The following are some tips to help you prepare your home and family for a tornado:
What to do if you are in your home during a Tornado:
- Go to the lowest level of the home, an inner hallway, or smaller inner room without windows, such as a closet or bathroom.
- Get away from windows and go to the center of the room. Avoid corners, because they tend to attract debris.
- Get under a sturdy piece of furniture, such as a workbench or heavy table.
If you are in a mobile home:
- Evacuate the mobile home, even if it is equipped with tie-downs. Take shelter in a building with a strong foundation, or if one is not available, lie in a ditch or low-lying area a safe distance away from the mobile home. Tornadoes cannot change elevation quickly enough to pick someone up out of a ditch, especially a deep ditch or culvert.
If you are at work or school:
- Go to the basement or to an inside hallway at the lowest level of the building.
- Avoid places with wide-span roofs, such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways or shopping malls.
- Use your arms to protect your head and neck.
If outdoors:
- If possible, get inside a sturdy building with a concrete foundation.
- If shelter is not available, or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building.
- Be aware of the potential for flooding.
If you are in a vehicle:
- Never try to out drive a tornado in your vehicle. Tornadoes can change direction very quickly and can lift a vehicle and toss it in the air
- Get out of the vehicle and take shelter in a nearby building.
- If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the vehicle and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle.
Resources
Find out how to build your own safe room
*The Individual Safe Room Program is closed due to lack of funding*