Be
alert to what is happening outside as well. Here are some of the things that
people describe when they tell about a tornado experience:

• A sickly greenish or greenish black color to the
  sky.
  
  
• A strange quiet that occurs within or shortly after
  the thunderstorm.
  
  
• Clouds moving by very fast, especially in a rotating
  pattern or converging toward one area of the sky.
  
  
• A sound a little like a waterfall or rushing air at
  first, but turning into a roar as it comes closer. The sound of a tornado
  has been likened to that of both railroad trains and jets.
  
  
• Debris dropping from the sky.
  
  
• An obvious "funnel-shaped" cloud that is
  rotating, or debris such as branches or leaves being pulled upwards, even if
  no funnel cloud is visible.
  
  
  

Encourage your family members to
plan for their own safety in many different locations. It is important to make
decisions about the safest places well BEFORE you ever have to go to them.

  
IN HOMES OR OTHER SMALL BUILDINGS

The best places are:

• In a storm shelter specifically designed for that
  use within the basement or outside the home entirely. Some companies
  manufacture pre-fab shelters that you drop into a hole in the ground, and
  that blends in with home landscaping (some more, some less).
  
  
  
• In a basement, away from the west and south walls. Hiding
  under a heavy work-table or under the stairs will protect the family from
  crumbling walls, chimneys, and large airborne debris falling into the
  cellar. A family in the Birmingham, AL area survived because a hutch toppled
  and was held up by the dining room table they were under. That hutch helped
  deflect the debris that would have struck them. Old blankets, quilts and an
  unused mattress will protect against flying debris, but they should be
  stored in the shelter area. Precious time can be lost by trying to find
  these items at the last minute.
  
  
  
• In a small, windowless, first floor, interior room
  like a closet or bathroom. The bathtub and commode are anchored directly
  into the ground, and sometimes are the only thing left in place after the
  tornado. Getting into the bathtub with a couch cushion over you gives you
  protection on all sides, as well as an extra anchor to the foundation.
  Plumbing pipes may or may not help hold the walls together, but all the
  extra framing that it takes to put a bathroom together may make a big
  difference. If there is no downstairs bathroom and the closets are all
  packed with "stuff," a hall may be the best shelter. Put as many
  walls as you can between yourself and the tornado. In a pinch, put a metal
  trash over as much of you as you can. It will keep some flying debris from
  injuring you. Even that may make the difference between life and death.
  
  
  
  
  

  Wherever it is, the shelter
  should be well known by each member of the family. If you and your family
  will conduct annual emergency drills (fire, tornado, etc), everyone will
  remember what to do and where to go when a tornado is
  approaching--automatically and without panic. Choose a friend or family
  member in another part of town or elsewhere to be a "contact
  person" that will be called by everyone should the family members
  become separated.
  
  
  

  The Red Cross suggests that
  you assemble a "disaster supplies kit" that you keep in your
  shelter area. It should contain:
  

  
  
  • A first aid kit with essential medication in
    addition to the usual items.
    
  • A battery powered radio, flashlight, and extra
    batteries.
    
  • Canned and other non-perishable food and a hand
    operated can opener.
    
  • Bottled water.
    
  • Sturdy shoes and work gloves.
    
  • Written instructions on how to turn off your
    homes utilities.
  
  
  
  

   

  
  
  
  
  
  
     
  IN SCHOOLS
  
  
  
  
  

  Leave auditoriums, gyms and
  other free-span rooms, exiting in an orderly fashion. Go to the interior
  rooms and halls on the lowest floor, but avoid halls that open to the
  outside in any direction. If there are no interior hallways, avoid those
  that open to the southwest, south, or west, since that is the usually the
  direction the tornado will come. Stay away from glass, both in windows and
  doors. Crouch down and make as small a "target" as possible. If
  you have something to cover your head, do so, otherwise, use your hands.
  Don't assume that there will always be a teacher or other adult there to
  tell you what to do--if there is, you should follow their direction, but you
  need to know these things too.
  
  Peak time for tornadoes to strike varies from region to region. In some
  southeastern states, early morning tornadoes are almost as common as late
  afternoon ones. In western and northern states, peak hours are from 3 to 7
  PM, just at the end of the school, but including the hours of afterschool
  activities.
  
  
  
  
  

  TO AND FROM SCHOOL, WORK, OR
  AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES:
  
  

  
  

  If really severe weather is
  expected, your school may be dismissed early in order that you can reach
  home before the worst of the weather reaches the area. If you are on foot or
  riding a bike, it is doubly important that you go home immediately, and not
  linger with your friends. If caught in the open, you should seek a safe
  place immediately. The chances of encountering falling trees, power lines,
  and lightning is greater than encountering the tornado itself. The basement
  of a sturdy building would be best, but lying flat in a ditch or low-lying
  area may be the only thing available. A culvert in a ditch MAY be a good
  choice if there is no rain, but if there IS rain, flash flooding may be more
  dangerous and likely than the tornado.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

     
  IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS
  
  

  
  

  Interior rooms and halls are the best
  locations in large buildings. Central stairwells are good, but elevators are
  not. If the building loses power, you may be in the elevator for a long
  time. Stay away from glass walls and windows, no matter how small.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

    
  MOBILE HOMES

  
  

  Most tornado deaths occur in cars and mobile
  homes. If you live in a mobile home park, you should find  out from the
  manager where you should go in the event of a tornado--but don't wait until
  you really need the information--ask him/her on a nice day! Mobile home
  parks may have a designated tornado shelter, or a steel reinforced concrete
  laundry room. If they don't, you need to find another substantial structure
  that you can reach very quickly. You may have only seconds to get to it. The
  photo below shows what an 60-80 mph wind can do to a mobile home. At 100
  mph, they may start to disintegrate.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

    
    
     
  SHOPPING CENTERS, HOSPITALS, AND FACTORIES
  
  
  
  

  Go to interior rooms and
  halls on the lowest floor. Stay away from glass enclosed places or areas
  with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, theaters, and warehouses. Crouch
  down and cover your head. Deaths have occurred in large, single story
  department stores. They have occurred inside the building when the roof or
  wide span brick walls, which collapsed. A corner would be safer than the
  middle of the wall. A bathroom, closet, office, or maintenance room with
  short walls would be the safest area, especially if it was on the north or
  east side of the building.
  
  
  
  Is it likely that a tornado will strike your home or school? No. But being
  ready for the possibility will keep you safer!
  
  
  
  Deaths and injuries from tornadoes have dropped dramatically in the past 50
  years. Casualties numbers are holding steady as scientists learn more about
  tornadoes and develop the technologies that detect them sooner. Forecasters
  must continue to improve techniques because the population is increasing.
  The National Weather Service, Storm Prediction Center and television and
  radio weather people have taken full advantage of the advancements in
  tornado prediction to improve warnings.

  
  

  
  
  In addition, many people generously donate their time and expertise to help
  protect their neighbors and communities in another way--by tornado and
  severe storm "spotting." "Spotters" combine an interest
  in the weather, a willingness to serve and often, ham radio experience to
  make tornado prone areas safer for all. Spotting can provide a focus to a
  person's interest in the weather, and ham radio helps you meet other
  like-minded people. It is not often that something that starts out as a
  hobby can potentially do so much good.