A twister can touch down without warning, sometimes without the benefit of a tornado warning or even a thunderstorm. For you folks in tornado country, you also have to be aware that clouds and rain also can obstruct your view. It is important to learn how to detect and react to tornadoes and minimize your risk of harm.
Some weather elements should not be taken lightly. If you see a dark and green colored sky, large hail balls big enough to harm a bull, low lying dark clouds and a loud roar that sounds like a train, it's time to move VERY quickly to shelter.
Once you are tucked away in a safe place, turn on the TV or radio, or better yet a NOAA weather radio. Modern weather radios in the US can provide a 24 hour broadcast of real time weather events within a very small locale, giving you very specific tornado and extreme weather indicators with little chance for a false positive to cause panic (like a tornado sighting fifty miles away).
It's probably a good idea to acquaint yourself better with tornado basics before reading on.Know your enemy!
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Visual Contact
Now, if you actually SEE a funnel cloud, don't think of lingering around. While this writer certainly understands the awesome presence of a tornado and the strong (and maybe self-destructive) urge to photograph it on the cell phone and share it with friends on Facebook, I urge that you exercise common sense and get into a shelter as fast as you are able. The only exception to this sense of urgency, perhaps, is if you see one from far away. In this situation, I reccomend being a good citizen and calling the newsroom of the local radio and TV station, and letting your family know as well with Notify.
Always use caution and common sense, though. If you feel the slightest bit of danger, don't linger for a moment.
Batten Down the Hatches
You and your family could be anywhere when the big one comes: work, school, in the car, at home eating dinner, or on the john (hopefully not). This is why it's important to discuss with your family the location of the best shelter locations near all the common places you and your family are likely to be. At Pameno we always stress the importance of a family disaster plan for any event, but in the case of tornadoes and the often lack of advance warning they present, an emergency plan is crucial.
The leading cause of injury when a tornado strikes is flying glass and debris. While no place is 100 percent foolproof to hide from a tornado, some places are better than others and the "better" places usually involve minimizing the danger from getting hit with blasts of high velocity shards of glass.
It may occur to you to call your family or friends to warn them, find out if they are OK, or to let you know that you are. Unless you have a bona fide emergency on your hands (which should be addressed to 911) you are better off keeping the the phone lines clear and using Notify as your own Emergency Broadcast System
Around the House
Having said that, you should set a designated "safe place" in your home that everyone knows to go to. You want to get as far away from windows as you can. Windows can literally explode from the pressure of a cyclone. The best of all possible worlds is the middle of a basement, but if a basement isn't available, your "safe place" should be a large closet, bathroom or interior hallway.
If you have the luxury of time, drag a sturdy desk or table into that room and get under it for protection. Cover your body with a mattress, blanket or sleeping bag.It will go a long way in slowing down glass and other debris. You'll get sick of hearing me say this: always protect your head, even with your hands if that's all you have. One more thing. Make sure your "safe room" isn't directly beneath a heavy object, such as fridge or piano in the floor above you. If a tornado strikes your home directly and the floor gives way, a table will protect you but not from the energy transfer of a Steinway baby grand.
Portable Buildings, Mobile Homes and RV's
There's no worse place to be during a tornado than a portable building or trailer. I don't care how good your tie-down system is, I have personally seen once sturdy mobile homes blown miles from their destination, or at least, what was left of them. Taking shelter in a mobile home in a tornado is liking taking shelter next to a fuel truck in a fire.
If you live in a mobile home, make sure you have a darn good plan. Ideally, you should have some sort of permanent structure with a basement nearby to hole up in. If you live in a place tornadoes like to frequent, it's a good idea to get your mobile home community to build a shelter
If you live in a tornado-prone area, encourage your mobile home community to build a tornado shelter.
In Your Car
Remember when I said there was no place worse than a mobile home to be in when a tornado hits? Well, I lied. The worst place is in a car or truck. For the love of God, do not expect to outrun a tornado unless your vehicle is at least a fourth generation military jet.
Mother Nature
Ok, it happens. For whatever reason you can find yourself outside and far from any reliable shelter. Human beings, and even pets and livestock have managed to survive tornadoes throughout the duration of human civilization without the benefit of a concrete bumker. Try not to panic, and remember that finding shelter is only a matter of negating as much risk as possible. The ideal spot is a deep hole in a clearing. Think like a rabbit would.
You want to get as far away from trees and vehicles as you can. They present a serious risk for harm in high winds. Find a clearing, preferably a ditch or gully, or some kind of low spot. In what will likely be high winds and torrential rain, it won't be comfortable, but a few minutes of discomfort is a small price to pay for safety. Just remember to cover your head with your hands.
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Megastructures
Gymnasium, theaters, malls, and other long-spanned structures are also not the greatest place to be in the event of a tornado. The problem is, with all that open space, the roof is only supported by the external walls. This makes them vulnerable to the heavy pressure a tornado presents and can collapse.
Should you find yourself in such a building, get to the lowest level (ideally a basement of course) and as far from windows as humanly possible. If there's no time to get to there, look for something sturdy to take shelter under. In a movie theater, that could be your seat. In a department store, that could be a counter or a table. In the absence of all other options, there are always door frames, but don't pick one next to a glass door. Whatever you find, never forget to protect your head.
Public Buildings
Public buildings like hospitals, schools, and office complexes aren't as bad as your local mall, but they still aren't the ideal place to be. These kinds of places usually have very large exterior windows and very few central safe "sweet spots" to take shelter. That often translates to having to share a small area with a large and concentrated group of people. In any case, you know by now, to get away from windows, and get to the lowest floor you can. Unless you are Willy Wonka, don't you dare get an elevator. Make your body as small a target as you can. Lie down and cover that head.
Shelter for People with Special Needs
Most safety literature aimed at addressing people with special needs seems to assume that there's always someone around to take care of the, especially those with mobility impairments. These same pointy-headed government copywriters also seem to think that people with special needs can't read because it never seems address them directly. So for the sake of people like my great-uncle Frank, I'll address them directly:
All these rules apply to you, too. You need a plan. Plan A should always include a provision for someone to get you to safety, but sometimes they may not, for whatever reason, be there to help, and you may need Plan B. Make sure you have a Plan B. If you are in a wheelchair, get out of rooms with windows, and try to seek shelter under the sturdiest place you can, even if it's the dining room table. It may not be easy, but do try your best and try not to worry about the indignity of it, or knowing that you may have to possibly wait until some one finds you to get you out of there.
For those confined to a bed, cover yourself as much as possible with blankets and pillows. Lie as flat as you can and cover your head with your arms.
As I've said before, the key here is to minimize risk. Doing so may mean considerable discomfort, but every small bit you can make a big difference.
Be sure to read our article on how to deal with the aftermath of a tornado to ease the transition back to normal life.
