In a warning, go to your basement, safe room or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. A mobile home or a vehicle is not safe.
| Alert | What it means | What the NWS says to do |
|---|---|---|
| Tornado watch | Tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. | Review and discuss your emergency plans, take inventory of your supplies and check your safe room. Be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or a tornado seems to be approaching. |
| Tornado warning | A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. There is imminent danger to life and property. | Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If in a mobile home, a vehicle or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. |
At home
If you are in a tornado warning, go to your basement, safe room or an interior room away from windows. If time allows, take pets with you.
Mobile homes and tents
A mobile home or tent is not safe. Seek a sturdy building immediately when a tornado approaches. Sheds and storage facilities are also unsafe.
In a vehicle
Being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe. The best option is to drive to the closest shelter. If you cannot reach one, the NWS says to stay low in the car and protect your head, or leave the vehicle for a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine.
What this guide does not cover
The NWS pages we used do not cover safe room standards or community shelters, so we do not give advice on those. Ask your local emergency management about shelters near you.
How to prepare for a tornado
The National Weather Service says to build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan, choose your shelter spot ahead of time, and keep a NOAA Weather Radio with fresh batteries set to your area. During a tornado watch, stay alert for updates and gather a radio, phone, wallet, blanket and flashlight. The CDC adds that you should know the signs and take shelter right away if you see a rotating funnel cloud, a debris cloud, a dark or green sky, large hail or hear a loud roar like a freight train.
Houses, apartments and small buildings
Go to the basement or a small interior room on the lowest floor, such as a center hallway, bathroom or closet, with no windows. Avoid rooms with heavy objects directly above you. Get under something sturdy such as a heavy table or workbench, and cover your body and head with a blanket, a mattress or your hands. Stay away from windows, skylights and glass doors, because flying glass can injure or kill. The NWS and CDC pages we used do not give separate steps for upper floors or high-rise buildings: if there is no basement, the lowest floor and an interior room away from windows is the advice, and your building manager or local emergency management can tell you where a shelter area is.
Schools, work, malls and theaters
Follow your tornado drill and move calmly to the shelter area, usually an interior hall on the lowest level. Avoid gymnasiums, cafeterias, auditoriums and other large open rooms, outside walls and windows. In a mall, theater or gym, go to the lowest level away from windows. If there is no time to reach shelter, get under a door frame or against something that deflects falling debris, and protect your head. The CDC page we used has no separate guidance for children at home, so for kids the advice is the same: know the shelter spot, practice it, and keep them with you.
Outdoors and for people with mobility needs
If you are outside with no shelter, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine or culvert and shield your head and neck. Avoid areas with many trees, and do not get under a vehicle. A wheelchair user should move away from windows to an interior room and, if possible, get under a sturdy table, covering the head. If you cannot leave a bed or chair and no help is available, cover yourself with blankets and pillows. The CDC has found no research that helmets prevent head injuries in tornadoes, and they are not a substitute for shelter.
Tornado safety precautions: before a tornado
The American Red Cross advises finding a safe room built to withstand high winds, and practicing with your whole household how to move quickly to the safe place you identified. Sign up for free emergency alerts from your local government and keep a backup battery or other way to charge your phone. Mobile, manufactured and trailer homes and RVs are not safe in high winds.
After a tornado
Stay in your shelter until the tornado warning is over. Do not enter damaged buildings, and stay clear of fallen power lines and broken utility lines. Children should not take part in cleanup. Do not move a person with a back or neck injury unless they are in immediate danger.
Check your own location
See current official alerts and the impact for your ZIP code.
Common questions
Do I need to go to shelter for a tornado watch?
Not yet. A tornado watch means tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area, so use the time to decide where you will shelter and how you will get warnings. A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar, and that is when to move to shelter right away.
Where is the safest place during a tornado warning?
Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, or to your basement or safe room. Avoid windows.
Is a mobile home or a car safe in a tornado?
No. A mobile home or tent is not safe, and being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe. Move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.
How can you prepare for a tornado?
Pick your shelter spot now, build an emergency kit, make a family communications plan and keep a NOAA Weather Radio with fresh batteries. Practice getting to the shelter with everyone in the household, and turn on phone alerts so a warning reaches you indoors.
What is the tornado safety advice for an apartment?
Go to the basement or a small interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows, and cover your head and body with a mattress or blanket. The NWS and CDC pages do not give separate steps for upper floors, so ask your building manager where the shelter area is before a warning.
What is the tornado safety advice for kids?
There is no separate national guidance for children. At school, follow the tornado drill and shelter in an interior hall on the lowest level, away from windows and large open rooms. At home, practice the shelter spot with your children and take them with you when a warning is issued.
What should I do during a tornado watch?
Review your emergency plans, take inventory of your supplies, check your safe room and be ready to act quickly.
Sources
- NWS: Tornado watches and warnings
- NWS: During a tornado
- American Red Cross: Tornado safety
- CDC: Stay safe during a tornado
- NWS Springfield: Tornado safety tip sheet
Reviewed by the Storm Incoming editorial team on October 30, 2026. Follow local emergency officials if their instructions differ.