PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — It’s Palm Beach County hurricane preparedness week and WPTV News is seeking solutions to stay safe in your home in the event of a tornado.
The tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Milton last October caught many by surprise. This hurricane season, we aim to be more prepared. WPTV anchor Mike Trim spoke with Palm Beach County Emergency Management Director Mary Blakeney, who shared valuable advice.
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From the very first alert of a tornado, it is imperative to do everything you can to get to safety. Trim asked Blakeney for clarification on what those first steps should be: “You get a tornado alert on your phone, you’re sitting at your house. It’s in your area, what do you do?”
Blakeney responded, “We really need to talk about how you would get that alert. You get it on your television. You get it on your phone or even on your weather radio. However you receive those alerts, you need to be able to receive those alerts multiple ways. Immediately getting to a safe room in your home is paramount.“
An interior room with no access to the outdoors is ideal. Blakeney gives the idea of a bathroom. “No exterior windows, no exterior doors. Grab whatever you can to shield yourself, even when you’re in the safest room in your home. Things could fall on you. So you still want to still protect yourself.”
If your bathroom has windows or doesn't feel like a safe option, Blakeney offered an alternative. “It may just be your closet in your bedroom. Although it might not be the perfect place, it might be the safest place.”
Walking through the kitchen of a home, Blakeney emphasises the importance of no windows. “You don’t want to be near your window. You don’t want to be near things that can shatter and impact you."
Trim said, “I see knives and silverware here.” To which Blakeney responded, "Absolutely, you want to try to be as far away from any flying projectiles as possible.”
Advice for tornado safety in a condo or taller home includes additional steps.
“If you are in a home that’s multiple stories, you want to get to the lowest level. Condos, apartment buildings that maybe have interior walkways that people can get down to the lowest level possible, while safely being able to do so,” said Blakeney.
Blakeney also explains that mobile and manufactured homes are the most vulnerable in a tornado. “Maybe they have a clubhouse in their community, and they have enough time to safely get there, they need to try to get to that location."
Stay with WPTV for storm coverage and updates throughout hurricane season.
