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VICKI HUDOBA, TORNADO SURVIVOR: "My life is now divided between before the storm and after
the storm."
NARRATOR: In Oklahoma, danger can strike without warning. When faced with perilous, life-threatening
circumstances, it's essential to be ready. Anticipating the worst will help you plan
for the best. So, plant the seeds for preparedness and let safety take root. It all starts with
a grassroots game plan. Today's game plan: Tornadoes.
HUDOBA: "The first time I heard anything about a tornado on that day was when my husband
went to work and we watched it. Really, it was in the west for a long time and not building
and not building and then, all of a sudden, it was just like, bam, fast."
HUDOBA: "We had sixteen minutes from the time the siren went off to the time my house was
blown away. When you walk out and you see your house, your things, your memories, gone,
it takes you some time to absorb it. I don't think I have completely yet, but you have
to be strong."
SCOTT SPROAT, DIRECTOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE: "One of the most important things
you can do to protect yourself and your family in the event of a tornado is have a tornado
emergency preparedness plan prepared in advance of the storm and implement that plan as quickly
as possible when a tornado warning is issued. One of the things that you want to do is you
want to identify the nearest storm shelter or safe room, and if a storm shelter or safe
room isn't available, find a location in your home—usually a small, interior room, a closet
or bathroom—where you can seek shelter and remain safe during a storm."
SPROAT: "Put together a Go-Bag. This is an emergency kit that you will take with you
into shelter. It'll have things in it like a battery-powered radio, flashlights, important
documents, and keys. Also, if you are on prescription medications, take a small cache of those.
Take first aid supplies and put that in your Go-Bag. And also put a noise-making device
- a whistle, something you can use to signal first responders if your house does get impacted
and you're trapped in either your storm cellar or the debris."
SPROAT: "This is a standard in-garage shelter. This family actually rode out the May 20th
tornado in this shelter and were able to get in it in advance of the storm and were very
safe down here. As you can see, the only thing left of this house is a small, interior bathroom.
Fortunately, these folks were under ground, but had they been in that bathroom it's very
likely that they would have survived this storm with just a few injuries or maybe none
at all."
HUDOBA: "16 minutes is not very much time when you're scrambling around. It's hard,
but you have to move forward."
NARRATOR: When danger strikes, be ready. Prepare your grassroots gameplan today. A message
from the Oklahoma State Department of Health.