Smith talks severe weather prep, awareness at lunch and learn program

May 11—It's storm season and so it might be wise to brush up on severe weather safety, which is why Emergency Management Director Chancy Smith was the subject of a Driving Dickinson County Partnership Lunch and Learn Tuesday afternoon.

He answered participants' questions about severe weather preparation and awareness and broke down some of the basics of storm preparation.

Smith talked about the storm system which came through Dickinson County April 29, bringing with it two fully actualized tornados and spawning multiple funnel clouds.

He also spoke about what people can do to keep themselves safe.

Safe rooms in one's home should be cleaned out.

It is wise to have a "go bag" prepared with food, bottled water, necessary medications, a basic first aid kit and similar needed items.

Smith cautioned against being outdoors in a storm when the tornado sirens are going off. The sirens are set off to warn of outdoor hazards, he said.

"It means if you're outside, go inside," he said. "Do not remain outside."

This can include dangerously large hail and straight-line winds. He showed images of damage done in the county by straight-line winds.

One way to tell if storm damage is caused by powerful straight-line winds versus a tornado is to look at the damage patterns. If the debris is all blown in one direction, it was likely done by very powerful straight-line winds.

Either strong winds or tornados can do severe damage, so if there is a warning people who are home should go to their pre-designated shelter, taking pets with them if time allows, Smith said.

Those who are at work during a warning should take shelter at their workplace's designated shelter area, avoid windows and avoid large areas such as gymnasiums, cafeterias and auditoriums.

If someone is trapped outdoors during a tornado, they should seek shelter in a sturdy building immediately. Avoid sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes and tents.

It is extremely dangerous to be in a vehicle during a tornado, Smith said. If someone is in a vehicle during a storm, they should drive to the nearest shelter immediately, if they have time. If they do not have time, they should exit the vehicle and lay down in a ditch or ravine with their heads covered or shelter in their vehicle by laying down on the floor with their heads covered.

"There's nowhere that you're going to put someone that's 100 percent," he said.

Smith encouraged people to keep in mind that while no shelter was guaranteed to keep someone safe if they were hit directly by a tornado, being inside was the safest place to be.

"Some of the most critical injured at the chapman tornado were in the parking lot of the storm shelter," he said. "Trying to leave or get out there — one of them was going to get someone and bring them back to the shelter and two of them just showed up late and they got blown away in their vehicles — hangman's fracture, collapsed lungs, skull fracture and a severed arm. That's the kind of damages we had from that with people that were in their vehicles. So a vehicle is not safe."

During a tornado warning, if someone is at a business it is best to stay there and stay indoors than to try to drive home, Smith said.

Abilene's community tornado shelter is in Eisenhower Elementary School's safe room, he said. The Abilene Police Department opens this shelter up to everyone during tornados, Smith said.

Smith cautioned against driving or being outside during severe weather. A house isn't guaranteed to keep anyone safe, but it is safer indoors on the lowest level of one's home in a room without windows than it is anywhere else during a storm.

Smith encouraged people to remain aware during severe weather. He encouraged people to keep weather radios and pay attention to alerts on their phones.

"It's just not survivable not to have information," Smith said.