These pictures are from the tornado that destroyed most of Parkersburg, Iowa in 2008. 8 people died in that tornado. 4 others were killed that same year at a Boyscout Camp in western Iowa.
Today the NWS will sound tornado sirens across the state. This is the tornado drill that gives all of us the chance to practice what we need to do when a real tornado is near our home, business and school.
In the event of a tornado warning....
Get to the lowest level of the building. Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible. Stay away from windows. Take cover under strong furniture or even under a mattress of a bed.
Keep a NOAA weather radio with you. Keep it in your bedroom so it will wake you if there is a tornado warning while you are sleeping.
Keep a safety kit. It should include a battery operated radio with NOAA radio available. Water. First aid supplies. Have your cell phone with you.
Practice the safety plan with your family. Have a meeting place later so you can find each other after the storm.
Tornado Drill Today The FCC prohibits the use of live Emergency Alert System (EAS) warning codes for test messages. A waiver was granted by the FCC which authorizes the use of real TOR EAS/NOAA Weather Radio codes for the test. Therefore, the tornado warning test messages will be sent using the TOR code with the 1050 HZ tone alert on NOAA All Hazards Radio. 9:50 AM - Storm Prediction Center (SPC) coordinates with Iowa National Weather Service (NWS) offices about a test tornado watch for Iowa. 10:00 AM - SPC issues Test Tornado Watch for Iowa. Each Iowa WFO will issue test Watch Coordination Notification messages. Test watch will be toned and alerted on NOAA All Hazards Radio and sent through the Emergency Alert System (EAS). 10:10 AM - NWS Sioux Falls and Omaha issue test tornado warnings for their Iowa counties. 10:15 AM- NWS Des Moines and Quad Cities issue test tornado warnings for their Iowa counties. 10:20 AM - NWS La Crosses issues test tornado warning for their Iowa counties. 10:30-10:35 AM - All Iowa NWS offices issues a Severe Weather Statement to terminate the test warnings. 11:00 AM - Test tornado watch expires.
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1 comment:
Ed, I have a question about which would be a safer area in our basement.
We have a stairwell area we could get into in the center of a wide-open (no walls) basement but there is only 2x4 framing around it and it's right by the furnace and water heater. The other area we have is in the NW corner of the basement, under a workbench. Which would be the better place to seek shelter?
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