This week’s tornadoes in Dayton and Celina should remind everyone in Greater Cleveland that urban areas are not immune from tornadoes.
Tornado damage at Fort Worth, TX, March 28, 2000. (Photo: http://www.weatherimagery.com )
While it is true that large cities are rarely stuck by tornadoes, that is not because developed areas are somehow resistant to the storms. The less-comforting reality is that cities are struck infrequently because they occupy a relatively small percentage of the land in tornado-prone areas. Unfortunately, as our urban areas continue to expand, the likelihood of developed areas being struck increases.
In many ways, urban areas are the worst places to be during severe tornadoes. With the exception of modern high-rise buildings, few city buildings are constructed to withstand tornado-force winds, and many commercial structures lack basements. More people outdoors when a storm hits will inevitably mean more injuries and deaths. Congested roadways make escape impossible and can prevent people in vehicles – who are extraordinarily vulnerable – from reaching shelter. Built-up areas will have much more debris than undeveloped areas, and most injuries and deaths from tornadoes are caused by flying debris. In densely-built urban areas nearby buildings may create wind-tunnel effects that actually increase the velocity of storm winds.
So, city and suburban residents should take a few moments to think about ways to protect themselves and their families from tornadoes.
The first thing to keep in mind is that during a severe tornado, except for the very centers of modern high-rise buildings, there is no place above ground that is safe. Tornado winds can reach 300 mph, and no residential structure in the United States can withstand those winds unless the structure has been specifically and expensively designed to do so. Such a building would probably be made of steel-reinforced concrete, with walls two-feet thick, with no windows, and with doors made of three-inch thick armor. And even then, it may not survive. The vast majority of existing buildings are designed to resist winds up to 120 mph or less, significantly lower than winds generated by EF-4 or EF-5 tornadoes.
Basements offer significant protection, but storm cellars are better. Best of all are basements equipped with specially-designed and well-constructed ‘safe rooms.’ The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides detailed instructions for designing and constructing ‘safe rooms’ for homes and small businesses. But specially-constructed ‘safe rooms’ can be expensive and very few homes or businesses have them today.
Without immediate access to a ‘safe room,’ here are some things you can do to increase your chances of surviving a tornado.
Do not risk your life attempting to film the storm on your smartphone. Searchers probably won’t find your phone anyway.
Get inside. The air will be filled with debris hurtling toward you at 100 mph or more. Most tornado fatalities are caused by flying debris.
Go to a basement or storm cellar. If there is no basement available, go to a small, interior room on the lowest level.
Stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls. Cover your head and neck with your arms. Cover yourself with blankets or coats. Put on a helmet if you have one.
If there is no basement and no small, Interior room, get under the heaviest desk, table, or other piece of furniture that you can find. This isn’t good, but it might be the best you can do.
If you are outside and cannot make it to a sturdy building, lie down in the lowest place you can find and cover your head with your arms. Cover your body with a coat or blanket if you can.
If you are in a vehicle and see a tornado, get out of your car immediately. Do not try to outrun it. Tornadoes can be fast, they change direction erratically, and they can throw large pieces of debris long distances. Seek shelter in a sturdy building or in a ditch or other depression. Do not park under an overpass or bridge.
The most important thing you can do is think about your actions now, before the tornado emergency is issued. Have an idea where you will go and how you will protect yourself. Your local fire department and your county’s emergency management agency can provide more information on tornado safety.
Originally published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
May 29, 2019