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by Suzanne Wiley, volunteer contributor
An old neighbor of mine—our houses three miles northeast of downtown Forth Worth—recounts the March 28, 2000 Fort Worth Tornado. She says, “The air was so still and the sky was green. It was quiet. Eerily quiet at first. A few pieces of paper were flying around the street. Then I heard it. We went inside and took shelter. After it was over, there was paper everywhere, covering the yard like there had been a heavy snowfall. Yeah, it was scary. Terrifying, really.”
Ten tornadoes hit North Texas that night. The Fort Worth Tornado ripped through neighborhoods in River Oaks, Camp Bowie and West 7th and then right through downtown. The Cash America Building, the Calvary Cathedral and the Bank One Building all sustained damaged. The Bank One building lost 3,000 windows. Two people died while trying to seek shelter. Eighty others were injured.
Though it doesn’t feel like it with winter making its last—and late—hoorah in North Texas, March 1 marked the start of meteorological spring. We face three months of the most unpredictable and possibly the most devastating weather of the year. In fact, long-range forecasts predict that March and April in Texas will be rainier and stormier than normal. Paul Patelok, who is a lead long-range forecaster at AccuWeather.com says, “I think we’re going to have a lot more tornadoes for the spring season compared to the last couple of years…”
In Texas, we don’t worry about just tornadoes, but also severe lighting, thunder and hail storms that can cause significant damage and even death. Time to get you and your family prepared for the upcoming spring storms.
Hail
Hailstorms happen when a thunderstorm produces hail 5 millimeters in diameter—a dime is twice that size—or larger. Texas sits in the “Hail Belt,” an area that experiences the worst hailstorms in the country. In 1995, a horrible hailstorm hit Fort Worth’s May Fest, causing $2 million dollars in damage and injuring 100 people. In March 2000, a softball-sized hailstone hit a 19-year-old man from Lake Worth, Texas, killing him
Preparing for Hailstorms
There is not much you can do to prepare for hailstorms, besides keeping your vehicle in the garage all season and walking around wearing a football helmet, but when hail hits, go inside and remain inside until the hailstorm is over. If you are outside, seek shelter under a picnic pavilion, gazebo or sturdy awning or inside a store, bathroom or other structure. Once inside, close the blinds and curtains to protect yourself from breaking glass. If you are in your car, pull over and turn away from the windshield, while covering yourself with a blanket or coat.
Flooding
There are two main types of floods—overland floods and flash floods. In North Texas, our greatest risk is flash flooding. A flash flood occurs when the city’s drainage system cannot drain heavy rains fast enough. Floods happen quickly and are hard to predict. They are the cause of the most weather-related deaths in America—mostly due to people believing floodwaters are passable. Remember—Turn Around! Don’t Drown! It only takes 18 inches of water to float away a regular sedan-sized car.
Preparing for a Flood
Floods have the potential to contaminate city water supplies, so store enough drinking water for drinking and personal hygiene. The absolute minimum requirement is one gallon of water per person per day. A flood has the possibility to force you to evacuate your home. Download the Red Cross Flood app for flood alerts and to locate your nearest shelter. (http://www.redcross.org/prepare/mobile-apps/flood)
Lightning
Lightning is the electrostatic discharge from the electrically charged area between a cloud and the surface of the Earth and occurs in all thunderstorms. On average, lightning kills 300 Americans a year.
Preparing for a Lightning Storm
When you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside or seek shelter in a concrete building or structure. If you are camping, hiking or otherwise far from shelter, crouch down—don’t lay down—wrap your arms around your knees and keep your head down. For more on what do during a lightning storm, read “The Importance of Practicing Lightning Safety.” (http://redcrossdallas.blogspot.com/2014/06/lightning-safety.html)
Thunderstorms
There are four types of thunderstorms, classified by their severity. North Texas experiences all of them. We are mostly concerned with multi-cell cluster, multi-cell line and supercell thunderstorms—all of which have the ability to produce tornadoes. Prepare for a severe thunderstorm, the same way you a tornado.
Tornadoes
A tornado forms when updrafts of warm, humid air create a high-speed whirlwind. This rotating whirlwind or rotating cloud then forms a tornado when it reaches the ground. The United States experiences an average 1,200 tornadoes a year, with May through June being the peak time. Oddly, even though tornadoes can occur any time of the day, they most likely happen between 3 and 9 pm.
Preparing for Tornadoes and Thunderstorms
The first thing you need to know is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. A Tornado watch is when conditions are suitable to produce a tornado. A warning means a tornado has been confirmed in your area. If your area is under a tornado warning, it is time to put your family emergency plan in place immediately.
If you are away from a radio or newscast, know the signs of a tornado. You might see clouds moving towards each other or rotating, flying debris, a green or green-black sky, hail, wall cloud or hear the sound like a freight train. When you see any of those signs, seek shelter right away.
