By Captain Al Sharon, Brighton Police Department

2011 has proven to be an active year for tornados, especially in South and Midwest. According to a recent article in the Homeland Security Newswire, in April 2011 there was a record 875 tornados compared to the previous record of 267 tornados set in 1974. In May 2011, Joplin, Missouri was leveled by a monstrous twister that killed over 150 people and destroyed many homes and businesses.

How does a tornado cause such destruction? The average home can withstand a three second gust of wind at 90 miles an hour, but the tornado that hit Joplin had winds in excess of 200 miles an hour. Few buildings can withstand such force.

When a tornado slams into a building, it shatters the windows and breaks down the doors. Then the winds rush inside to create tremendous pressure on the roof. Once the roof blows off, the walls generally collapse and the building is destroyed.

Brighton has an extensive array of tornado warning sirens. Police and fire officers monitor weather forecasts and storm updates around the clock. Many of these officers are trained weather spotters who can assess the potential threat of a storm. In addition, emergency personnel monitor storm warnings from both governmental and private sources. If it appears likely that a tornado is strike the Brighton area, the tornado sirens are activated.

When the tornado sirens are activated, people should take cover immediately. Unfortunately, many people do the opposite and rush outside to look for a tornado. Tornados are both very dangerous and unpredictable. The safest place to be during a tornado is inside a substantial building away from windows and exterior walls.

Some people are even building specially designed safe rooms for their homes or small businesses. A detailed booklet containing information on building a safe room can be found on the FEMA website at http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/saferoom/fema320.shtm.

Please take the time to develop and practice a tornado safety plan for you and your family.

Captain Al Sharon is a veteran law enforcement officer with more than 37 years of service. He has been with the Brighton Police Department for eight years and currently commands the Support Services Division.

For more information, Bob Heaton is a Brighton CERT Team member and a meteorologist, storm chaser, and a trained sky warn observer. He would be happy to answer any questions you may have, including what kind of cloud is that and is the severe weather going to hit us. Please email info@brightoncert.org with your questions.