Severe Weather Preparedness Week: Tornado Safety

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Each day of this week, we will be covering various severe weather topics to better prepare you and your family for any weather situation that may arise this spring.

Wednesday’s topic is “Tornado Safety.” The first step is to have a plan. Every tornado that forms is considered to be a dangerous tornado. The safest place to be during these storms is in the centermost point of a building, away from any windows or doors to the outside.

This could be in a bathroom or closet and you want you get to the lowest level of whatever building you are in.

You’ll also want to grab something to protect yourself from any debris that could fly around and hit you. This could be anything from a helmet, blankets, or pillows.

Make sure you also grab whatever device you use to get weather updates. Tornado warnings are only issued for an area after one has either been spotted or if rotation has been indicated to be strong enough on Radar.

Whereas if a Tornado watch has been issued for an area, that means the atmospheric conditions are becoming more favorable to see a tornado form within the given time frame.

Watches are basically a “heads up” to keep your eyes out and pay attention before the bad weather starts to move in.

On both the WTOC weather app and NOAA Weather Radios, watches and warnings are normally issued by the county instead of the city. Make sure you know what county you live in.