To prepare for a severe thunderstorm or tornado establish a “safe room” in your home. If you live in a mobile home—no room inside is safe. For those who live in mobile homes, you should seek shelter elsewhere or build an underground storm shelter outside the home.
Your safe room should be an interior room without windows on the lowest floor, and as far away from outside walls as possible. This could be a closet, bathroom or even the room under your stairs. Many apartments and smaller homes have no rooms that have only interior walls. Some experts believe that bathrooms, due to the pipes surrounding it have added protection—possibly more so than a closet. If your bathroom is the only safe room in the house, when there is a threat of tornado, get into the bathroom, and cover yourself with a mattress or heavy blankets.
FEMA suggests the room you pick should have enough room for everyone in the family to stand comfortably for two hours. Be sure to accommodate any elderly or disabled family members. If you care for someone with special needs, put a chair in your safe room.
You need to stock your safe room with essential and emergency supplies:
- Bottled water
- Necessary and emergency medications—inhalers, oxygen, aspirin, insulin, EpiPen, etc.
- Helmets for children
- Sturdy shoes for every family member
- First aid kit
- Flashlight
- Emergency weather alert radio
- Cell phone
- Signaling device, such as a whistle
- Fire extinguisher
- Work gloves
- Batteries
- Babies’ needs such as formula and diapers
The American Red Cross has readiness items such as signal whistles, flashlights and disasters kits ranging from the basics to a four-person, three-day survival kit.
If you are on the road or far from a sturdy structure, do not pull over and hide under an overpass. This is a myth! Experts agree that an overpass is actually one of the most unsafe places to seek shelter during a tornado. Instead, pull over, get in a low-lying area like a ditch, and cover your head. If you absolutely have no other choice but to stay in the car, keep your seat belt on, roll up all the windows, bend down as far as you can below the windows and cover your head with a blanket or any other material you have.
For all the information on tornado preparedness, download the Red Cross tornado warning app.
We want to hear from you! Share your storm stories in the comment section below.
by Suzanne Wiley, volunteer contributor
Are you the type that gets a kick out of rubbing a balloon on your younger sibling’s head to watch their hair stand up on end? No matter your age, it always looks hilarious, right?
Have you ever experienced that same charge without rubbing a balloon on your head or after shuffling on the carpet and touching something metal? Way back when I was a silly little girl whose main concern was fun in the sun, my friend and I were swimming in a resort pool at the Lake of the Ozarks. Foreboding gray clouds had formed in the distance. We failed to realize we were putting ourselves in great danger. You see, a severe thunderstorm was brewing and the static electricity in the air was so intense, our hair was standing up on end just as if we had rubbed a balloon on each other’s heads.
The clouds in the sky that day were statically charged with electricity—a clear sign to get out of the water and go inside. Luckily, we did become alarmed and went inside. Our child wonderment and amusement could have been cut short that day; lightning kills more Americans a year than tornados and hurricanes. The only other weather event that causes more fatalities is flooding. Indeed, NOAA isn’t wrong when they say that lightning is the most “underrated weather hazard.”
Lightning Facts
Scientists and weather specialists are still trying to figure out lightning, but what we do know is that the mixture of a storm cloud’s water droplets and ice, air currents and ground evaporation cause turbulence inside the cloud, polarizing the cloud’s structure. Positive charges form in the upper part of the cloud, while negative charges form in the bottom. This reaction causes an electric charge not only in the cloud, but also on the ground below. When these two electrostatic charges meet, a lightning bolt strikes.
A lightning bolt can hold up to 300 million volts of electricity and can heat the air around it five times hotter than the sun’s surface. Every day around the world there is an estimated 2,000 thunderstorms. All thunderstorms produce lightning. On average, that is eight million lightning strikes a day.
It does not necessarily have to be cloudy and rainy for lightning to strike, either. Lightning has the capability to strike 10 miles away from its originating thunderstorm. If you hear thunder—the sound lightning makes—you can be struck. (We see lightning before we hear it, because light travels faster than sound.) Even 30 minutes after a storm passes, you can still be struck by lightning, so stay indoors or in your shelter 30 minutes after you hear the last round of thunder, or see the last lightning strike.
There are many myths floating around about lightning safety. Did you know that many victims of lightning strikes were either standing under a tree or in their garage? Though lightning is not attracted to any certain item, like a metal fence, there are many good conductors for electricity—water, concrete and metal being the top conductors. There are three factors that go into where lightning strikes—height, space and isolation. One thing that is true about lightning—it tends to hit the tallest thing around.
