As tornado season once again descends upon the Southern and Midwestern US, it’s important to remember the storm signs and safety tips that will help you survive. Severe weather seems to be escalating – 2008 saw a record number of 1691 tornadoes in the United States alone. Although most tornadoes typically occur east of the Rockies in the so-called “Tornado Belt”, these violent storms can occur anywhere. Regardless of where you live, you should know the warning signs and practice with your family on how to react during any severe storm.
Tornadoes are violent storms characterized by strong winds, and large and damaging hail. Wind speeds of tornadoes have been recorded up to 300 miles per hour. They can strike quickly and with little or no warning. The word tornado conjures up images of large, rotating clouds that can be seen for miles – in reality, tornadoes can actually be nearly transparent until they pick up enough dust or incorporate a cloud into the tell-tale funnel. Even though technology is getting better at predicting storms and giving families more time to seek shelter, sometimes these warnings come too late. In these cases, fragment retention films like Stormguard can help fortify your home’s windows, and give you precious time to seek shelter to ride out the storm.
The Time to Prepare is Before a Storm Strikes
You have the greatest chance of survival with minimal injury if you prepare your home and family even before a storm strikes. Set out a plan and discuss it with your family. Ideally you should select a location in your home to ride out the storm, and stock that area with an emergency supply of water, blankets, and battery operated radio in your “storm center”. In a storm, you should:
**Put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible. A basement or hallway are both good choices.
**Stay away from doors, windows, and outside walls.
**Stay clear of unnecessary items, but if possible have a sturdy object to hide under.
**Stay in the lowest level of your home, and in the center of an interior room.
Technology today is getting better at predicting tornadoes, giving families more warning to protect themselves. Even so, it’s important to consider installing Stormguard fragment retention films. Warnings can come too late to escape into storm cellars and basements.
It’s also important to remember that the so-called “Killer tornadoes” are extremely rare (less than two percent of all tornadoes). You and your family can survive a tornado, and your home truly is the safest place to ride out the storm. Most likely, the tornadoes you will encounter will not be strong enough to flatten your home, but can cause severe damage from catapulted objects.. In these cases, the danger of a tornado is from flying debris being catapulted into your home, through windows where not only the debris becomes a danger, but also deadly shards of glass. Enter StormGARD – fragment retention window films that are designed to fortify glass windows. The glass will be harder to break and able to withstand blows from moderate impact. In the event the glass does break, the shards will be held together rather than inflicting injury. This means you and your family will have more time to escape into a safe region of your home to wait out the storm.
Last year’s tornadoes resulted in 126 fatalities – most of these injuries were caused by flying debris and glass shards. Stormguard is not magic: it will not prevent glass from breaking should large debris strike your home. Stormguard will save lives; even once the glass breaks, this window film holds together deadly shards of glass. Stormguard provides 24/7 protection, and in the event of unforeseen tornadoes, will significantly reduce glass related injuries.
Mr. Jordan Frankel is a respected security professional and founder of Global Security Experts, sole distributor for Stormguard fragment retention films. ShatterGARD products are trusted to protect the men and women of the U.S. military as well as the law enforcement community. For more information on how Stormguard can help protect your home and family during violent storms, visit www.shattergard.com or call 888-306-7998-14.
Article Source: Disaster Preparation Key to Survival During Storm Season: Protect Your Family by Fortifying Your Home With StormGuard
