| It started out as a simple trip to the
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| | Over 1,000 tornadoes strike the U.S. each
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| grocery store, but ended up in terror.
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| | year, killing about 40 people and
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| Heading out in the dark on a rain swept
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| | injuring hundreds more. In a house or
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| night, the three young people in rural
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| | apartment:
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| Missouri never saw the rushing water that
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| | * Go to a basement if available. Seek
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| had risen treacherously from the creek
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| | shelter under sturdy furniture, a
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| bed to swamp the narrow road in their
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| | workbench or a stairwell. Cover your
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| path.
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| | head, or keep a helmet handy.
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| The car was immediately caught in the
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| | * In homes without basements, take cover
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| current and swept downstream. Two of the
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| | in the center of the house. Go to a small
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| young passengers managed to escape the
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| | room without windows, closet, or hallway
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| sinking vehicle, but the driver could not
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| | on the lowest floor. Or hide under heavy
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| get free and drowned. "We never saw the
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| | furniture against a strong, inside wall.
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| water," one of the survivors marveled.
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| | Put as many walls as possible between you
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| "It just blended in with the color of the
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| | and the storm.
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| road."
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| | * The National Weather Service (NWS)
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| While storms are necessary to our
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| | recommends keeping all windows closed.
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| existence, they also present a threat to
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| | * Draw blinds and shades over windows to
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| it. Still, there are steps we can take to
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| | reduce glass damage.
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| outwit the forces of nature.
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| | While only five percent of Americans live
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| Thunderstorms And Lightning
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| | in mobile homes, about 45 percent of
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| Lightning kills about 40 Americans a
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| | people killed in tornadoes were in mobile
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| year, and can strike 10 miles from the
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| | homes when the twisters hit. The best
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| rain area. If you can hear thunder or see
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| | advice is:
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| lightning, you are already at risk.
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| | * Evacuate your mobile home and seek
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| During an electrical storm:
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| | shelter in a building.
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| * Get inside a home, large building, or
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| | * If necessary, find a low spot such as a
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| automobile (with the windows rolled up).
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| | ditch or ravine.
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| * Stay away from open doors and windows,
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| | Flash Floods
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| plumbing, fireplaces, and all metal
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| | Flash floods and river floods have become
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| objects.
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| | the biggest weather related killer across
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| * Don't use plug-in electrical equipment
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| | the U.S., causing about 50 deaths
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| like hair dryers, tooth brushes, or
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| | annually.
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| electric razors.
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| | * Do not camp near small streams. Rain
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| * Don't take a bath or shower.
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| | upstream can cause a flash flood. Camp on
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| * Do not use the telephone, except in the
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| | higher ground.
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| case of an emergency.
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| | * Pay attention to signs warning of areas
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| * If you are caught outside:
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| | prone to flash floods.
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| -In a group of people, spread out to
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| | * Do not try to cross a flowing stream on
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| minimize potential injuries.
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| | foot if the water is above your knees.
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| -Avoid being in or near picnic shelters,
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| | * It only takes two feet of water to make
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| baseball dugouts, bleachers or metal
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| | a car float. If your car does stall,
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| fences.
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| | abandon it immediately and move to higher
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| -Avoid hilltops, and tall objects such as
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| | ground.
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| isolated trees or poles.
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| | * Be very cautious at night when it's
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| -In the open, seek a low area, squat with
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| | harder to see flood dangers.
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| your hands on your knees and keep twice
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| | * Never try to cross rushing water. If
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| as far from nearby trees as the trees are
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| | you must cross standing water, be sure
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| high.
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| | you know the water is below your
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| -Get off golf courses, athletic fields,
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| | floorboards. Drive slowly so you don't
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| tennis courts, bicycles, and mowers.
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| | stir waves.
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| Remove shoes with metal cleats.
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| | More Survival Tips
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| -Get out of the water and off small
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| | * Buy and use a NOAA Weather Radio for
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| boats.
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| | continuous broadcasts of weather
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| -In a forest, find a low area under a
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| | information from the NWS.
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| thick growth of small trees.
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| | * For more information on dealing with
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| Tornado Warning
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| | weather hazards, go to the FEMA website.
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