Even though only about 10 percent of the 400 Americans hit by lightning a year die, more than half suffer long-term devastating effects such as brain damage, memory loss, and severe burns. Over your lifetime, you have a one in 3,000 chance of being struck by lightning. But here is the good news: most lightning strikes are completely avoidable! Don’t wait too long to seek shelter like I did as a kid. If clouds form and it turns dark, you see lightning or hear thunder seek shelter right away—not “just after this inning.”
When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!
Whatever you do, do not stay out in the soccer field or baseball diamond. When storm clouds form, you hear thunder or see lightning seek shelter indoors. Baseball dugs out, concrete bathrooms or picnic table shelters and shades are not safe. Lightning travels through concrete. Your best bet is to seek shelter in a building with electricity and plumbing. Like I said above, it is true what you have always been told, lightning will strike the tallest thing, so don’t be the tallest thing, nor stand under the tallest thing. The second leading cause of lightning strike fatalities is due from standing under a tree. If your only option is trees, do not pick a large, isolated tree. Seek shelter under a small cluster of shorter trees. And for goodness sake’s put down your umbrella! That metal tip at the top might just as well be Benjamin Franklin’s lightning rod!
Bring your pets inside, as well. Doghouses will not protect your pet. While inside, do not shower, bathe, wash dishes, or use a corded phone. Lightning can travel through wires. Stay away from windows and go all the way inside if you are in the garage. Cell phones and battery-operated electronics are safe to use during a lightning storm. Listen to the weather, turn on your NOAA-approved emergency weather alert radio, or download the American Red Cross app to stay current on when it is safe to go back outside. It is definitely not the time to fly a kite, raise a flagpole, or wear your 5-inch heels.
If you are outside and nowhere near home, your car, as long as it is not a convertible and the windows are rolled up is a safe place to seek shelter from a lightning storm. If no inside shelter or vehicle is accessible, do not remain in an open field, try to pick a wooded area and assume the “lightning position.” This position will not guarantee you will not be hit, but you have a better chance of remaining safe. To assume the lightning position, squat or crouch down on your feet. Roll up with your feet together, head down and wrap your arms around your knees. Do NOT lie down.
Get off and out of the water immediately if you are swimming or boating and seek shelter indoors. If you happen to be too far out from shore, stop all activities such as tubing, skiing, or swimming, and go into the cabin of the boat. For boats without cabins, crouch down in the bottom. Do not touch any of the electronics in the boat. If you do not have a lightning protection system, remove or lower all metal poles, like the antenna or lights. Do not touch two different metal things at the same time.
It is safe to touch someone hit by lightning. You will not get shocked. They need immediate help. Perform CPR if necessary and call 911.
Because of the frequency of thunderstorms and increase in outdoor activities, summer is peak season for lightning. To be safe, always pay attention to the weather, and cancel any outdoor activities if there is any threat of thunderstorms.
by Cathryn Homier, volunteer contributor
Take a minute, and think of someone you know who buys lottery tickets. Maybe it’s no one close to you. Maybe it’s just someone you’ve seen buying tickets the same time you’ve been inside a convenience store. Now consider this: that person is more likely to get struck by lightning once in their lifetime (1 in 10,000 over 80 years) than win the mega millions jackpot.
Despite the odds, people still play the lottery. But, what about lightning safety? With potentially far greater stakes at risk, all of us, including you – yes, you, even if you don’t play the mega millions – should brush up on the best ways to stay safe when lightning is near.
While we can all be thankful that summertime thunderstorms keep scorching heat at bay, they also mean lightning is present. Summer is when most of lightning injuries occur: the amount of time people spend outdoors is at its highest, as is lightning activity. Don’t gamble with your safety. If you hear thunder, you are within 10 miles of a storm, and potentially in danger from lightning. Wait 30 minutes from the last thunder clap before venturing back outside.
Plan ahead. If you’re going to be outside, check the weather. Do whatever you can to not be caught outside during a thunderstorm. If you are, remember the only truly safe action is to get inside a safe building or a vehicle. Baseball dugouts, tents, and open sided picnic shelters are not completely safe during lightning activity.
Don’t shelter under an isolated tree. Lightning tends to strike the tallest object in its path, making trees or lightning rods especially susceptible to being hit. If you have no safe building nearby, it’s best to stay near a lower stand of trees. Never lie flat on the ground if you’re caught outdoors.
Don’t touch electrical equipment or cords. This also goes for corded landline phones. Cell phones or cordless phones are safe to use, though. Lightning can enter a building through wires, and then travel through electrical and phone systems.
Avoid plumbing. Pipes that extend outside of a safe building can be struck by lightning and conduct it through plumbing.
While you may never be a lottery jackpot winner, the odds that you experience a close encounter with lightning are entirely up to you. So make your own luck. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for severe weather updates. You can also get real-time notifications on your smartphone by downloading the Red Cross Tornado App.
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