Surviving tornado means making plan, heeding warnings

Living in the Midwest means living with tornado warnings, if not the occasional twister.

Weather and safety experts in the suburbs advise the key to surviving a tornado is heeding warning sirens and having a plan in place in case of weather emergencies.

“If you’re outside, get to a substantial building,” said Norm Sturm, director of DuPage County’s Office of Emergency Management. “Inside, get to lower levels, preferably an interior room with no windows. What you really worry about in a tornado is flying glass and debris.”

Families should drill for weather emergencies at least once a year and have a meeting place designated in case they are separated at the time of the event, experts said.

The majority of suburbs will sound sirens when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning. That’s when you should take shelter, experts said. But people should start paying attention to severe weather when a tornado watch is issued regionally.

“A tornado warning is a call to action,” said ABC 7 Meteorologist Mike Caplan. “Warnings are issued more locally than tornado watches and are based on radar detection or actual sightings.”

Some experts worry about growing apathy toward tornado sirens as the season progresses without any strikes.

“I don’t think it’s so much siren weary, but there’s certainly a sense of complacency on the part of some people,” Caplan warned. “Many people are overwarned and that’s the nature of the precautionary business.”

Caplan suggests purchasing a weather radio that can be programmed to only go off when severe weather is imminent.

The destruction caused by Sunday’s tornadoes in Missouri and Minnesota left hundreds of people homeless and without any possessions. But American Red Cross officials say the best way people can help is to donate money.

“Many people want to send items, but it’s costly to ship things so it’s easiest if we just purchase things ourselves,” said Chicago Area Red Cross spokeswoman Martha Carlos. “And if you’re interested in volunteering, call your local Red Cross chapter and get trained. Don’t go to an emergency untrained because that might actually burden the system.”

Carlos said donations can be made online at redcross.org, by texting “red cross” to 90999 or calling (800) RED-CROSS. She also advised that donations can be made directly to specific disasters through those national means, so it’s not necessary to call local chapters directly.