Tornado hitting Myrtle Beach on July 6, 2001
In the last three weeks, deadly tornadoes have swept across the Southeast, Midwest, and Central United States. Leveled homes and buildings were left in their wake.
When the right conditions converge, a tornado watch or warning is issued. Experts say you should take those alerts seriously every time.
"People should always remain vigilant. The National Weather Service in particular does not issue tornado warnings unless they're convinced something is going to occur," says Milton Seekins with Horry County Emergency Management.
Unlike a hurricane, a tornado can develop very quickly, leaving you little time to prepare. One way to protect yourself is by investing in a weather radio. "Whenever there's an incident, it will sound an alarm on the radio and that will be followed by a message that will tell you what the particular watch or warnings," adds Seekins.
Experts say if you don't feel safe, go to an interior room of your home like a closet or bathroom. And if you're out on the road, "a lot of times tornadoes are moving on the ground at over 80 mph, so they can catch up to you. So your best bet is to drive perpendicular to the tornado's motion or get completely out of your car abandon it and lay flat in a ditch," explains Chief Meteorologist Ed Piotrowski.
"Sitting in a vehicle is not what you want to do if a tornado comes by. You've seen pictures, a good size tornado will toss a car around as if it were a paper toy," adds Seekins.
For those living in mobile homes, experts say it's not the best place to be during severe weather because they are not considered secure.
"Not fastened down to a foundation like a typical home that's constructed might be, so that makes them very unstable. The second thing is that manufactured homes are just constructed differently (with) a lot of lightweight materials," says Seekins.
Seekins also warns of watching the storm. "A lot of people like to look out the window, and it comes to a time fairly quickly when looking out the window is a wrong thing, because storms are quite powerful."
Despite tornadoes and high winds in the Pee Dee, Horry County has been spared from major damage.
"This time of year, the ocean is pretty cool, so when the wind is blowing off the ocean it's a cool stabilizing atmosphere and that often helps decrease the strength of thunderstorms as they approach the coast, but it's not always the case, especially in the summertime," adds Piotrowski.
For more tips on how to protect yourself during a tornado, theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers some advice.
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