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 Tornado Safety

Tornadoes are powerful and unpredictable storms that can cause significant damage in minutes. Being prepared ahead of time can help protect you, your family, and your community.

 

Understanding Alerts: Watch vs. Warning

• Tornado Watch: Conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop. Stay alert, monitor weather updates, and be ready to take action.
• Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar. Take shelter immediately.

To stay informed:
• Sign up for Hyper-Reach emergency alerts for Morton County.
• Turn on Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on your cell phone.
• Monitor local news and weather sources during severe weather.

 

Before a Tornado

• Know your risk: Tornadoes can occur anywhere, but some areas are more prone than others.
• Identify safe shelter: The safest place is a basement, storm shelter, or interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.
• Practice drills: Ensure everyone knows where to go and what to do when a warning is issued.
• Build an emergency kit: Include water, food, flashlight, batteries, medications, and important documents.
• Plan for all needs: Include pets, children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities in your planning.

During a Tornado

• Take shelter immediately when a warning is issued.
• Move to a basement or small interior room away from windows.
• Protect your head and neck with your arms, helmet, or sturdy object.
• If in a vehicle, do not try to outrun a tornado. Seek shelter in a sturdy building.
• If no shelter is available, lie flat in a low-lying area and cover your head.

 

After a Tornado

• Stay informed and follow guidance from local officials.
• Avoid downed power lines and damaged buildings.
• Check for injuries and provide first aid if needed.
• Use text messages or social media to communicate instead of phone calls.
• Document damage for insurance purposes.

Preparedness saves lives. Taking steps now can make a critical difference during a tornado emergency.

 

Tornado Safety Information Sheet

Tornado Preparation - Ready.gov

 

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 Shelter In Place


 

Shelter In Place

Whether you are at home, work or elsewhere, there may be situations when it's simply best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside.

There may be circumstances when staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process known as "sealing the room," is a matter of survival.

 

The process used to seal the room is considered a temporary protective measure to create a barrier between you and potentially contaminated air outside. It is a type of sheltering in place that requires preplanning.

   

  

 

  • Bring your family and pets inside.
  • Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
  • Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.
  • Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated.
  • Go into an interior room with few windows, if possible.
  • Seal all windows, doors and air vents with 2-4 mil. thick plastic sheeting and duct tape. Consider measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time.
  • Cut the plastic sheeting several inches wider than the openings and label each sheet.
  • Duct tape plastic at corners first and then tape down all edges.
  • Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.
  • Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. However, you should watch TV, listen to the radio or check the Internet often for official news and instructions as they become available.
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 Flood Information

Basic Safety Tips

  • Turn Around, Don’t Drown! ®
  • Avoid walking or driving through flood waters.
  • Do not drive over bridges that are over fast-moving floodwaters. Floodwaters can scour foundation material from around the footings and make the bridge unstable.

  • Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.

  • If there is a chance of flash flooding, move immediately to higher ground.

  • If floodwaters rise around your car but the water is not moving, abandon the car and move to higher ground. Do not leave the car and enter moving water.

  • Avoid camping or parking along streams, rivers, and creeks during heavy rainfall. These areas can flood quickly and with little warning.

 

 

     

 

     

 

 

Prepare for a Flood

  • Know the types of flood risk in your area. Visit FEMA's Flood Map Service Center for information.
  • Sign up for Morton County's Hyper-Reach Emergency Notification System by clicking here. The Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.
  • If flash flood is a risk in your location, then monitor potential signs, such as heavy rain or rapidly increasing river levels.  
  • Learn and practice evacuation routes, shelter plans, and flash flood response.
    • Click here for a guide on evacuation preparedness..
  • Gather supplies in case you have to leave immediately, or if services are cut off. Keep in mind each person's specific needs, including medication. Don't forget the needs of pets. Obtain extra batteries and charging devices for phones and other critical equipment.
  • Purchase or renew a flood insurance policy. It typically takes up to 30 days for a policy to go into effect and can protect the life you've built. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding. Get flood coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container. Create password-protected digital copies.
  • Protect your property. Move valuables to higher levels. Declutter drains and gutters. Install check valves. Consider a sump pump with a battery.
    • For more information on sump pumps, click here.

