Tornado Safety Tips

The National Weather Service offers these safety tips when a tornado threatens. Acting quickly is key to staying safe and minimizing impacts.  Stay weather-ready by listening to a NOAA Weather Radio.   At home, if you are in a tornado warning, go to your basement, safe room, or an interior room away from windows. Don’t forget pets if time allows.  At work or school, follow your tornado drill and proceed to your tornado shelter location quickly and calmly. Stay away from windows and do not go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.  If outside, seek shelter inside a sturdy building immediately if a tornado is approaching. Sheds and storage facilities are not safe. Neither is a mobile home or tent.  If you have time, get to a safe building.  Being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe. The best course of action is to drive to the closest shelter. If you are unable to make it to a safe shelter, either get down in your car and cover your head, or abandon your car and seek shelter in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine.