Several states down south are dealing with tornadoes and tornado warnings -- forcing officials to tell residents to take cover, while also social distancing ... if possible. Trying times, to say the least.
With tornadoes having already touched down in Texas and Louisiana this weekend, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency sent out a tweet Sunday showing staffers monitoring the volatile weather patterns that's coming their way soon.
Director Michel and our team are monitoring the weather and standby ready to assist. Have a safe place to go. If you go to a public shelter please wear a mask, bandana, or scarf around your nose and mouth. Practice social distancing. We will get through this! pic.twitter.com/owoDLwL3rI
— msema (@MSEMA) April 12, 2020
The agency says, "Director Michel and our team are monitoring the weather and standby ready to assist."
They also add a directive regarding social distancing, saying ... "If you go to a public shelter please wear a mask, bandanna, or scarf around your nose and mouth. Practice social distancing. We will get through this!"
The tornado shelter in #Starkville is crowded. I’m still 10 feet from the closest people though #SocialDistancing #MSwx pic.twitter.com/ihgFmpBWfr
— Craig Ceecee (@CC_StormWatch) April 12, 2020
Mississippi's guidance on how to properly take shelter in public is similar to what emergency agencies in other states have provided. The common guideline for all is ... socially distance if you can, but hunkering down against something like a tornado -- which could kill you instantly -- is job 1.
Homes completely destroyed. Monroe tornado #tornado pic.twitter.com/yh6RQ3ox0D
— Jord (@jord28283) April 12, 2020
Oklahoma said just that in its own directive ... "The need to practice social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19 brings added complications to taking shelter from severe weather." Again, they're giving top priority to tornado protection over the virus.
It's the perfect storm of problems, really. People trying to keep their distance, to survive, while a more typical natural disaster pushes them closer together ... for survival.