TORNADO SAFETY

Wabash County Tornado History

JULY 11, 1958  1:30pm F2,        APR 19, 1963 2:50pm F2 ,    MAY 06, 1971 0910am F1,   MAY 30, 1974 6:05pm F0,   JAN 07, 1989 5:37pm F2

JAN 07, 1989 5:24pm F4,          JUN 02, 1990 6L08pm F4,     AUG 16, 1993 5:57pm F1,    MAY 18, 1995 2:25pm F1

Historical Wabash County Tornadoes.

On January 7th, 1989 the Village of Allendale, IL was destroyed by an F4 tornado injuring 50 people and destorying 90% of the community.

On June 4th, 1887 the City of Mt.Carmel was devestated by a tornado that killed dozens and injured hundreds causing fires and destroying homes.

See U.S .Tornado Activity Map

What should I do in case of a tornado? That depends on where you are. This list of tornado safety tips covers most situations.

What is a tornado watch? A tornado watch defines an area s where tornadoes and other kinds of severe weather are possible in the next several hours. It does not mean tornadoes are imminent -- just that you need to be alert, and to be prepared to go to safe shelter if tornadoes do happen or a warning is issued. This is the time to turn on local TV or radio, turn on and set the alarm switch on your weather radio, make sure you have ready access to safe shelter, and make your friends and family aware of the potential for tornadoes in the area.

What is a tornado warning? A tornado warning means that a tornado has been spotted, or that Doppler radar indicates a thunderstorm circulation which can spawn a tornado. When a tornado warning is issued for thecounty, take immediate safety precautions.

IN HOMES OR OTHER SMALL BUILDINGS:

The best places are:  In a storm shelter specifically designed for that use--within the basement or outside the home entirely.

In a basement, away from the west and south walls. Hiding under a heavy work-table or under the stairs will protect the family from crumbling walls, chimneys, and large airborne debris falling into the cellar. Old blankets, quilts and an unused mattress will protect against flying debris, but they should be stored in the shelter area.

In a small, windowless, first floor, interior room like a closet or bathroom. The bathtub and commode are anchored directly into the ground, and sometimes are the only thing left in place after the tornado. Getting into the bathtub with a couch cushion over you gives you protection on all sides, as well as an extra anchor to the foundation. Plumbing pipes may or may not help hold the walls together, but all the extra framing that it takes to put a bathroom together may make a big difference. Put as many walls as you can between yourself and the tornado.

Do mobile homes attract tornadoes? Of course not. It may seem that way, considering most tornado deaths occur in them, and that some of the most graphic reports of tornado damage come from mobile home communities. The reason for this is that mobile homes are, in general, much easier for a tornado to damage and destroy than well-built houses and office buildings.

Long ago, I was told to open windows to equalize pressure. Now I have heard that's a bad thing to do. Which is right? Opening the windows is absolutely useless, a waste of precious time, and can be very dangerous. Don't do it.

IN SCHOOLS: Leave auditoriums, gyms, and other free-span rooms, exiting in an orderly fashion. Go to interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor, but avoid halls that open to the outside in any direction. If there are no interior hallways, avoid those that open to the southwest, south, or west, since that is the usually the direction the tornado will come. Stay away from glass, both in windows and doors. Crouch down, and make as small a "target" as possible. If you have something to cover your head, do so, otherwise, use your hands.

IN A CAR, and you can see a tornado forming or approaching, you should leave the car and take shelter.You may think you can escape from the tornado by driving away from it, but you can't know what you may be driving into! A tornado can blow a car off a road, pick a car up and hurl it, or tumble a car over and over. Many people have been killed in cars while they were trying to outrun the tornado, and although it is sometimes possible to escape, it is generally not a good idea.

I've seen a video of people running under a bridge to ride out a tornado. Is that safe? Absolutely not! Stopping under a bridge to take shelter from a tornado is a very dangerous idea, for several reasons:

• Deadly flying debris can still be blasted into the spaces between bridge and grade -- and impaled in any people hiding there.

• Even when strongly gripping the girders (if they exist), people may be blown loose, out from under the bridge and into the open -- possibly well up into the tornado itself. Chances for survival are not good if that happens.

• The bridge itself may fail, peeling apart and creating large flying objects, or even collapsing down onto people underneath. The structural integity of many bridges in tornado winds is unknown -- even for those which may look sturdy.