Tornado at Manhattan, Kansas May 13, 1949

It is important to have a plan of action in the event a tornado threatens your family, and to rehearse that plan frequently. Such a plan should include what you and your family should do when at home, work, school, or outdoors. the time spent planning now could determine whether or not you survive a tornado.

In a home or a building, move to a pre-designated shelter, preferably the basement or the lowest floor of your home. Don't worry about opening your windows first, just get to the basement, and get under a sturdy piece of furniture or workbench. Grab blankets to cover yourself with, which will protect you from flying debris. (NOAA/NWS)

If an underground shelter is not available, move to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and crouch down close to the floor. Again, grab extra blankets to protect yourself from flying debris. Stay away from windows.

If caught outdoors, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression, and cover your head with your hands and arms. However, KEEP AN EYE on the water levels in the ditch or depression, as those are the first things that fill up with the excess rainfall.

Information taken from Tornadoes: Nature's Most Violent Storms on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website.