07/22/2026
Questions on where to go during a tornado that have been coming up recently due to recent weather events.
TORNADO SAFETY: KNOW WHERE YOU WILL GO
Tornadoes can develop rapidly and may leave little time to act. The National Weather Service advises knowing where you will take shelter before storms arrive and acting immediately when a tornado warning is issued for your location. As of 4:15 p.m, there are no tornado warnings in effect, but because conditions remain favorable, a tornado watch continues through 9 p.m.
Have multiple ways to receive warnings. Keep Wireless Emergency Alerts enabled on your phone, use a trusted weather app with alerts enabled, keep a NOAA Weather Radio on, and monitor National Weather Service warnings and trusted local news or weather sources. Do not depend on a single warning method.
If a tornado warning is issued for your location or a tornado is approaching, move quickly to the safest available shelter. According to the National Weather Service, at home you should go to a basement, safe room or interior room away from windows, bringing pets if time allows. At work or school, follow the established tornado plan, stay away from windows and avoid large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums and auditoriums.
If you are outside, the National Weather Service advises entering a sturdy building immediately. Sheds and storage facilities are not safe.
Being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe. The National Weather Service says the best course of action is to reach the closest safe shelter. Do not seek shelter beneath a highway overpass.
If you cannot reach safe shelter, the National Weather Service identifies two last-resort options: get down inside the vehicle and cover your head, or leave the vehicle and seek cover in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine. Both options provide limited protection and should only be used when sturdy shelter is unavailable.
