There’s a Tornado Warning

Simcoe County's Manager of 911 & Emergency Planning has firsthand experience

Simcoe County’s Manager of 911 and Emergency Planning, Cathy Clark, says the days when we have a Tornado Watch then aWarning back to a Watch and another warning are the days when we are most at risk. She says people tend to ‘tune it out’.

A Tornado Watch is an indication that conditions are such a tornado could occur but forecasters aren’t really sure.

A Tornado Warning is an indication conditions are such a tornado could develop at any moment; that funnel clouds may have already been spotted

A Tornado Warning, says Clark, is to be taken “incredibly seriously”.

DO 

  • seek shelter in a structurally sound building, preferably in a basement; failing that, an interior room with no windows
  • lay down in a ditch away from overhead power lines; the lowest point of land you can find will be the safest

DON’T

  • stay out in the open
  • seek shelter in a shed
  • stay in your car; it can be lifted from the ground and tossed around like a toy; there have also been cases of people being sucked out of their vehicle through a sunroof
  • seek shelter under a bridge; debris will blow under a bridge and there’s a danger of collapse
  • seek shelter in a culvert; there’s the potential for flash flooding that could be deadly