Tornado Preparedness for the Disability Community

During the summer, staying vigilant and preparing for tornadoes is important. We must face the facts: the planet is warming, and natural disasters are becoming more frequent and destructive. Severe storms may produce tornadoes with wind speeds over 200 miles per hour. Although most tornadoes in the U.S. occur east of the Rocky Mountains, they can form in every state.

This resource is from United Spinal Association's Emergency Preparedness Working Group. It is intended to help members of the disability community stay safe before, during, and after a tornado

Watch and Warning: What is the Difference?

Do you know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?

A tornado watch means that a tornado is possible - be prepared. Conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms, which include the possibility of a tornado. Usually, tornado watches are issued over a large area, sometimes several hours before storms even form. Tornado watches are meant to make people aware of the weather for a particular time period.

A tornado warning means a tornado is expected! Seek shelter because a tornado has been seen, or the development of a tornado is highly likely based on storm spotters or Doppler radar. Tornado warnings are usually issued for a specific storm and cover a smaller area and shorter time frame. You should take immediate steps to seek shelter.

FEMA provides a list of suggestions for before, during, and after a tornado. It is essential to learn about your local tornado warning system. Many areas prone to tornadoes have an outdoor warning system. Emergency Preparedness Working Group member and Inclusive Emergency Preparedness and Power Planning Director Donna Harris also shares her information and resources for helping the disability community properly prepare for tornadoes.

Prepare your home for a tornado long before it happens

You'll need to designate a place to shelter in your home. A safe room is one of the best places for wheelchair users to survive a tornado because it is easier to access than a basement. If you cannot access a safe room or storm shelter, identify the safest locations in sturdy buildings. Find a small interior and windowless room, such as a closet or a bathroom, on the lowest level of a building. A floor below ground level is best.

Practice moving quickly to the protective location in the places where you spend a lot of time. Also, rehearse how you will communicate with family members. Know how and when to turn off water, gas and electricity at the main switches or valves and share this information with your family and caregivers. Cover yourself using whatever is available, such as a coat or a blanket, and cover your head and neck with your arms.

Take the time before a disaster strikes to collect and store the emergency supplies you would need to remain home for several days. Utilities such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and phones may be cut off for days, weeks, or longer.

There are a few tornado-specific items that you can include in a go-bag or in your shelter location kit to decrease your risk of injury from flying debris. Ideally, you want to try to protect your head, eyes, body and feet. This means wearing a bike helmet or hard hat, safety goggles or lab glasses, a heavy winter coat, and sturdy, closed-toed shoes.

Protect your documents and keep the lines of communication open

Take time to review your homeowners or renters' insurance to ensure you have adequate coverage for your property and personal belongings. Know what is covered, the level of coverage, and the deductible. Prepare or update a list of your home's contents by taking pictures or videotaping each room in the house so that you can review coverage and document damage.

Ensure you safeguard critical documents and take pictures or videos of your belongings. Keep papers in a fireproof, waterproof box. If records are stored electronically, keep a backup drive in a fireproof, waterproof box or store files using a secure cloud-based service.

Since landline and cellular phone systems are often overwhelmed following a disaster, plan to use text messaging or social media to communicate with family and friends. Set up group chats. Also, keep important numbers written down in your wallet in case you cannot access your phone.

In addition to monitoring local news, consider signing up for local alerts and warnings. StormWarn Powered by WeatherCall NexGen is an alert system that removes all doubt about whether you should seek shelter. Tornado warnings often go out to broad areas when the threat is smaller. StormWarn offers a location-based alert system. If your address is in the threatened area, you will get an alert telling you to take shelter immediately. Once the weather threat has passed, you will receive a call that it is safe to leave your shelter.

Next, inform the local fire department, emergency management, team and volunteer centers that your family includes a wheelchair user. Call the power company if your wheelchair is battery-operated or if other equipment depends on power, such as oxygen tanks or a ventilator. Some power companies maintain maps and lists of the locations of power-dependent customers in an emergency and offer advice about setting up alternate power sources.

During a Severe Storm

Do not stay in a mobile home if your area is under a tornado warning. Move to a safe room, storm shelter or sturdy building immediately! Did you know that 43% of tornado deaths in the United States over the past 21 years happened to people in mobile homes?

Even if your home is a sturdy brick house, if the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning or if you see a tornado, go to a safe room or storm shelter if available. If you do not have access to a safe room or a storm shelter, go to a small, interior, and windowless room in a sturdy building on the lowest level (underground is best).

FEMA offers a booklet for building or installing safe rooms called Taking Shelter from the Storm (FEMA P-320, March 2021, Fifth Edition.) This informational booklet includes background information to help you understand the hazards, guidance on the level of risk in your area, guidance for selecting a safe room design, and detailed, safe room construction plans.

