While most tornadoes occur in the spring and summer, the tornadoes that struck Kentucky in December 2021 are evidence that a tornado can occur anywhere and anytime. Knowing what to do when you see a tornado or hear a tornado warning can help protect you and your loved ones.
You might recall the National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado occurred within the Town of Seabrook Island at approximately 8:28 am on Monday, April 13, 2020. According to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD):
“South Carolina has averaged 11 tornadoes each year since 1950, resulting in 47 fatalities and 1,057 injuries. South Carolina ranks twenty-sixth in the United States in the number of tornado strikes, and eighteenth in the number of tornadoes per square mile. The most common type of tornado, the relatively weak and short-lived type, occurs between March and May. However, tornadoes can occur almost anywhere at any time.”
Here are some tips to help you stay safe during a tornado:
- Take shelter immediately if there is a tornado warning or if you see signs of a tornado.
- If you’re at home, go to your basement or an inside room, without windows, on the lowest floor.
- If you’re in a mall, theater, or gym, get to the lowest level of the building and stay away from the windows.
- If you’re in a vehicle, do NOT try to outrun a tornado. Being in a vehicle is not safe. Drive to the closest shelter. If unable to get to a shelter, either get down in your car and cover your head, or abandon your car and seek shelter in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine. Do not get under an overpass or bridge.
- Watch out for flying debris. Use your arms to protect your head and neck. Cover your body with a coat or blanket.
Click here to learn more about how to stay safe during a tornado.
–Tidelines Editors
(Image credit: cdc.gov)