In a house with a basement: Avoid windows. Get in the basement and
under some kind of sturdy protection (heavy table or work bench) or cover
yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag. Know where very heavy objects rest on
the floor above (pianos, refrigerators, waterbeds, etc.) and do not go under
them. They may fall through a weakened floor and crush you.
In a house with no basement, a dorm, or an apartment: Avoid windows. Go to the
lowest floor, small center room (like a bathroom or closet), under a stairwell,
or in an interior hallway with no windows. Crouch as low as possible to the
floor, facing down and cover your head with your hands. A bathtub may offer a
shell of partial protection. Even in an interior room, you should cover
yourself with some sort of thick padding (mattress, blankets, etc.) to protect
against falling debris.
In an office building, hospital, nursing home or skyscraper: Go to an
enclosed, windowless area in the center of the building — away from glass.
Then, crouch down and cover your head. Interior stairwells are usually good
places to take shelter, and if not crowded, allow you to get to a lower level
quickly. Stay off the elevators; you could be trapped in them if power is
lost.
In a mobile home: Get out! Even if your home is tied down, you are probably
safer outside, even if the only alternative is to seek shelter out in the open.
Most tornadoes can destroy even tied-down mobile homes and it is best not to
play the low odds that yours will make it. If your community has a tornado
shelter, go there. If there is a sturdy permanent building within easy
running distance, seek shelter there. 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, you may be able to
drive out of its path by moving at right angles to the tornado. Otherwise, park
the car as quickly and safely as possible — out of the traffic lanes. Get
out and seek shelter in a sturdy building. If in the open country, run to low
ground away from any cars (which 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 can create deadly traffic hazards while offering little
protection against flying debris.
In the open outdoors: If possible, seek shelter in a sturdy building. If not,
lie flat and face-down on low ground, protecting the back of your head with
your arms. Get as far away from trees and cars as you can; they may be blown
onto you in a tornado.
In a shopping mall or large store: Move quickly to an interior bathroom, storage room or other small
enclosed area, away from windows.
In a church or theater: Move quickly to
an interior bathroom or hallway, away from windows. Crouch face-down and
protect your head with your arms. If there is no time to do that, get under the
seats or pews, protecting your head with your arms or hands.
Source:“Tornado Safety”, a public service of the National Weather Service.
