Tornado Season: Tips to Weather the Storm

4/1/2019 (Permalink)

A large percentage of the population looks forward to Spring for a number of reasons: spring forward, spring weather, college basketball, Easter, the best fruits are coming in season and more. Although all of those are positive things to look forward to for Spring, something negative we have to look out for is tornadoes. March through June is tornado season. Tips to weather the storm are crucial for your safety. SERVPRO® of Cape Girardeau & Scott Counties wants you to be aware of this. If a tornado strikes your home or business and causes damage, our heroes can make it “Like it never even happened.”

Did you know tornadoes can bring intense winds over 200 mph? Winds this high can cause severe damage to your residential or commercial property. If this happens to you, rest assured, the heroes of SERVPRO® of Cape Girardeau & Scott Counties will come to your rescue. We are always Here to Help®.    

Here are three tactics, according to Ready.gov, you can implement to prepare now for a tornado:

• Know your area’s tornado risk. In the U.S., the Midwest and the Southeast have a greater risk for tornadoes.
• Pay attention to weather reports. Meteorologists can predict when conditions might be right for a tornado.
• Identify and practice going to a safe shelter in the event of high winds, such as a safe room built using FEMA criteria or a storm shelter built to ICC 500 standards. The next best protection is a small, interior, windowless room on the lowest level of a sturdy building.

What are some tips to survive during a tornado? According to Ready.gov, here are three tips:

• Immediately go to a safe location that you identified.
• Take additional cover by shielding your head and neck with your arms and putting materials such as furniture and blankets around you.
• If you are in a car or outdoors and cannot get to a building, cover your head and neck with your arms and cover your body with a coat or blanket, if possible.

Now that you have survived the storm, here are some tips you should consider to be safe after the fact, according to Ready.gov:  

• Keep listening to EAS, NOAA Weather Radio, and local authorities for updated information.
• If you are trapped, cover your mouth with a cloth or mask to avoid breathing dust. Try to send a text, bang on a pipe or wall, or use a whistle instead of shouting.
• Stay clear of fallen power lines or broken utility lines.

There are a number of other tips to help keep you safe before, during and after a tornado. Learn more here.  

Storm and flood damage require specialized restoration techniques and equipment. If a tornado -- or any other kind of storm -- hits your Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Scott City, Charleston, Marble Hill, Jackson, Perryville, Chaffee, East Prairie, or Benton, Missouri, home or business, you need the company with storm damage experience and expertise. SERVPRO® of Cape Girardeau & Scott Counties can respond immediately to storm and flooding conditions. We offer 24-hour emergency services, because you never know when a tornado, a storm may come to disrupt your normal routine, your life, which can cause a flood of emotions.

During tornado season, tips to weather the storm can help save your home, your business, your life. Have peace of mind knowing SERVPRO® of Cape Girardeau & Scott Counties is here for you throughout this tornado season. Furthermore, we’re here for you throughout all seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. We even have a FREE app so you’re always with us even on-the-go. Download it here. Call 573-339-1948 when you need us.