Tornado Information

Tornados are violent rotating storms with winds that can exceed 300 miles per hour. Nearly 1,000 tornados touchdown in the United States every year.

Know what to do to prepare for a tornado

• Be alert to weather conditions.
• Designate a shelter area in your home:
  • Basement
  • Storm cellar
  • Or the lowest building level available and go to center of an interior room, away from walls
• Know the danger signs of a tornado:
  • Dark, often greenish sky
  • Large hail
  • Large, dark, low-lying clouds (particularly if rotating)
  • Large roar, similar to that of a freight train

Terms to Know

Tornado Watch

Severe thunderstorms or tornados are possible in the area. Stay tuned to radio or TV and watch the sky.

Tornado Warning

Severe weather has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar. Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property to those in the path of the storm.

What to do during a tornado watch

• Stay tuned to radio or TV for updates.
• Watch for danger signs of a tornado.
• If you see approaching storms or any danger signs, be prepared to take shelter at any time. Some tornadoes advance so quickly that advance warning is not possible.
• Stay out of large, flat buildings with wide-open areas such as supermarkets or shopping malls.
• Stock your home shelter area with a flashlight, a battery-powered radio, extra batteries, water and a first aid kit.

What to do during a tornado warning

• If you are under a tornado WARNING, seek shelter immediately!
  • Go to your designated shelter area.
  • In any structure, head to the basement. If there is no basement, head to the lowest building level, go to the center of the room away from windows, corner walls and outside walls.
  • Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect head and neck.
  • Do not open windows.
  • If you are in a vehicle, trailer or mobile home, get out immediately and seek shelter in a nearby building.
  • If outside with no shelter, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head and neck with your hands. Do not get under an overpass or bridge.
  • Watch out for flying debris.