Damaged buildings and cars litter Tuscaloosa, Alabama, following a deadly tornado in 2011.
Atlanta (CNN) -- Ranee Roberts feels lucky to have survived the impact of a tornado that hit her Alabama convenience store in April.
"Before the twister hit, I
sent a last text to say 'I love you' to my best friend, and then the
building began to come apart around me," said the 34-year-old from
Henagar.
Roberts said she knew
only about two minutes before impact that the twister was heading toward
her store. The tornado was rated an EF-4, with estimated winds peaking
at 175 mph.
"There was no time for
preparations, only prayer," she said. "I felt utterly hopeless thinking I
might be spending my last moments on Earth curled up on the stockroom
floor."
Ranee Roberts, 34, survived a tornado that directly hit her Alabama business.
Looking back, she was
ill-prepared for the storm and its aftermath. She felt that she got off
extremely lucky walking away with "just a few scratches" to her body.
She learned from her
harrowing experience to keep a first-aid kit, flashlight, bicycle
helmet, battery-powered radio, power generator and Meals Ready to Eat in
her storm closet.
According to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a record 14 weather and climate
disasters in 2011 caused $1 billion or more in damage, including the
Alabama tornado that Roberts survived. At least 669 people died in these
storms and thousands were injured.
View a list of the storms
2011: How to prepare for a hurricane
2011: Tuscaloosa damage before and after
2011: Lee's remnants flood upstate NY
2011 aerials show Vermont's Irene damage
"In my four decades of
tracking weather, I have never seen extreme weather like we had in
2011," said Jack Hayes, NOAA's assistant administrator for weather
services and the National Weather Service director.
Although no two years are alike, Hayes said, it's important for Americans to be prepared for the worst.
"The U.S. population has
almost doubled since 1954, and trends such as urban sprawl and
conversion of rural land to suburban landscapes increase the likelihood a
tornado will impact densely populated areas," he said. "We have also
become more vulnerable to coastal storms and hurricanes as more people
are living in coastal areas."
Hayes said the 2011
Southern drought and floods across the northern U.S. represent the
extreme temperature and precipitation swings that climate scientists
project will become more common amid a warming climate.
As a result of these conditions, Hayes' agency has redoubled its efforts to create a "Weather-Ready Nation."
"We want the nation's response to and the outcome from severe weather to be different in 2012 and in the future," he noted.
The devastating effects
of extreme events can be reduced through improved readiness. Hayes said a
"weather-ready nation" is one made up of people empowered to make
life-saving decisions that also prevent devastating economic losses.
Roberts said that
neither she nor her neighbors and friends in Alabama felt they were as
prepared as they could have been for April's tornado. They lacked basic
supplies and relied on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, other
community members and a local church to help them after the storm.
"That tornado was a clear reminder of our vulnerability," she said. "Your life can change in an instant."
One of the many lessons
she learned from her experience was to create an emergency preparedness
plan, something Hayes wants for all Americans.
In the end, emergency
managers, first responders, government officials, businesses and the
public need to be equipped with better weather information and a plan to
make fast, smart decisions to save lives and livelihoods, Hayes said.
As part of creating a
"weather-ready nation," Hayes' agency is launching pilot projects in the
Gulf Coast, South and mid-Atlantic regions to increase "on the ground"
capabilities.
In the north central
Gulf region, for instance, a pilot team of meteorologists and
hydrologists is developing methods to improve coordination to enhance
preparedness and response efforts.
Family mourns teen killed in tornado
Deadly storms rip through Southeast
Family survives storm as house collapses
Hayes also wants
Americans to understand that each type of weather condition deserves a
specific type of preparedness. NOAA's website links to FEMA's ready.gov site, which offers detailed information on how to create a disaster plans for various conditions.
To prepare for
tornadoes, for example, it's critical that families identify a "safe
room" in their house to go to when they hear a tornado siren or learn
that a tornado warning is in effect, Hayes said. If you are outside or
away from your home, you should immediately get into the lowest level of
a sturdy building. The safest type of room would be underground, such
as a basement or cellar, he said
Meteorologist Bonnie
Schneider, who appears on the various media platforms of CNN and HLN,
has written a new book releasing January 31, called "Extreme Weather,"
which provides a guide to surviving all types of natural disasters. She
notes the growing importance of technology and social media in becoming
a "weather-ready nation."
"During natural
disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes phone lines may go down so SMS
and Twitter may be the only ways to communicate," she said. "It's
important to have these types of accounts set up, and know how to use
them, before an extreme weather event occurs."
Schneider recommends
having a plan for pets too, including emergency food supplies and an
accessible place to keep a picture of your pet and proof of ownership.
This may be needed at a shelter, or if the pet is lost.
"You've got to be proactive in preparing for extreme weather," she said.
"An extreme weather
condition, like the tornado I experienced, doesn't care if you are rich,
poor, young or old," said Roberts. "What does matter is how prepared
you are and how quickly you react when time is of the essence."
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