Safety guides › Tornado safety

What should you do during a tornado warning?

Lowest floor, interior room, away from windows. Protect your head.

• Go to a basement, storm cellar or safe room if you have one.
• No basement: a small interior room on the lowest floor, such as a closet, bathroom or hallway. Put as many walls between you and the outside as you can.
• Cover your head and neck. Helmets, pillows and mattresses help.
• Mobile homes are not safe, even if tied down. Go to a sturdy building before the storm arrives.
• In a car: drive to the closest sturdy building if you can. If debris is flying, pull over, keep your seat belt on, and put your head below the windows, covering it with your hands or a blanket.
• Never shelter under a highway overpass.

Source: National Weather Service. Reviewed 2026-10-07.

This guide is general safety information. When a warning is issued for your area, follow the instructions from the National Weather Service and local officials.

Get the warning on your phone

Stormkeeper is a free tornado tracker and weather radar for the United States. It reads official National Weather Service alerts and tells you plainly whether you are safe. See what it does.

More guides

• What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
• What do the colors on weather radar mean?
• What is the EF scale for tornadoes?
• What is the 30/30 rule for lightning?
• How dangerous is a flash flood, and what should you do?
• What does the hurricane cone mean?
• What should be in a storm emergency kit?