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1. Prepare for a tornado. Even 

with significant advances in 

tornado prediction and 

tracking, you seldom have 

much time to prepare when a 

tornado actually strikes. 

Planning ahead is the most 

important thing you can do to 

improve your chances of 

surviving a tornado.

2. Move to any shelter. At the first 

sign of a tornado, or if a tornado 

warning has been issued, stop 

whatever you're doing and seek 

appropriate shelter immediately, even 

if you don't see a tornado.

If a tornado shelter is not 

available go to the basement 

of a building. Stay away from 

windows, and cover yourself 

with a mattress, cushions, or 

sleeping bags. If possible, get 

under a heavy table, which can 

protect you from falling debris. 

Make note of where very 

heavy objects are on the floor 

above you, and avoid the area 

beneath these, as they could 

fall through a collapsing floor.

In a building with no basement, avoid windows and 

go to the lowest floor and seek shelter in a small 

room (a bathroom or closet, for example) that is 

located near the center of the house, under a 

stairwell, or in an interior hallway with no windows. 

Bathrooms can be particularly effective because they 

are fortified by pipes and you can lie in a bathtub. 

Regardless of where you are, crouch low to the 

ground or lie down, face down and cover your head 

with your hands and arms. Take cover under a 

strong table if possible, and cover yourself with a 

mattress, cushions, or blankets.

If you are in a vehicle and a tornado is very near 

you, get out and seek shelter as soon as 

possible. Park your car at the side of the road, 

out of traffic lanes. Cars are not safe shelters, 

and as tornadoes can travel at more than 60 

mph, you should not take the risk of attempting 

to outrun it. Mobile homes are also unsafe (see 

warning below).

If the tornado is far away and you aren't near a 

good shelter, your best option--if traffic allows--

is probably to attempt to drive to shelter or at 

least out of the path of the storm. Pick a 

stationary object near you and watch how the 

tornado moves relative to that object. If the 

tornado is moving to your left, you should drive 

to your right if possible, and if it's headed to 

your right, drive to your left. If the tornado does 

not appear to be moving either right or left, it's 

either moving directly away from you or, if it 

appears to be getting bigger or closer to you, 

right at you. If it's moving at you, leave your car 

and seek safety as instructed above.

4. Exit your shelter carefully, and exercise 

caution moving around in a tornado stricken 

area. After a tornado strikes, you are likely to 

encounter hazards such as flooding, falling 

debris, collapsing buildings, and blocked roads. 

Avoid fallen power lines and puddles with wires 

in them, and avoid using matches or lighters in 

case of natural gas or fuel tank leaks. Be alert 

and proceed with caution, as there may be 

sharp objects scattered about the ground. Do 

not enter damaged buildings.

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