Tornado Safety

Stay Tuned for Storm Watches and Warnings

When there are thunderstorms in your area, turn on your radio or TV to get the latest emergency information from local authorities. Listen for announcements of a tornado watch or tornado warning.

Learn about the tornado warning system of your county or locality. Most tornado-prone areas have a siren system. Know how to distinguish between the siren's warnings for a tornado watch and a tornado warning.

A tornado watch is issued when weather conditions favor the formation of tornadoes, for example, during a severe thunderstorm.

During a tornado watch:

• Stay tuned to local radio and TV stations or a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio for further weather information.
• Watch the weather and be prepared to take shelter immediately if conditions worsen.

A tornado warning is issued when a tornado funnel is sighted or indicated by weather radar.

     You should take shelter immediately.

• Take a few minutes with your Family to develop a tornado emergency plan. Sketch a floor plan of where you live, or walk through each room and discuss where and how to seek shelter.
• Show a second way to exit from each room or area. If you need special equipment, such as a rope ladder, mark where it is located.
• Make sure everyone understands the siren warning system, if there's such a system in your area.
• Mark where your first-aid kit and fire extinguishers are located.
• Mark where the utility switches or valves are located so they can be turned off--if time permits--in an emergency.
• Teach your Family how to administer basic first aid, how to use a fire extinguisher, and how and when to turn off water, gas, and electricity in your home.
• Learn the emergency dismissal policy for your child's school.
• Make sure your children know:
  • What a tornado is.
  • What tornado watches and warnings are.
  • What county or parish they live in (warnings are issued by county or parish).
  • How to take shelter, whether at home or at school.

• Write down your specific needs, limitations, capabilities, and medications. Keep this list near you always--perhaps in your purse or wallet.
• Find someone nearby (a spouse, roommate, friend, neighbor, relative, or co-worker) who will agree to assist you in case of an emergency. Give him or her a copy of your list. You may also want to provide a spare key to your home, or directions to find a key.
• Keep aware of weather conditions through whatever means are accessible to you. Some options are closed captioning or scrolled warnings on TV, radio bulletins, or call-in weather information lines.

Some tornadoes strike rapidly, without time for a tornado warning, and sometimes without a thunderstorm in the vicinity. When you are watching for rapidly emerging tornadoes, it is important to know that you cannot depend on seeing a funnel: clouds or rain may block your view. The following weather signs may mean that a tornado is approaching:

• A dark or green-colored sky.
• A large, dark, low-lying cloud.
• Large hail.
• A loud roar that sounds like a freight train.

If you notice any of these weather conditions, take cover immediately, and keep tuned to local radio and TV stations or to a NOAA weather radio.

If at home:

• If you have a tornado safe room or engineered shelter go there immediately.
• Go at once to a windowless, interior room; storm cellar; basement; or lowest level of the building.
• If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway or a smaller inner room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet.
• Get away from the windows.
• Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.
• If in a mobile home, get out and find shelter elsewhere.

If at work or school:

• Go to the area designated in your tornado plan.
• Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls.
• Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If outdoors:

• If possible, get inside a building.
• 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.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If in a car:

• Never try to out-drive a tornado in a car or truck.
• Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building.
• If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.

• Help injured or trapped persons.
• Give first aid when appropriate.
• Don't try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.
• Call for help.
• If you smell gas, do not turn on any appliances or switches. This includes using phones, flashlights or a cell phone.
• Turn on radio or television to get the latest emergency information.
• Stay out of damaged buildings. Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
• Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
• Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately. Leave the buildings if you smell gas or chemical fumes.
• Take pictures of the damage--both to the house and its contents--for insurance purposes.

Also see these other HOOAH 4 Health Resources:

Now what? Recovering from the Hurricane
Lightning Kills - Play It Safe
Hurricane Safety

Sources: Being Prepared - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tornadoes - Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Photo Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce.