Contact Us: Phone:  (937) 224-8934                                   Fax:  (937) 224-8881 Email: jordanj@mcohio.org Location: 117 South Main St, Suite 721 Dayton, OH 45422 Jeff Jordan, Director Tornado Facts, Safety Tips  Tornado Facts As the severe weather season approaches, take some time during Severe Weather Safety Awareness Week to make a safety plan for your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Planning ahead will lower the chance of injury or death in the event severe weather strikes. Tornadoes develop from severe thunderstorms. They are usually preceded by very heavy rain and/or large hail. A thunderstorm accompanied by hail indicates that the storm has large amounts of energy and may be severe. In general, the larger the hailstones, the more potential there is for damaging winds and/or tornadoes. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 mph or more. Damage paths have exceeded the width of one mile and 50 miles long. Tornadoes generally move from southwest to northeast, but have also been recorded traveling in any direction. The forward speed of a tornado varies from 30 mph to 70 mph. Even though Ohio had tornadoes in November of 2002 and 2003, the peak tornado season for Ohio is generally April through July. Tornadoes usually occur between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m., but have been known to occur at any hour. Fujita Tornado Damage Scale – By Category The Fujita tornado scale (F scale) was developed by the late Professor Theodore Fujita of the University of Chicago to classify tornadoes according to wind speed and damage. As of February 1, 2007, the F scale was replaced by the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. A team of meteorologists and wind engineers develops the EF scale to better classify the damage associated with the wind speeds of tornadoes. Effective immediately, all tornadoes will be given "EF" classifications, rather than "F". FUJITA SCALE OPERATIONAL EF SCALE F No. Fastest mile (mph) 3-Second Gust (mph) EF No. 3-Second Gust (mph) 0 40-72 45-78 0 65-85 1 73-112 79-117 1 86-110 2 113-157 118-161 2 111-135 3 158-207 162-209 3 136-165 4 208-260 210-261 4 166-200 5 261-318 262-317 5 More than 200 Note: The Enhanced Fujita Scale is a set of wind estimates (not measurements) based on damage. It uses three-second gusts estimated at the point of damage based on a judgement of eight levels of damage. These estimates vary with height and exposure. Standard measurements are taken by weather stateions in open exposures using a directly measured "one-minute-mile speed."   Tornado Safety Tips Whether practicing in a tornado drill or sheltering during a warning, the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness encourages Ohioans to DUCK!     D - Go DOWN to the lowest level     U - Get UNDER something     C - COVER your head     K - KEEP in shelter until the storm has passed • Take responsibility for your safety and be prepared before a watch or warning is issued. Meet with household members to develop a disaster plan to respond to tornado watches and warnings. Conduct regular tornado drills. When a tornado watch is issued, review your plan – don't wait for the watch to become a warning. Learn how to turn off the water, gas and electricity at the main switches. • Despite Doppler radar, tornadoes can sometimes occur without any warning, allowing very little time to act. It is important to know the basics of tornado safety. Know the difference between tornado watches and tornado warnings. • Tune in to one of the following for weather information: NOAA Weather Radio, local/cable television (Ohio News Network or the Weather Channel), or local radio station. • If you are a person with special needs, register your name and address with your local emergency management agency, police and fire departments before any natural or man-made disaster. • NOAA Weather Radio has available an alerting tool for people who are deaf or have hearing impairments. Some weather radio receivers can be connected to an existing home security system, much the same as a doorbell, smoke detector or other sensor. For additional information, visit: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/special_need.htm. • The safest place to be during a tornado is a basement. If the building has no basement or cellar, go to a small room (a bathroom or closet) on the lowest level of the structure, away from windows and as close to the center of the building as possible. • Be aware of emergency shelter plans in stores, offices and schools. If no specific shelter has been identified, move to the building's lowest level. Try to avoid areas with large glass windows, large rooms and wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways or shopping malls. • If you're outside, in a car or mobile home, go immediately to the lowest level of a nearby sturdy building. Sturdy buildings are the safest structures to be in when tornadoes threaten. Winds from tornadoes can blow large objects, including cars and mobile homes, hundreds of feet away. • If there is no building nearby, lie flat in a low spot. Use your arms and hands to protect your head. It is not safe to seek shelter under highway overpasses and bridges.