Tornado safety tips
Below are several tips from the Storm Prevention Center in Norman, Okla., on how to stay safe in a tornado:
In a house with a basement: Avoid windows. Get under a heavy table or cover yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag. Stay away from areas that have heavy objects on floor above, such as pianos, refrigerators, waterbeds.
In a house with no basement, a dorm or an apartment: Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor, small center room, such as a closet or bathroom, get under a stairwell or an interior hallway.
Crouch low to the floor, facing down. Cover your head with your hands. A bathtub can offer partial protection.
In an office building, hospital, nursing home or skyscraper: Go directly to an enclosed, windowless area in the center of the building – away from glass. Crouch down and cover your head. Stay off the elevators.
In a mobile home: Get out! Even if your home is tied down, you are safer outside, even out in the open. If your community has a tornado shelter, go there fast. Otherwise, lie flat on low ground away from your home protecting your head. If possible, use open ground away from trees and cars, which can be blown onto you.
In a car or truck: If the tornado is visible far away and the traffic is light, drive out of its path by moving at right angles to the tornado. Otherwise, park the car, get out and seek shelter in a sturdy building. If in open country, run to low ground away from any cars that may roll over on you. Lie flat and face-down, protecting the back of your head with your arms.
Avoid seeking shelter under bridges, which offer little protection against flying debris.
