Safety Measures During Thunderstorm, Cyclone, And Tornadoes

Do you know that approximately 1, 40,000 people died in a cyclone that hit Bangladesh in 1991?

The cyclone that hit the state of Orissa in 1999 destroyed 17110 square kilometres of crop land. Approximately, 25 00 000 domestic animals died and the total loss of property was estimated to be about 4.5 billion dollars!

Thus, high speed winds are capable of causing large-scale destructions. Since their occurrence cannot be controlled therefore, knowledge of safety measures is of utmost importance.

Some of the safety measures to be followed are listed

• Pay heed to the warnings broadcasted by the authorities over the radio and television
• Floods cause damage to the roads. Therefore, all roads in flood-hit regions should be avoided
• Necessary arrangements should be made for the shifting of domestic animals, vehicles, household goods etc from cyclone hit areas to safer areas
• Emergency phone numbers of services like police, fire brigade, and medical centres should be known by all members of the family

Some precautions for cyclones include

• Floods follow cyclones. Therefore moving to a higher altitude area is recommended in order to avoid floods
• Going outside the house, particularly to the sea-shore, should be avoided during a cyclone
• Previously stored water should be used for drinking as water during cyclones may be contaminated
• Emergency supplies such as water and food, first-aid kits, etc should be stored by people living in cyclone-prone areas
• Construction of cyclone shelters in cyclone-prone areas is recommended. Construction of houses that can withstand cyclones should be encouraged, wherein plywood can be used instead of glass to make the windows.

• Broken switches and wires should not be touched during a cyclone as these can cause electric shock
• Rescue workers who provide support by supplying food, water, and medicine should be helped in their tasks
• We should help and cooperate with neighbours and friends who may need assistance during a cyclone

Some of the safety measures to be followed during tornadoes

• Constructing tornado shelters

• Shutting down of all the doors and windows

• Sitting underneath a bench or a table inside the house
• Bending on your knees and bowing down by protecting the head with your hands will help shield the body from fatal injuries
  Along with the knowledge of cyclones, advancements in science and technology can help develop better prediction and warning systems. This will help to combat emergency situations.
  With time, predictions about the occurrence of cyclones and tornadoes have become very accurate. With the help of satellites and radar systems, weather forecasters can warn people in advance about cyclones and tornadoes. Forecasters use watches and warning systems to help people in cyclone-hit areas.
  A cyclone watch is a weather alert that makes a forecast about cyclones that are likely to hit a particular area
  • For a storm, it is issued about two days in advance
  • A cyclone warning is a weather alert that is issued 24 hours in advance
  • Before cyclones hits the shoreline the message is broadcasted every 30 minutes
  These systems are used by several national and international agencies. An instrument used to study the speed of winds is the anemometer
  
  
  
  More about anemometers!
  Since the low-pressure area in a cyclone results in high-speed winds, it is very important to measure the speed of the winds. It helps the meteorologists to accurately predict the nature and extent of these natural disasters. You can measure wind speeds with the help of an anemometer that can be installed at the top of your house.