In the February Issue of Health E-News, Ina McCaine-Obenland of the St Charles County Division of Emergency Management provided detailed information on NOAA Weather Radios with an excellent link to the NOAA website for additional information. www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/nwr/nwr.php . Hopefully, everyone who read Ms. McCaine-Obenland's article has by now purchased one of these inexpensive radios. In this issue Ms. McCaine-Obenland focuses on common tornado myths and important safety tips.
Another excellent source of information relating to tornadoes is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tornadoes/. The severe weather pages are part of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response program at the CDC.
Public Health deals with more than disease. The prevention of injury and death from injury has historically been a major part of the CDC mission. Every year tornadoes can be counted on to inflict injury on hundreds or thousands of people in the United States. Many of these injuries, as well as death from the injuries, are preventable. The NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio is an important tool for prevention. They are inexpensive and widely available.
It is also valuable to be aware of the primary factors that put you at risk during a tornado. According to CDC these are:
- High Wind
- Flying Objects
- Falling Objects
- Flying Glass from Windows
- Being in a Mobile Home
- Being in an Automobile
In a 1997 report CDC stated that each year tornadoes cause an average of 51 deaths and 1,000 injuries. Being in a mobile home and having no basement available for shelter were identified as major risk factors. Attempting to outrun a tornado in an automobile also was found to be a major factor in predicting injury or death. Head injury and multiple traumas were seen most often in victims of tornadoes. Mobile home parks with special central underground shelters for residents substantially reduced the number of injuries. Sheltering in a residence with a basement also provided increased protection.
Depending on your location during a tornado, there are specific precautions you can take. These specific precautions can be found on the CDC website www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tornadoes/during.asp. Please visit this site and become informed.
It is also important to have a family plan. Share information with all family members. Be sure that children know what to do should a tornado strike. Children are especially anxious about storms and tornadoes and providing information and talking about this normal fear ahead of time may reduce that anxiety.
Finally, it is important to be aware that many injuries occur after the tornado has passed. Broken glass, nails, splinters of wood and sharp pieces of metal pose a significant injury threat. Exercise extreme caution when moving around the area where a tornado has touched down.
The trained staff members of the Division of Emergency Management are a valuable information resource. For additional guidance and to arrange organizational or school presentations please call 636-949-3023. Additional detailed information is also available on the Division of Emergency Management website, including a historical list of tornadoes that have touched down in St. Charles County. Just follow this link for that information and history www.scchealth.org/docs/ems/docs/prepare/tstorms.html and remember that injury prevention is a very important public health focus in our St. Charles County community.