Tornadoes are ferocious in nature and cause severe damage to property, cars, crops and anything else they find in the way. Direct impact of a tornado will result in injury during or after a tornado.
According to study done by CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), in Marion Illinois, 50% of tornado related injuries are suffered during rescue attempts, cleaning up after a tornado or walking through debris.
Most injuries are as a result of stepping on nails, broken glass, sharp stones, broken pieces of wood among others. Falling debris, heavy rolling objects, loose electrical wires are also among the common causes of injury.
Being electrocuted or a gas explosion or fire outbreak are among the many risks of being an area after a tornado. You should protect yourself and family from post tornado injuries by taking safety measures mentioned below.
Check for any injuries
After a tornado don’t try to move seriously injured persons unless they are in danger of being injured further by falling debris or a collapsing wall. Medical assistance should be called in immediately. If among the injured, someone is not breathing then you should do CPR on them until the medical team arrives, but you can only do this if you are trained on how to do CPR.
For those that are bleeding, apply direct pressure on the wound, using a piece of cloth tie it around the wound to reduce on the bleeding. Keep talking to the injured and try to keep them awake until the medical team arrives. Talking to an injured person gives them hope, keeps them calm and they don’t give up easily.
Before visiting a site that has been badly damaged by a tornado, you should wear protective clothing such as boots, gloves, and long sleeved tops to avoid any bruises from sharp objects in the debris.
Be extremely careful when entering a damaged building, watch out for falling debris and sharp objects that can cause injury.
Watch out for exposed nails, broken glass and other sharp objects when walking through the debris. Avoid touching any power lines or any cables in a damaged building. You can get electrocuted when you touch live electrical power lines that have a high voltage.
Volunteer to offer assistance
During such times the public safety officials will need all the help they can get to help the victims. You should respond to requests for volunteers in assisting the police, fire fighters, relief organizations, and the emergency teams.
You should however, refrain from going to damaged areas on your own to avoid becoming a victim yourself. Wait for instructions from the public safety officials on what to do.
Inspect the damages caused by the tornado
Structures of buildings, electrical systems or gas leaks are among the many hazards that you will encounter after a tornado. Do an inspection for gas leaks, loose electrical wires, and any other life threatening damages.
After you have finished doing an inspection of the damage, you should contact the local city or county building inspectors for information on the structural safest codes and standards. Finding a qualified contractor to fix the damages for you is advisable.
As a safety measure, turn off all your electrical devices natural gas and propane tanks to avoid explosions, electrocution, or fire. When doing the inspection never use a candle, if it is dark use a flashlight instead to avoid a fire or explosion in case of any gas leaks. Turn off the main circuit breaker if you see any loose electrical wires or see sparks. If you are suspecting a gas leak turn off the main gas valve and open all the windows and leave the house immediately.
Inform the gas company, fire fighter or police about the gas leak. Do not light any matches or candles because this can cause a gas explosion if there is a gas leak.
When cleaning up after a tornado, make sure that you are wearing gloves when cleaning up the spills of medicines, drugs or any other liquids that are potentially hazardous.
Prepare your children before a tornado
It is important to prepare your child for a tornado. Talking to them about why tornadoes happen and the effect they have will prepare the children mentally and they will prepared for one.
After a tornado encourage your children to express their feelings and help them understand that it was an act of nature. Reassuring your child and comforting them will help them to recover well from the shock.
Involve them in the cleaning up activities that are not harmful. Such activities include, dusting of the windows of your house after a tornado or re-arranging of items that fell during the tornado. This will help the children to recover when they begin to see the house returning to order.
Sometimes it is hard for people who have experienced a tornado to recover quickly. Anxiety may appear for months after a tornado and this can have a bad effect on the person. Seeking for professional assistance through a counselor, a physician or any other expert in this field will help the person recover from the anxiety.
