🛡️ SAFETY • STORM TIPS • PREPAREDNESS

Your safety will always come before the chase.

At Team Dominator Storm Recovery, our mission is more than documenting storms — it’s about helping people stay safe before, during, and after severe weather. The following safety tips and preparedness guidelines are designed to help individuals, families, and communities stay informed and protected when storms threaten.

    🌪️ GENERAL SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY

• Always have multiple ways to receive alerts — Wireless Emergency Alerts, NOAA weather radio, local news, and trusted online sources.

• If a warning is issued, take immediate action. Seconds matter.

• Never rely solely on outdoor sirens; they are not designed to be heard indoors.

• Identify your safest shelter location now — interior room, lowest level, away from windows.

• Keep your phone charged and have backup power sources available.

• If driving during severe weather, avoid stopping under bridges and overpasses. These areas become more dangerous, not less.

    🌪️ TORNADO SAFETY

If you are at home:

• Shelter in an interior, windowless room on the lowest floor (bathroom, closet, hallway).

• Cover yourself with mattresses, blankets, or helmets to protect from debris.

• Avoid large open rooms like living rooms or garages.

If you are in a mobile home:

• Mobile homes are not safe in tornadoes. Go to a shelter, community safe room, or a more substantial building immediately when a watch is issued.

If you are driving:

• If a tornado is visible, far away, and traffic allows, drive at right angles to its path.

• If escape isn’t possible, abandon your vehicle and find a low-lying area — protecting your head is priority.

• Never shelter under an overpass.

    ⛈️ SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS

• Treat all severe thunderstorms seriously — they can produce destructive winds, hail, flash flooding, and tornadoes with little warning.

• Move indoors immediately when thunder is heard. If you can hear it, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

• Avoid using corded electronics and stay away from windows.

• Keep pets indoors as storms approach.

• Stay off the roads during hail-producing storms.

   ⚡ LIGHTNING SAFETY

• “When thunder roars, go indoors.” Lightning can strike up to 10 miles from a storm.

• Avoid open fields, hilltops, tall isolated trees, metal fences, and bodies of water.

• Inside, avoid water, showers, corded phones, and anything plugged into the wall.

• If you’re caught outside with no shelter, crouch low with minimal contact to the ground — never lie flat.

    🌊 FLOOD & FLASH FLOOD SAFETY

• Never walk or drive into floodwaters — Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

• Only 6 inches of fast-moving water can sweep a person off their feet.

• Just 12 inches of water can float a vehicle, and 18–24 inches can carry away most SUVs and trucks.

• Avoid bridges, dips in the road, and low-water crossings.

• Be especially cautious at night when visibility is low.

    🌀 HURRICANE & TROPICAL SYSTEM PREPAREDNESS

• Know your evacuation zone and routes well before a storm forms.

• Stock a hurricane kit with food, water, medications, documents, flashlights, batteries, and cash.

• Secure outdoor items and reinforce windows with shutters or plywood.

• Fuel vehicles ahead of time — gas shortages occur quickly.

• Once winds pick up, stay indoors and away from windows.

• After the storm, stay alert for hazards like downed lines, flooding, and unstable structures.

    🔥 HEAT SAFETY

• Stay hydrated and avoid heavy activity during the hottest part of the day.

• Never leave children or pets in vehicles — even briefly.

• Check on neighbors, especially elderly or vulnerable individuals.

• Heat exhaustion can become heat stroke quickly; know the signs.

    ❄️ WINTER WEATHER SAFETY

• Keep extra blankets, food, water, and chargers in your vehicle.

• Avoid driving during ice storms — black ice is nearly invisible.

• Drip faucets, insulate pipes, and know how to shut off your water.

• Use generators outdoors only to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

    📦 BUILDING A BASIC EMERGENCY KIT

• Water (1 gallon per person, per day — 3 days minimum)

• Non-perishable food

• Flashlights + batteries

• Phone chargers / power banks

• First-aid kit

• Blankets

• Tools & a whistle

• Masks, gloves, wipes

• Important documents in a waterproof pouch

• Cash

• Pet supplies if applicable

    🤝 COMMUNITY & PREPAREDNESS MINDSET

Preparedness isn’t just gear — it’s awareness, communication, and community support.
TDSR encourages families to:

• Practice safety drills

• Agree on meeting points

• Share alert apps with loved ones

• Check on neighbors during hazardous weather

• Stay informed and stay aware

Our team is committed to providing the public with reliable updates, education, and support before and after severe weather events. Safety will always be our top priority.