Places to Take Shelter in the Event of a Tornado

At Home

• If you are at home when a tornado warning is issued, head to the basement or storm cellar, if possible. If your home does not feature an underground shelter, move quickly to the lowest level of your home. Choose an interior room to take shelter with no windows or walls that are exposed to the outside. Bathrooms with a bathtub will offer protection from debris. Closets and other small interior spaces are also good choices. Use blankets or mattresses to protect your body from flying debris.

Public Locations

• Most public locations, such as schools or shopping malls feature designated spaces for guests to take shelter in the event of a tornado and post maps to help guests locate those areas. Tornado shelters in public buildings are usually located on the lowest, most interior spaces of the building, away from windows. If you are on an upper floor when bad weather strikes, do not get on the elevator; use the stairwell instead, which will allow you to move to a lower level while offering protection. Otherwise, move to the most interior, confined space possible, away from windows, suggests the website, Tornado Safety. Get low on the floor and cover your head and neck with your hands.

Mobile Home

• Mobile homes or trailers do not provide adequate safety during a tornado. If you are in a mobile home when a tornado watch or warning is issued, get out as quickly as possible and move to a structurally sound building nearby. Do not stay in a mobile home during a tornado, even if there are no buildings around you. Instead, move outside and follow the instructions outlined in the next section.

Outside

• If you are outside or in a vehicle when a tornado strikes, seek shelter in a strong building, if possible. If there are no buildings nearby for shelter, leave your vehicle and find a ditch or flat ground and lay down as low as possible. Use your hands to cover your head and neck. Do not seek shelter beneath an overpass or bridge, warns FEMA.