Safety tips for twister season

With tornado season well under way, Staff Writer Trevor Stokes spoke with Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency Director George Grabryan about what residents can do to protect themselves during a tornado.

Q: What should you do when you hear a tornado warning siren?

A:They're designed if you're outside of your home to capture your attention (so you can) go tune to your favorite media source and catch what's going on in your area. It's designed to alert you that conditions have changed in the weather.

Q:What should people do during the tornado season?

A: (Before the season begins), have a plan. You need to have the ability to receive the information from the weather service or the news media that conditions are present.

You need to have some rough idea of what these weather terms mean. Know the difference between a "watch" and a "warning." Have a designated place to go that's your safe area, be it in your residence, a neighbor's, your work place or a shelter. Be able to move and execute that plan rapidly. Have a few basic supplies so if you are affected, you have the basic means with you. Have a simple communications plan where you have a relative out of town you may be in contact with. That way, your family won't be as disoriented if you are in multiple areas.

Q: How do you know a tornado will strike?

A: It's a coordinated effort. We've got radar-indicated rotation and activity that's indicative of a tornado and then often times you have spotters that see this, which is tough at night and tough when these tornadoes are rain-wrapped. Then you have people who are experiencing damage that we hear from. Keep in mind, these "light tornadoes" that we've had, if there is such a thing, they are very hard to detect. They are on the ground for a minute to two minutes max. With their type of wind speed, they can just tear it up and then be gone. Essentially, that illustrates further why you need to take action during a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch and especially during an extreme thunderstorm warning that can instantaneously turn into a tornado warning.

In this area, we have quite a few thunderstorm warning/watches, and out of that you may get an organized line that may move through (as a) tornado. Then you've got these isolated super cell thunderstorms that have these large or even small tornadoes in them. Those can do as much damage to a home or property in the small variety as it could if it's a very large tornado.

Q: What is the dumbest thing a person can do during a tornado watch?

A: If you're in a car in a tornado, it's not the best place to be. (Other things include) trying to outrun the tornado, trying to drive across the tornado's path, trying to associate where you are in relation to where that thing's coming instead of taking the time to take cover. Just a lot of things that people don't think about.