankets.
- Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable to overturning in strong winds. If your trailer park has a community center, go there If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine or culvert and shield your head with your hands.
- If you are in school, go to an interior hallway on the lowest level. Avoid auditoriums and gymnasiums, or other spaces with wide, free-span roofs.
- If you are in your car when a tornado is sighted, leave your vehicle immediately. Do not try to outrun a tornado Seek shelter in a nearby ditch, ravine or culvert and lie flat.
- Set up a family separation plan in case of separation during a disaster. Establish an out of town family member or friend to be your family contract.
Tornado sirens located throughout the Village are activated by the Glenview Public Safety Dispatch Center (GPSD) to alert those outside that a tornado has been reported near the Village. Portable weather alert radios (NOAA Weather Radio) that turn on automatically when activated by the National Weather Service are available at many retail stores.
For Additional Severe Weather Preparedness see the Illinois Severe Weather web-link.