If a tornado is possible or already happening, the priority is to get to the safest shelter you can, protect your head and body from debris, and stay away from windows and vehicles. The exact “right move” depends on where you are when the tornado threatens.

Key warning signs

  • Dark, often greenish sky; large, rotating funnel-shaped cloud.
  • Loud, continuous roar like a freight train, not just brief thunder.
  • Sudden calm after intense wind or hail when storms are nearby.
  • Official tornado watch means conditions are favorable; a warning means a tornado is happening or imminent and you must take shelter immediately.

What to do right now in a tornado

  • Go to the lowest level you can (basement or storm shelter) in a sturdy building.
  • If no basement, go to a small interior room on the lowest floor (bathroom, closet, interior hallway) away from windows.
  • Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible and stay out of rooms with large roofs (gyms, malls, big open halls).
  • Get under something sturdy (heavy table, workbench, inside a tub) and cover yourself with a mattress, blankets, or sleeping bag if possible.
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms, a helmet, cushions, or a thick coat.

If you are in specific places

In a house or apartment

  • Go to:
    • Basement, storm cellar, or interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.
* Interior hallway, bathroom, or closet if no basement.
  • Avoid:
    • Windows, exterior walls, and rooms with wide roofs.
  • Actions:
    • Crouch low, face down, cover your head and neck, and use mattresses/blankets for extra shielding.

In a mobile home

  • Leave the mobile home immediately if a tornado warning is issued and you have time.
  • Go to:
    • A nearby sturdy building or designated tornado shelter; mobile homes are easily rolled or destroyed by strong winds.
  • If no building is available and the tornado is on you:
    • Lie flat in a nearby ditch or low spot, away from the home, and cover your head and neck.

In a vehicle

  • Do not try to outrun a tornado in a car; they are easily tossed or rolled.
  • If you can safely reach a sturdy building or shelter quickly , drive there immediately.
  • If you cannot:
    • Either stay in the car, buckle up, get as low as possible below window level, and cover your head.
* Or, if you can safely get to a ditch/low area: leave the vehicle, lie flat, face down, and protect your head and neck.
  • Avoid stopping under bridges or overpasses; they funnel wind and offer poor protection.

Outside with no shelter

  • Run to a sturdy building if there is time.
  • If there is no building:
    • Lie flat, face down, in a ditch, ravine, or low spot, away from trees and vehicles.
* Cover your head and neck with your arms and anything you can grab.

In large public buildings (schools, malls, gyms, theaters, offices)

  • Move:
    • To interior, windowless rooms/hallways on the lowest floor (restrooms, storage rooms, interior corridors).
  • Avoid:
    • Atriums, glass walls, large open areas like gyms, theaters, or big retail floors where roofs can collapse.
  • Actions:
    • Follow building staff or emergency managers’ instructions, crouch down, and cover your head.

How to prepare before a tornado

  • Identify your safest room:
    • Basement or interior windowless room on the lowest floor of your home, office, or school.
  • Build a basic emergency kit:
    • Water, non-perishable food, flashlight, batteries, first-aid kit, whistle, sturdy shoes, battery/hand-crank radio, phone charger, and medications.
  • Plan for everyone:
    • Include children, older adults, people with disabilities, and pets in your shelter plan.
  • Practice:
    • Run tornado drills so everyone knows where to go and how quickly they must move.

After the tornado passes

  • Stay where you are until you are sure the storm has moved on and additional warnings have expired.
  • Use care when exiting:
    • Watch for downed power lines, broken glass, nails, and sharp debris.
* Do not use matches or lighters until you are certain there are no gas leaks.
  • Check for injuries:
    • Provide first aid if you are trained and call emergency services for serious injuries.
  • Listen to local authorities via radio, TV, or phone alerts for safety instructions and information on shelters and assistance.

If you are under a tornado warning right now: move immediately to the lowest, most interior, windowless place you can reach in a sturdy building, get low, and cover your head and neck. Do not waste time looking outside or recording video. Your safety comes first.