Make sure you monitor communications during the storm. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio, local radio, TV, or other news sources to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings. It pays to keep track of forecasts from official sources, such as The Storm Prediction Center and the National Weather Service Forecast Offices. The local forecast offices are located all across the United States.

What if you're outside when a tornado strikes?

Do not try to outrun a tornado if you are in your car or van. People in motor vehicles have a ten times greater risk of severe injury than people at home. Do not park under a freeway, overpass, or trees. Overpasses are very poor sheltering areas. By climbing up underneath the overpass, people are moving into a place where the wind speeds typically will be higher with flying debris.

The National Weather Service recommends driving to the closest shelter. If that is impossible, abandon your car and seek shelter in a low-lying area, such as a ditch or ravine. Since there will be flying debris, cover your head and neck with your arms and your body as best you can. Try to pad your head with a heavy coat, blanket, pillow, or something similar.

If you cannot leave the vehicle, ensure your seatbelt is on.

There is no single recommendation for what to do as a last resort if you are caught outside without a vehicle or nearby shelter.

Here's what to do after the storm passes

If you are trapped, keep your movements to a minimum and cover your mouth with a cloth or mask to avoid breathing dust. If possible, send a text message, blow a whistle, or bang on a pipe or wall to alert authorities to your whereabouts.

Before you attempt to exit any type of shelter or building, look around for dangerous debris or anything that might fall. Do not use matches or lighters inside. If you smell gas or see spills that could be flammable, leave immediately. Stay out of damaged buildings until local authorities tell you that they are safe to enter.

If your home has been damaged, photograph or video the damage. Do what you can to prevent further damage, such as putting a tarp on a damaged roof, because insurance may not cover additional damage that occurs after the storm. Do not use a generator or other gas-powered machinery indoors or near windows where fumes could enter. Carbon monoxide exhaust can kill.

Be very careful while cleaning up around your property. Look for fallen or unstable trees and poles. Stay away from downed power lines and report them to 9-1-1 or the power company's emergency number.

Be sure to stock storm shelters

Companies such as Survive-A-Storm Shelters offer an above-ground accessible storm shelter, and Protection Shelters LLC offers concrete and steel above- ground accessible storm shelters that vary in size. Larger group shelters can include bathrooms, HVAC units, and battery backup lighting. It is extremely important to find storm shelter manufacturers who are members of the National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA), because membership requires the manufacturers to follow the industry standards.

In addition to your already prepared kits of needed supplies, the Oklahoma State University Extension office offers tips for ensuring your storm shelter is ready before disastrous weather hits:

• Clean the storm shelter. Clear pests, remove any fire hazards, and seal openings so pests cannot get in.
• Check for leaks, repair any leaks or cracks, and try to divert the water away from the shelter's entrance.
• Keep cases of water and non-perishable food in sealed containers.
• Keep an emergency kit that can include items such as flashlights, extra batteries, extra wheelchair batteries, first aid kits, medications, needed medical supplies (catheters), cash, and a weather radio
• Stuffed toys, pillows, and blankets to comfort any small children
• Food, water and needed items for any pets, including veterinary records, medications, leash and a pet carrier

Be prepared and take charge

While natural disasters affect everyone in their path, people with disabilities are two to four times more likely to die or be injured in a disaster, emergency, or crisis than nondisabled people, according to the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies. Being prepared and being able to take charge of one's own plans is very important, especially for people with disabilities.

Refer to the United Spinal Association Resource, The Wheelchair Emergency Preparedness Compendium You Always Wanted for more detailed information on preparedness, emergency kits, backup power plans, support networks, communication plans, and emergency evacuations.

More Resources

United Spinal

The Wheelchair Emergency Preparedness Compendium You Always Wanted

How to Build Emergency Preparedness Go-Bags and Stay-at-Home Kits

New Mobility

Crip Buzz: Emergency Preparedness - Are You Ready? (Carrie Ann Lucas)

Shining a Light on Emergency Preparedness (Gary Karp)

Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready for a Disaster? (Sue LoTempio)

Community-Wide

Tornado Preparedness and Safety Tips (Kansas State University)

Storm Prediction Center (NOAA/National Weather Service)

The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) (National Weather Service)

Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building or Installing a Safe Room for Your Home (FEMA P-320, March 2021, 5^th Edition)

Oklahoma storm shelter checklist: How to Prepare, What to Pack In a Tornado Go-bag (The Oklahoman)

Protection Shelters LLC

Survive-A-Storm Shelters

Emergency Preparedness Working Group

If you are interested in participating in United Spinal's Emergency Preparedness Working Group, which collaborates with advocates across the United States on emergency preparedness for the SCI/D and wheelchair user community to deal with natural or manmade disasters, please fill out our online form.

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