The Impact of Tornadoes and How Relief Funds Can Help
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As natural disasters are increasing in severity and frequency, we will continue to see an uptick of catastrophic events that will impact communities around the world. One of the most destructive types of severe weather and natural disasters is a tornado.
In this article, we’ll look at the impact tornadoes have on the community, share tornado safety tips to keep team members safe, and explain the importance of relief funds in the aftermath of a tornado.
The Effects Tornadoes Have on the Communities Impacted
Tornadoes are severe weather events that bring about extremely high winds that can carry debris and other objects. They have the capacity to cause destruction and harm to both property and individuals.
Tornadoes occur in many areas of the world, but in the United States, they are particularly common in what has become known as “Tornado Alley”. This area is loosely defined, but generally includes areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.
However, some research suggests that Tornado Alley is shifting east and south due to changing weather patterns. This new area with increased frequency and severity of tornadoes includes Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee and has become known to some as “Dixie Alley”.
Each year, there are an estimated 1,200 tornadoes throughout the United States. The impact of these tornadoes depends on how many form, their strength, and their proximity to cities and towns.
In 2021, tornadoes resulted in around $230 million in damages and caused 104 casualties. 2011 was one of the worst years on record for tornadoes, as they caused around $9.5 billion in damages and 553 fatalities.
In 2022, some of the most recent tornadoes have caused catastrophic damage to the communities they affected, including at least 35 confirmed tornadoes that impacted regions of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. These cyclones resulted in 2 fatalities, many serious injuries, and the destruction of dozens of buildings.
Tornadoes can make the road to recovery incredibly difficult since they have the capacity to destroy entire towns. Tornado damage can cause residents to lose everything, including their homes, their possessions, and even their livelihoods. Additionally, they may have nowhere to turn and need assistance to rebuild their lives.
How Establishing a Disaster Relief Fund With Emergency Assistance Foundation Will Help Provide Aid
In the aftermath of a natural disaster—like a tornado—your organization can help impacted team members rebuild and recover with a disaster relief fund administered by Emergency Assistance Foundation. A relief fund can boost morale and encourage your internal communities to contribute directly to the support of fellow team members. Establishing a fund can alleviate the stress that disasters put on those within your organization and allow impacted individuals to start on the road to recovery.
If your organization is interested in starting a relief fund, consider establishing a fund with Emergency Assistance Foundation today. As a financial first responder, we are resourceful and fearless in ensuring that financial assistance reaches individuals in need, no matter the unique circumstances involved.
Once you establish a fund, you can also launch an Immediate Response Program (IRP) in the event of a qualified disaster to provide small grants quickly and efficiently. This is a unique, low-cost program, which is supplemental to a fund’s standard grant program and awards small grants (< $1,000) quickly in times of large-scale disasters like tornadoes.
Proactively establishing a relief fund with Emergency Assistance Foundation ensures that your organization is ready to assist any team members that are impacted by tornadoes and other natural disasters, and it can even be life-saving. According to data analyzed for our landmark 10-year relief fund industry report, natural disasters are the number one event included in the grant criteria for funds that are established with Emergency Assistance Foundation.
In fact, 73% of the over 300 relief funds we administer include natural disasters in their grant criteria. The funds’ sponsoring organizations recognize the growing importance of taking care of their team members in the aftermath of a natural disaster. As the threat of tornadoes continues to increase, now is the perfect time to start preparing for how your organization will respond once the next disaster occurs.
By establishing a fund with us today, your organization can assist members of your team affected by tornadoes and increasing natural disasters. Relief fund grants can help impacted individuals pull through difficult times and start on the path toward recovery. If you’d like to learn more about how your organization can help your team during difficult times, you can review additional information about how a fund works or contact us today. We look forward to helping you make a difference for those who need it most!
Tornado Safety Tips to Share with Team Members
Sharing safety tips for tornadoes is important in all areas where tornadoes occur, but it is especially crucial if you are in or near Tornado/Dixie Alley since the likelihood of a tornado forming is higher. It’s difficult to know when and where a tornado will form, so understanding when to take action and what to do are crucial parts of how to survive a tornado.
Here are some of the most important tornado safety tips to share with your team members to ensure they stay safe in the event of a tornado:
- Before
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- Understand the risk of tornadoes in your area, especially in the Midwest and Southeast where they are most common
- Know the signs of a tornado, like rotating, funnel-shaped clouds, a loud roar, approaching clouds of debris, the color of the sky changing, and a strange quiet during or after a thunderstorm
- Pay attention to weather reports in your area so you know when conditions may cause a tornado to form
- Make a plan for taking shelter if a tornado does form in your area, including:
- Identifying safe places to take shelter, which should have no windows, like a basement or stairwell
- Creating an emergency tornado safety kit with bottled water, non-perishable food, blankets, medical supplies, medication, a flashlight, a radio, batteries, and more
- During
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- Immediately seek shelter in the place you’ve previously identified as safe
- Cover your head and neck with your arms in order to protect yourself. You should also put clothing and furniture around or on top of you to shield yourself more
- Pay attention to alerting systems for emergency information and updates
- If you are outside or in a vehicle, don’t try to outrun a tornado. If you can’t get to a building, find a ravine or ditch, use your arms to cover your head and neck, and put any clothing or padding on top of you
- After
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- Pay attention to local authorities and alerting systems for updates
- Stay clear of fallen power lines or broken utility lines
- Seek medical attention immediately if you are sick or injured
- Be careful during clean-up and wear the appropriate gear, like pants, gloves, thick-soled shoes or boots, and even face masks when necessary, as mold and other debris may be dangerous
Understanding these safety precautions for tornadoes can be the difference between life and death, which is why it is vital to share this information with team members so they know how to keep themselves and their families safe. There’s no way to avoid tornadoes, so it’s important to be prepared and know how to respond. That includes helping those who have been impacted by tornadoes to rebuild their lives. Establishing a relief fund ahead of time is one of the best ways to provide immediate assistance for team members impacted by tornadoes.
