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Spring Weather Hazards and Safety Tips

Spring Weather Hazards

• Tornadoes

A large tornado touches down in an open field under stormy skies with power lines nearby.
  • Winds from Tornadoes can exceed 200 mph.
  • Flying debris is very dangerous and can cause injuries and death.
  • Seek a sturdy shelter like a basement, storm shelter, or interior room away from windows and cover your head. 
  • Tornado Watch vs. Tornado Warning

• Thunderstorms

A large storm cloud with a bolt of lightning in the sky over a dark landscape.
  • Can produce damaging winds and large hail.
  • Seek shelter such as basement or cellar, or interior room away from windows.
  • Being in a vehicle is not ideal but it is safer than being outside with no shelter.

• Lightning

A dramatic sky filled with multiple lightning strikes over a body of water and cityscape.
  • All Thunderstorms produce lightning.
  • Seek shelter inside a sturdy enclosed structure.
  • A hard topped vehicle is also a safe location.

• Flooding/Swift Water

A car on a flooded rural road with power lines and fields on both sides.
  • Can be caused by snowmelt, ice jams, hail, and heavy rain
  •  More than half of all flood related fatalities are vehicle related.
  • It only takes 12 inches of rushing water to carry away a small car.
  • Never drive into flooded roadways or around barricades.
  • TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN!

• Heat

A thermometer indicating high temperatures with a bright sun in the background.
  • Apply and reapply sunscreen often to reduce risk of sunburn.
  • Stay in air conditioned areas and out of direct sunlight if possible.
  • Never leave children, the elderly, or pets in unattended parked vehicles.