When a TORNADO WARNING is issued for your area, take IMMEDIATE ACTION. Be prepared to act quickly even during a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING – Tornadoes can form from Severe Thunderstorms with out any warning !
Make plans prior to the severe weather event to designate a Safe Place in your home, office, business, church, etc.. . Prior planning and quick response and implementation of your safety plans are the keys to surviving.
PLANNING
Conduct tornado drills each tornado season. At home, you should review your personal safety plans with your family. Designate an area in the home as a shelter, and practice having everyone in the family go there in response to a tornado threat. In case family members are separated during a tornado, make a plan for getting back together.
In the office, review plans with employees / co-workers.
At church, make sure the leaders have a method of hearing any warnings, (by use of NOAA Weather Radios) and direct the congregation to the appropriate safe place.
ACTION
In schools, nursing homes, hospitals, factories, churches and shopping centers go to pre-designated shelter areas. Interior hallways on the lowest floor are usually best. Stay away from large windows or glassed areas. Stay away from large rooms like a dining hall or gymnasium because they may have weakly supported roofs.
In high-rise buildings, go to an interior small room or hallways.
If you are in mobile homes, or vehicles, leave them and go to a substantial structure. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine, gully, or culvert with your hands shielding your head.
Stay away from windows. Don’t bother opening or closing them. It won’t protect the structure significantly anyway. You’ll just waste time and put yourself, and possibly others, at greater risk. Use those valuable few seconds to find safety.
Stay away from doors, windows, and outside walls. Protect your head.
(National Weather Service)