Tornado

A tornado is a violent storm with spiraling high speed winds.  Tornadoes are usually accompanied by hail, severe thunderstorms and wind. The noise of a tornado has been described as a roaring sound like a train far away. 

Immediate actions can save your life such as:

• Stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls. Protect your head.
• In homes and mall buildings, go to the basement or to an interior part of the lowest level-take shelter in closets, bathrooms, or interior halls. Get under something sturdy or lie in the bathtub and cover yourself with a blanket.
• Go to the pre-designated shelter areas in:
  • Factories
  • Hospitals
  • Nursing Homes
  • Shopping Centers
  • Schools
• Interior hallways on the lowest floors are best
• In high-rise buildings, go to interior small rooms or hallways on the lowest floor possible with no windows. If you can see outside you are not safe.
• In vehicles or mobile homes, leave them and go to a substantial structure. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine, or culvert with your hands shielding your head and neck.

Definitions

• A Tornado Watch - means there is a possibility of one or more tornadoes in your area. Continue normal activity but monitor weather conditions closely.
• A Tornado Warning - means a tornado has been sighted and may be approaching. Seek shelter immediately!