Tornado Alley
“You drown not by falling in the river, but by staying submerged in it.” ~Paulo Coelho
If you live in the Midwest, you know that tornados are always a possibility and over the past several weeks we have once again seen the awesome power of nature as storms have ravaged across our region bringing torrents of rain, lightning, and several tornados. The quote above has many different levels of meaning and for the purpose of this particular article, I want to once again discuss emergency preparedness. Natural disaster events happen, there has yet been discovered a way to prevent it, so in order to help keep our heads above the water (so to speak), one must be prepared for the unthinkable to occur.
I know that many of you (like myself) think that the likelihood of getting hit by a tornado is slim…but here are some numbers. On average, the United States has just over 1,200 tornados per year (for data between 1991-2015) …let that sink in for a moment. Indiana averages almost 25 per year during that same timeframe. May and June are the two busiest months for strong storm systems for us here in the Midwest, but tornados can literally strike any time of the year. The best defense against any natural disaster is to be prepared for it. With tornados, there is often little or no warning when they fall from the sky, but that doesn’t mean that weather forecasters don’t have the tools to help forewarn you of incoming weather. If you have any misunderstanding or confusion over an event watch vs an event warning, let me help you out. A Watch is where weather conditions are favorable for an event occur but NOT imminent. A Warning is when weather conditions are favorable for an event to happen and the ARE imminent. A Watch in when weather could happen, and a Warning is when weather is happening.
Over the weekend, we had a tornado watch that turned into a warning as the conditions for such an event actually turned into an event. Several tornados were reported in Wayne, Union, and Ripley counties in Indiana as well as Preble county in Ohio. Our area has been subjected to strong storms the later half of the spring and it looks to continue as we edge closer to the Summer Solstice. Strong storms happen…as our climate continues to change, storms will continue to become stronger and more frequent…if you don’t believe me, check the average trend of tornadoes in the United States over the last 70 years. The average numbers of tornados continue on an upward trend, and I see no reason for this trend to change. It is more important than ever to be prepared. I know over the past couple of years I have touched on this topic with frequency, but it doesn’t mean I’m an alarmist, I just believe in being prepared.
How does one prepare for a tornado? Having a supply of food, water, medication, and cash is a good start but it is not enough. Besides having the basics for survival, the key ingredient in surviving a strong weather event is a plan of action followed up by putting the plan into action. Having a safe room in the house, be it in the basement, or an interior part of your home along with your supplies and a weather radio will give you a better chance of surviving a tornado versus being completely unprepared for it. One of my favorite quotes from Benjamin Franklin is that by failing to prepare you are preparing to fail. There are a multitude of websites that give more detailed information as to the needs of surviving an emergency such as a tornado. The American Red Cross ( https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/tornado.html) or the FEMA website (https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2007/02/16/be-prepared-tornadoes) have good information that can help save your life.
As always, thanks for reading, keep safe and be aware of storm activity in and around your community. Take care of yourself and others, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com