Local Severe Weather Warning System

Knowing how to protect you and your family during severe weather is extremely important. Every household should have an Emergency Plan for any possible emergency such as fire, earthquakes or severe weather.

Severe thunderstorms can cause as much damage as a tornado and should be treated with equal seriousness. Tornadoes often form inside severe thunderstorms. When a severe thunderstorm approaches, you should take the same precautions as in the event of a tornado.

Prepare an emergency kit and keep it in a well-known place in your home before an emergency happens. This kit should contain at a minimum: batteries, flashlights, battery operated radio, first aid kit, and bottled water.

In the Cities of Munford and Atoka, Civil Defense Sirens are sounded in the event of severe weather. When these sirens are sounded, no time should be wasted in activating your family emergency plan and taking cover. Do not call to investigate the siren warning!! Conditions that warrant the sounding of the siren include: actual sighting of a tornado in line of the city, severe thunderstorm warnings by the National Weather Service where tornadic activity or very high winds are present, or when in the opinion of the Munford-Atoka Fire Department sufficient danger is present to warn the public to take cover.

The sirens are programmed to sound continuously for 3 minutes. However, they may be reactivated if the present danger situation has not improved. When the situation has been upgraded to a safer storm as determined by the Fire Department an air horn ALL CLEAR will be sounded.

Always put YOUR SAFTEY first in the event of a severe weather situation. Property and possessions can be replaced.

What is a Tornado?

A tornado is the most violent atmospheric storm. A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 mph or more.

Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Once a tornado in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, carried a motel sign 30 miles and dropped it in Arkansas. According to the National Weather Service, although tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, these destructive forces of nature are found most frequently in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains during the spring and summer months.

In an average year, 800 tornadoes are reported nationwide, resulting in 80 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries.

A Warning Versus a Watch

A tornado watch is issued when conditions are favorable for producing a tornado. When a tornado watch is issued, keep an eye on the weather and go over the tornado safety plan with your family. If weather conditions worsen, seek shelter.

A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been spotted. In the case of a tornado warning, seek shelter immediately.

Tornado Danger Signs

When a tornado is approaching, a dark, often greenish sky, a wall cloud and large hail may appear. A loud roar similar to that of a freight train may be heard. An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. This is the calm before the storm. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm and it is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

Be Prepared Before the Storm Hits

By the time a tornado is heading toward you, it is usually too late to make a plan. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, you should:
     1. Conduct tornado drills each tornado season.
     2. Designate an area in the home as a shelter, and practice having everyone in the family go there in response to a
         tornado threat.
     3. Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to call long
         distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person. This
         will help should the family be separated during the storm.

Preparing a Tornado Safety Kit
The American Red Cross suggests that you assemble a "disaster supplies kit" that you keep in your shelter area. The kit should contain:
     1. A first aid kit with essential medication in addition to the usual items
     2. A battery powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries
     3. Canned and other non-perishable foods and a hand-operated can opener
     4. Bottled water
     5. Candles and matches
     6. Sturdy shoes and work gloves
     7. Cash and credit cards
     8. Written instructions on how to turn off your homes utilities

After a Tornado:
     1. Help injured or trapped people.
     2. Give first aid when appropriate.
     3. Don't try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.
     4. Call for help.
     5. Turn on a radio or television to get the latest emergency information.
     6. Stay out of damaged buildings.
     7. Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
     8. Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
     9. Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately. Leave the building if you
         smell gas or chemical fumes. 
     10. Take pictures of the damage, both to the house and its contents, for insurance purposes.
     11. Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance--infants, the elderly, and people with
          disabilities.