TORNADO SAFETY TIPS...Courtesy of NOAA.

If you ever see a big black cloud with a funnel-like extension beneath it,
watch out.  It could be a tornado.

A Tornado looks like a funnel with the fat part at the top.  Inside it may
have swirling winds around 300 miles per hour.  If it goes through a town,
the tornado could flatten houses and buildings, lift up cars and trucks,
shatter mobile homes into splinters.  Sometimes the path is narrow, but
everything in the path is wrecked.  But you don't always see the funnel.
It may be raining too hard.  Or the tornado may come at night.  Listen for
the tornado's roar.  Some people say it sounds like a thousand trains.


                    TORNADO WATCH

The Weather Service forecasts that a tornado may develop later. The sky
may be blue at the time you hear the watch.  Don't be fooled.  Listen to
the radio for the latest news.


                    TORNADO WARNING

A tornado has been sighted. It may move toward you.  Dark clouds boil in
the sky.

There may be thunder and dangerous lightning and heavy rain.  And there may
be hail.  When you see large hail, you may be close to a tornado.  Seek
shelter.

Power may go off.  Funnels reach down from the black clouds.


                     WHAT TO DO!

IN YOUR HOUSE:

When you hear the tornado watch keep your eye on the sky for signs of a
possible tornado and listen to the radio for the latest advice from the
National Weather Service via NOAA weather radio, The Weather Channel, or
local TV/Radio.  When you hear the warning, act to protect yourself.

Get away from windows. They may shatter, and glass may go flyiny.

Go to the basement. Get under a heavy workbench or the stairs.

If there is no basement, go to an inside closet, bathroom, or hallway on
the lowest level of the house.

Get under a mattress.  Protect your head from flying debris.


DOWNTOWN OR IN A SHOPPING MALL:

Get off the street.

Go into a building, stay away from windows and doors.


OUTSIDE:

Get out of a car and inside a house or building.

Don't try to outrun a tornado in a car.  Tornadoes can pick up a car and
throw it through the air.

If you're caught outside, lie in a ditch.  Or crouch near a strong
building.

Cover your head with your hands.


IN SCHOOL:

Follow directions.

Go to an inside hall on the lowest floor.

Crouch near the wall.  Bend over with your hands on the back of your
head..

Keep away from glass and stay out of big rooms like the gym, cafeteria, or
auditorium.

Keep a battery radio on.  Listen for news about the tornado.  Have a
NOAA Weather Radio on hand to hear the latest warnings and advisories.


IN A MOBILE HOME:

If you live in a mobile home, get out.  Even if it's tied down, a mobile
home can be shattered by a tornado.  The whole thing can be lifted up and
dropped.  Get out and into a safer place.  Some mobile home areas have a
designated storm shelter go to it immediately.  If you can't get to a
shelter, lie in a ditch and cover your head with your hands.


Remember, when there's a tornado there also can be a lot of lightning
along with it.

Stay away from anything that uses electricity.

Stay away from anything metal like faucets, radiators, sinks, and
tubs.

Tornadoes are scary.  They pack a lot of energy; enough to blow down a
whole town.  But you can live through a tornado if you think and use your
safety rules.  Don't panic!  Be smart, know what to do, and do it.  Talk
over what you would do with your family and loved ones if a tornado should
come to call.


SOURCE:  NOAA (NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION) An agency
of the U.S. Department of Commerce.