The first thing that pops into many peoples minds when they hear the words “severe weather” is TORNADO. In St. Louis, we have seen the destruction first hand. No doubt many of you in the area will remember the Good Friday Tornadoes in 2011. Those images and feelings will stick with us forever. Many of you have been affected or know someone who has been affected by the deadly destruction of a tornado. Yesterday, we discussed being prepared for severe weather and today we are going to discuss how to put our plan into action when a tornado strikes. Weather.gov has an excellent white paper on tornado safety which can be viewed here. [1]
So what should you do if you are in the path of a tornado?
- If working in the office please follow the Emergency Action Plan and take shelter where advised-WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE TORNADO DRILL TODAY AT 1:30 PM
- If working in the field, become familiar with the facilities tornado shelter
- At home-Seek shelter immediately in your predetermined shelter area
- Driving-Do not drive into severe weather, drive away from the storm
- Seek shelter in a nearby substantial building
- As a last resort; abandon your vehicle and hide in a nearby ditch and cover your head
The good news is that technology has advanced tremendously in recent years, and experts are able to predict severe weather outbreaks days in advance. Most smart phones send alerts when severe weather is in your area. Technology is just one of the many tools that will help prepare you and your family when severe weather threatens. As we enter the coming months please be diligent and pay attention to the weather forecast so you can be prepared when severe weather strikes.
For more information about how IFS helps keep their employees safe even after they go home, call us today at 636-680-2100 and ask for Mike Schwaller.
[1] http://www.weather.gov/media/lsx/wcm/Tuesday_16.pdf