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Tornado Safety Tips

Tornadoes are one of nature's most powerful and destructive forces. Here's some advice on how to prepare for a tornado and what to do if you're caught in a twister's path.

Photo: Impending tornado darkens the sky
An impending tornado darkens skies over the Colorado plains. Most tornadoes are 400 to 500 feet (122 to 152 meters) wide, travel four or five miles (six to eight kilometers) and last just a few minutes.

Safety Tips

• Prepare for tornadoes by gathering emergency supplies including food, water, medications, batteries, flashlights, important documents, road maps, and a full tank of gasoline.

• When a tornado approaches, anyone in its path should take shelter indoors—preferably in a basement or an interior first-floor room or hallway.

• Avoid windows and seek additional protection by getting underneath large, solid pieces of furniture.

• Avoid automobiles and mobile homes which provide almost no protection from tornadoes.

• Those caught outside should lie flat in a depression or on other low ground and wait for the storm to pass.

Related Features

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Inside Tornadoes

Inside a tornado—see the images that have made it possible to calculate tornado wind speeds close to the ground, where they rip through human lives.

Photo: Tornado funnel seen in Manitoba

Photo Gallery: Tornadoes

Hold on tight as we take a closer look at what makes tornadoes twist, from small tightly wound funnels moving across open prairies to the enormous mother ship cloud.

Photo: Doppler On Wheels (DOW) radar truck during storm

Chasing Tornadoes

Follow members of a National Geographic team as they careen into the hearts of storms and take a closer look at tornadoes and the phenomenal forces that drive them.

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