Prepare for spring storms during Severe Weather Preparedness Week, Feb. 27-March 5    

Tornado shelters and a well-rehearsed plan saved at least 150 lives when F4 tornado hit Parsons Company facility in July 2004

[FEB. 28, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- The week of Feb. 27 to March 5 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Illinois, but nobody needs to convince employees at the Parsons Company in Roanoke about the importance of being prepared for severe weather like tornadoes. At least 150 employees walked away without a scratch last July 13 after an F4 tornado packing 240 mph winds plowed into their workplace, reducing the plant to rubble -- that is, except for the three reinforced concrete storm shelters where employees huddled during the storm's rampage.

In addition to the storm shelters, Parsons also had an emergency plan, which they practiced annually to ensure employees knew what to do if a storm approached. When word came that the tornado was headed their way that day, everyone moved quickly to their designated shelters.

News of the tornado warning was received through the company's weather radio, which alerted staff to monitor the situation outside.

"Tornados are no fun, but having lived through one has made believers out of 150 Parsons employees -- tornado warnings need to be taken seriously," said Craig Joraanstad, human resource manager for the Parsons Company.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service are highlighting the dramatic Parsons story during Severe Weather Preparedness Week to demonstrate how important it is for families, businesses and schools to develop and regularly practice severe weather emergency plans.

"Three things made a life-and-death difference for the employees of the Parsons Company on that July day -- the fact that owner Bob Parsons had the foresight to build storm shelters, that the company had a plan for severe weather, and that they regularly practiced the plan so everyone knew precisely what to do," said IEMA Director William C. Burke. "Thanks to those shelters and that plan, at least 150 people walked away unhurt from a plant that was totally destroyed. That's exactly why we're working so hard to make sure everyone is properly prepared before spring storms strike."

Chris Miller, warning coordinator with the National Weather Service in Lincoln, noted that F4 tornadoes account for just 2 percent of all tornadoes but produce 70 percent of the tornado-related fatalities. "Although the majority of tornadoes in Illinois are F0s and F1s, they're still more than capable of causing injuries and deaths," Miller said. "People need to be alert and prepared, especially during the spring storm season."

To test preparedness, schools, businesses and families are encouraged to practice their tornado preparedness on Tuesday (March 1) at 10 a.m. when outdoor warning sirens in many towns are sounded.

Illinois experiences an average of 39 tornadoes a year, although 2004 was particularly deadly, with 80 tornadoes, which resulted in nine deaths and 23 injuries. And in 2003, a record-setting 120 tornadoes occurred in Illinois, resulting in two deaths and 81 injuries.

One tool that is critical for severe storm preparedness is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio with a battery backup and tone-alert feature. The radio issues automatic alerts when a watch or warning is issued. The National Weather Service uses county names when watches and warning are issued, so it's important to always know the county or counties in which you live and work. New Specific Area Message Encoder Weather Radios can be programmed to alarm only for a specific county or group of adjacent counties.

For increased safety, there are several actions people can take before, during and after tornadoes, thunderstorms and flooding, including these:

Tornadoes

• Before bad weather occurs, determine the best location in your home and office to seek shelter. A basement or cellar will usually provide the best protection. If that is not available, identify an interior room or hallway with no windows on the lowest level.
• Maintain a disaster supply kit.
• When a tornado warning has been issued, go at once to your predetermined shelter. In a basement, go under the stairs, under a heavy piece of furniture or a workbench. Stay there until danger has passed.
• If in a mobile home, get out and seek shelter elsewhere. If there isn't a substantial shelter nearby, seek shelter in a low-lying area and shield your head with your hands.
• In public places, avoid areas with wide-span roofs, such as auditoriums, cafeterias, gymnasiums and large hallways. Stay away from windows.

Thunderstorms

• Check the weather forecast before leaving for extended outdoor periods and postpone plans if severe weather is imminent.
• Close all windows and doors, and draw the shades or blinds to reduce the risk from flying glass if window or door glass breaks due to high winds.
• Avoid using the telephone or other electrical appliances until the storm passes.
• Delay taking baths or showers until the storm passes.
• If outdoors, seek shelter immediately. If you can hear thunder, you are probably close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning.
• If outside without immediate shelter, find a low spot away from trees and power poles where you can squat low to the ground. Make yourself the smallest target possible.

Flooding

• Remember that flooding is the No. 1 severe weather killer nationwide.
• Know how to shut off electricity, gas and water at main switches and valves, and be prepared to do so if instructed by local authorities. Know where gas pilots are located and how the heating system works.
• If advised to evacuate, do so quickly. Evacuation is much simpler and safer before floodwaters become too deep for ordinary vehicles to drive through.
• Never attempt to drive over a flooded roadway. The speed and depth of the water is not always obvious and portions of the road under the water may have been washed out. Two feet will carry away most automobiles.
• Never let children play in or near floodwaters, flooded creeks or flood retention ponds. Lives are lost each year when children and adults are swept away by floodwaters.
• Stay away from downed power lines and report them to the utility company immediately.
• After a flood, use extreme caution when entering a building.

For more information about how to prepare for severe weather, Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service developed a guide called "Severe Storm Preparedness 2005," which is available at www.state.il.us/iema or by calling [phone]. The guide includes information on weather terms, how to keep you and your family safe when a storm approaches, and what actions to take following a severe storm, tornado or flood. [To download the Adobe Acrobat Reader for the PDF file, click here.]

Note: The Parsons Company tornado story will be featured on The Weather Channel's "Storm Stories" on March 9 at 7 p.m. Central time.

[Illinois Emergency Management Agency news release]