How to Conduct a Tornado Drill
Note for Families:
The instructions below explain how organizations can conduct a tornado drill, but you can also follow them to conduct a drill in your home with your family. When the instructions refer to "organization," just think of your family. When they refer to "employees," think of the members of your family.
Before the drill
•
Make sure that your employees/family are aware that you are having a tornado drill, that theyunderstand what will take place during the drill and that they know the safest places to be duringa tornado.
o
The safest place is typically a building's basement away from any windows. If there is nobasement, go to a windowless interior room such as a closet, bathroom or interior hall onthe lowest level of the building.
o
Encourage your employees to visit
www.communityemergency.com
or
www.vaemergency.com
to get information about tornado preparedness.
During the drill
•
Announce the start of the drill by using a public address system or having designated volunteersalert staff.
•
Employees should act as though a tornado warning has been issued for the immediate area or atornado has been sighted near the building. They should evacuate as quickly as possible to the
nearest safe place
.
Open buildings
(government buildings, shopping malls, gymnasiums or civic centers): Tryto get into the restroom or an interior hallway. If there is no time to go anywhere else, seekshelter right where you are. Try to get up against something that will support or deflectfalling debris. Protect your head by covering it with your arms.
Automobiles:
Get out of your vehicle and try to find shelter inside a sturdy building. Aculvert or ditch can provide shelter if a substantial building is not nearby — lie down flat andcover your head with your hands.
Do not
take shelter under a highway overpass or bridge,because debris could get blown under them or the structures themselves could bedestroyed.
Outdoors:
Try to find shelter immediately in the nearest substantial building. If no buildingsare close, lie down flat in a ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands.
Mobile homes:
Do not stay in mobile homes. You should leave immediately and seekshelter inside a nearby sturdy building or lie down in a ditch away from your home, coveringyour head with your hands. Mobile homes are extremely unsafe during tornadoes.
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Be sure to use stairs to reach the lowest level of a building. Avoid using an elevator.
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In a real tornado emergency, once people reach safe areas they would crouch as low as possibleto the floor, facing down, and cover their heads with their hands. Please ensure that people inyour organization know this.
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Once all employees have evacuated, the drill coordinator can announce that the tornado haspassed and the drill is over. Employees can then return to their offices.
After the drill
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The drill coordinator should document any necessary changes in the evacuation procedure.
o
Do more safe areas need to be identified?
o
Are some safe areas cluttered and need to be cleaned out to be more accessible?
o
Do employees know the fastest routes to take to safe areas?
o
Is a better method for letting employees know of an approaching tornado needed?
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