Tornado Safety Before the Storm
Being ready for severe weather starts before there are even storms in the forecast. Make sure you are taking several precautions at home, work, and school to ensure everyone remains safe when severe weather threatens.
- Develop a plan for you and your family for home, work, school and outdoors.
- Know the safest shelter areas in multiple locations and regularly practice your plan.
- Keep a disaster supply kit in your home including water, food that won’t spoil and needs no heat to serve, first-aid kit, NOAA Weather Radio (also known as an emergency weather radio), a flashlight and special items for children, pets and elderly family members.
- Make sure you have multiple ways to receive weather information. A NOAA Weather Radio, access to local TV, and smart phone apps can keep you informed when severe weather threatens.
- If you have a smart phone, make sure your device is enabled to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). These life-saving messages can provide critical early warnings about approaching dangerous weather conditions.
Tornado Safety During the Storm
Whether at home, work, or school, it’s important to have a plan in place for what to do when severe weather is approaching.
- In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement, and get under a sturdy table or the stairs. A specially constructed “safe room” within a building offers the best protection.
- If a basement is not available, move to a small interior room on the lowest floor and cover yourself with anything close at hand: towels, blankets, pillows. If possible, get under a sturdy table, desk, or counter. Put as many walls as possible between you and the storm. Stay away from windows.
- If caught outdoors, seek shelter in a sturdy building. If you cannot quickly walk to shelter, get into a vehicle, buckle your seatbelt and drive to the closest sturdy shelter. If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Now you have two options as a last resort:
- Stay in the vehicle with the seatbelt on and place your head below the windows.
- If you can safely get noticeably lower than the roadway, exit the vehicle and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands. Do not seek shelter under an overpass.
- Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. You should leave a mobile home and go to the designated storm shelter or the lowest floor of a sturdy nearby building.
