Before the storm:

• Develop a plan for you and your family for home, work, school, and when outdoors.
• Practice safety drills frequently.
• Know the name of the county/parish in which you live. Keep a map nearby to follow the movement of storms announced on weather bulletins.
• Have a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning alarm tone and battery backup to receive warnings.
• Listen to radio or television for the latest information.
• If away from your home, listen to forecasts and take precautions if threatening weather is possible.

Prepare a plan in advance:

• School administrators and teachers should prepare a plan for all situations, including arrival, lunch, recess, departure times, and field trips.
• Tornado shelters should be designed by a registered engineer or architect. Special provisions should be made for disabled students and those in portable or temporary classroom facilities.
• Have available a NOAA Weather Radio (with a warning alarm tone) for weather information and a megaphone or compressed air horn in case the intercom fails.
• If threatening weather is anticipated, keep children at school beyond regular hours. Cancel lunches or large assemblies.

If a warning is issued or severe weather approaches:

• In a home or building, move to a designated shelter, such as a basement or storm cellar.
• If an underground shelter is not available, move to a small, interior room or hallway on the lowest floor. Get under a sturdy piece of furniture.
• DO NOT seek shelter in buildings with large expanse roofs, such as malls, auditoriums, gymnasiums, or cafeterias.
• Stay away from windows.
• Get out of automobiles and mobile homes.
• If no shelter is available, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression away from power lines and streambeds.
• DO NOT seek shelter under highway bridges or overpasses.

If a warning is issued or severe weather approaches:

• Follow your teacher's instructions.
• Walk in an orderly fashion to a designated shelter or an enclosed hallway (away from windows). Avoid auditoriums, gymnasiums and any cafeteria with large unreinforced walls.
• Crouch down near the wall and cover your head.
• Wait for the "all clear" signal from the school before returning to the classroom.
• If outdoors or on a bus, immediately return to the building, to an interior hallway. If no shelter is available, lie in a nearby ditch.