 

 Check Water Gauges - USGS National Water Dashboard

 

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 Hazardous Materials

2020 Emergency Response Guidebook:

 

 

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS: 

Hazardous materials are chemical substances, which if released or misused can pose a threat to the environment or health. These chemicals are used in industry, agriculture, medicine, research, and consumer goods. Hazardous materials come in the form of explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons, and radioactive materials.

A hazardous materials accident can occur anywhere. Communities located near chemical manufacturing plants are particularly at risk. However, hazardous materials are transported on our roadways, railways, and waterways daily, so any area is considered vulnerable to an accident.

Learn to detect the presence of a hazardous material.

Many hazardous materials do not have a taste or an odor. Some materials can be detected because they cause physical reactions such as watering eyes or nausea. Some hazardous materials exist beneath the surface of the ground and can be recognized by an oil or foam-like appearance.

 


Find out evacuation plans for your workplace and your children’s schools.

Be ready to evacuate. Plan several evacuation routes out of the area.

Have disaster supplies on hand.

· Flashlight and extra batteries

· Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries

· First aid kit and manual

· Emergency food and water

· Nonelectric can opener

· Essential medicines

· Cash and credit cards

· Sturdy shoes

Develop an emergency communication plan.

In case family members are separated from one another during a hazardous materials accident (this is a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), develop a plan for reuniting after the disaster.

Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact." After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone knows the name, address and phone number of the contact person.

If you hear a siren or other warning signal, turn on a radio or television for further emergency information.

 

IF CAUGHT AT THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT:

If you see an accident, call 9-1-1 or the local fire department to report the nature and location of the accident as soon as possible.

Move away from the accident scene and help keep others away.

Do not walk into or touch any of the spilled substance. Try not to inhale gases, fumes, and smoke. If possible, cover mouth with a cloth while leaving the area.

Stay away from accident victims until the hazardous material has been identified.

Try to stay upstream, uphill, and upwind of the accident.

Authorities will decide if evacuation is necessary based primarily on the type and amount of chemical released and how long it is expected to affect an area. Other considerations are the length of time it should take to evacuate the area, weather conditions and the time of day.

 

IF ASKED TO STAY INDOORS:

("SHELTER-IN-PLACE")

Seal house so contaminants cannot enter.

Close and lock windows and doors.

Seal gaps under doorways and windows with wet towels and duct tape.

Seal gaps around window and air conditioning units, bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans, and stove and dryer vents with duct tape and plastic sheeting, wax paper, or aluminum wrap.

Close fireplace dampers.

Close off nonessential rooms such as storage areas, laundry rooms, and extra bedrooms.

Turn off ventilation systems.

Bring pets inside.

Immediately after the "shelter-in-place" announcement is issued, fill up bathtubs or large containers for an additional water supply and turn off the intake valve to the house.

If gas or vapors could have entered the building, take shallow breaths through a cloth or a towel.

Avoid eating or drinking any food or water that may be contaminated.

Monitor the local Emergency Broadcast System station for further updates and remain in shelter until authorities indicate it is safe to come out.

 

IF ASKED TO EVACUATE:

Stay tuned to a radio or television for information on evacuation routes, temporary shelters, and procedures.

Follow the routes recommended by the authorities — shortcuts may not be safe. Leave at once.

If you have time, minimize contamination in the house by closing all windows, shutting all vents, and turning off attic fans.

Take pre-assembled disaster supplies.

Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance — infants, elderly people and people with disabilities.

Return home only when authorities say it is safe.

Follow local instructions concerning the safety of food and water.

Cleanup and dispose of residue carefully. Follow instructions from emergency officials concerning clean-up methods.

For more information on Hazardous Materials, 
contact Morton County Emergency Management at 
(701) 667-3307.


 


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 Cybersecurity Resources

 

Reporting Cyber Incidents

If you believe you've been the victim of a cyber-attack:

  1. Report it to local law enforcement
  2. File a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
  3. For identity theft, visit IdentityTheft.gov

Contact Us

For more information or to report suspicious cyber activity affecting Morton County infrastructure, contact:

Morton County Emergency Management 701-667-3307

 

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