6 Tornado Tips
By: Nicole Osti
Tags: Tornado, Disaster Response, Preparedness, New Jersey, Climate Change

1. What’s the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?

My first emergency alert was a warning: “TAKE SHELTER NOW” it screamed across my phone screen. It was quickly followed by a flash flood warning which caught my immediate attention. My area is prone to flooding, so I raced home. If my street was going to flood, I’d rather be inside my second-floor apartment than halfway across town with no way to access my home if the police cordoned off my street.

Thirty minutes later, the second emergency alert lit up my screen: “TORNADO EMERGENCY.” I grabbed my cat and booked it downstairs to my friend’s apartment.

“Did you get the alert?”

“Yes, but radar shows it’s several miles south of us.”

Did that mean head to the basement? Or wait it out and see? I wasn’t sure. I voiced my concerns to my friend Steve who explained, “A warning is like ‘hey we have the ingredients to make tacos’ whereas an emergency or watch is ‘here’s a taco.’ Let’s give it a few minutes and see.”

Reading through a multitude of tornado articles this morning, I realized we were lucky. That tornado emergency meant we should’ve gone immediately to the basement. Don’t make our mistake.

2. If you don’t have a basement, get to a bathtub.

As I was frantically messaging my friend in Georgia about the situation, getting into a bathtub was his first piece of advice. “Drag a mattress in with you and lay it over you guys.”

Having grown up in various states along tornado alley, I trusted his opinion. Though I wondered at the logistics of getting me, my cat, my friends and their kids and their cat into a single bathtub. Thankfully, we have a basement, and it was a moot point. But having a second viable option made me feel marginally better.

3. If you don’t have a bathtub or a basement, get to a doorway.

This was my friend’s second piece of advice and something I thought was only a Hollywood myth. Every news article I’ve seen of a tornado’s aftermath shows structures flattened, no doorways to be seen. I did a little digging and found this advice mainly applies if you’re in a department store or somewhere else with a sturdier structure.

According to the CDC, “If there isn’t time to get to a tornado shelter or to a lower level, try to get under a door frame or get up against something that will support or deflect falling debris.”

4. Get away from the windows.

This is at least common-sense advice and follows what I already know growing up with hurricanes. It’s nice to see it applies to tornadoes as well.

5. If you’re driving, get out of your car, find a low-lying area, and lie flat.

Every instinct inside me rebels against this idea, but I’ve seen it stated in multiple articles from the CDC to the Farmer’s Almanac. More often than not, you can’t outrun a tornado. The danger is in the high winds lifting your vehicle and carrying you off to death like some warlord Wizard of Oz retelling. Or dropping heavy debris right on top of you.

6. Have an emergency kit ready.

This seems like a no-brainer, but who among us has everything they could possibly need if disaster strikes? I know I don’t. I keep putting it off, thinking I’ll do it later. It’s not a priority for me because I’ve never been in imminent danger of a natural disaster until very recently. Non-perishable food items, plenty of bottled water, flashlights, extra batteries, pet food, etc. The list is long and varied but immensely important.

Final Thoughts:

My optimistic side hopes we won’t continue to see these natural disasters up close and personal, but the realistic side of me knows it’s inevitable. The Earth is dying, Mother Nature is PO’d, and we’re bearing the consequences of humanity’s actions. If you haven’t already, have a plan for when the next tornado — or hurricane or earthquake or wildfire — hits. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.