The Atlantic hurricane season began Wednesday, June 1st. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) this will be an “above average” season featuring “12-18 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes”—at a category 3 or above.
As you can tell by watching the news, it’s also “tornado season.” For the record, it began in April and runs through July—“May and June are peak months.” So for at least the next month, until the end of tornado season, depending on location, many are facing double jeopardy on the severe weather front.
According to NHC spokesman, Dennis Feltgen, “we need to be preparing right now.”
Real estate agents spend a lot of “windshield time” checking properties. If you found yourself in the car showing properties (or leaving soccer practice) and you spotted a tornado on the ground, what would you do?
The Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) recommendation is below:
“If you’re driving and spot a tornado, seek shelter in a sturdy well constructed building if at all possible, or find a ditch or culvert to climb into, covering your head. Don’t stay in your vehicle or seek shelter under an overpass, which are among the worst places to be if a tornado strikes.”
If you are inside– (OCSWA) recommends that you follow the “DUCK” principle.
D: Go down to the lowest level.
U: Get under something.
C: Cover your head.
K: Keep in shelter until the storm has passed.
Action Assignment:
Emergency preparedness experts recommend a Family Disaster Plan from the National Hurricane Center.