The Rural Voice, 1996-07, Page 25is issued, keep calm; close all
windows and doors; bring children
indoors; and go to your shelter."
"There are very few `tornado
watches and tornado warnings'
issued," says Ed. "The weather
people won't give a tornado warning
unless there is actual tornado
circulation sighted or reported by
weather observers or unless there is
tornado circulation detected by radar.
Keep a balance between caution and
common sense."
"There are many official weather
observers in our area," adds Jerrine.
"People generally have a tendency to
underestimate weather conditions. Be
alert and be aware."
"Radio static is a good indicator of
weather," continues Ed. "Turn the
dial to one end of the frequency and
listen to the crackling or static. If the
noise is loud and persistent, then a
storm is close by. If you're out in the
field, keep your eye on the sky.
Thunderstorm and other severe
weather happens at peak heating of
the day."
"One farmer we document"d was
dangerously close to a tornado," said
Jerrine. "He was out in the field on
his tractor. He clung to the steering
wheel, lowered his head, and hung
on. The tornado passed within a few
meters of him. Don't take chances.
Head back up out of the field. This is
only common sense."
While most farmers are not likely
to get caught out in the field, if they
are, the best advice is to get off the
tractor in severe weather and lie
down in a dry low arca such as the
dead furrow, on the west side of the
tractor. Tornadoes have been known
to lift tractors up off the ground.
Tornadoes are a dramatic media
event. One of the current top money-
makers is the movie Twister. "No one
in their right mind would even think
of getting that close to an actual
tornado," said Ed Verkaik. "1 think
that there is a lot of misinformation in
that movie about tornadoes! It's
better to be safe than to get a
photograph."
The "Severe Weather Watcher
Handbook" contains the following
safety tips in the event of severe
weather, high winds and/or
tornadoes. If inside a building:
• Stay inside with doors and
windows shut. Stay away from
windows, doors and exterior walls.
• Go to a small interior room or
stairwell on the lowest floor of the
building. (Bathrooms are often the
best choice.)
• Crouch under heavy furniture if
possible.
• Protect your head with cushions
or a mattress.
If outside a building:
• Seek shelter in a sturdy building
immediately (not a car, a mobile
home or a Karn).
• If there is no shelter nearby, lie
flat in a low dry spot (like a ditch,
ravine, or under a low bridge) and
watch for flash flooding.
• Protect your head.
• As a last resort, hang on tightly
to the base of a shrub or small tree.
If inside a vehicle, barn, or mobile
home:
• Do not stay there. If possible run
to nearby solid shelter or building.
• Do not attempt to "out run"
tornadoes by driving (especially in
populated areas).
• If no shelter, lie flat in ditch, etc.
and watch out for flash floods.
• Protect your head.
"Tornadoes are interesting but
really rare," says Ed. "But they lead
people to watch the skies. It is very
important to get a good
understanding of storms. Watch for
large clouds, bigger cloud 'towers',
and large bases. Listen to the western
sky. Thunder can be heard within 20
miles."
"Flooding actually kills more
people than any other weather
feature," says Jerrinc. "And regular
high winds do more damage than
tornadoes."
d and Jerrinc Verkaik are
working on a book that is based
on the April 20 tornado. They
are interested in getting in touch
with anyone who has actual
photographs of the tornado itself.
Their number is 1-519-363-5785.
"We're corning at it from a safety
angle," says Jerrine. "The book is due
out late this summer. With our book,
we're hoping to get more people to
be 'ground -spotters.'"
"It's especially important for
farmcrs to keep alert about weather
conditions. The best defense is
knowledge and caution. You can't
bcat a combination of common sense
and awareness of the sky," states Ed.
Be sensible. Be safe. Be a sky
watcher! 0
O�'(PR��\ S
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s
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