Know exactly where you'll go when the warning sounds

01Understand what each alert is asking you to do

The National Weather Service uses two terms that sound alike but call for different actions. Mixing them up is one of the most common reasons people end up in the wrong place at the wrong moment.

02Choose your shelter spot before you need it

The goal is to put as many walls and floors as possible between you and the outside, and to stay away from glass. Where that is depends on how your home is built.

1. Clear the space now

   A shelter closet packed with boxes isn't usable in a hurry. Leave room for everyone in the household, including pets.

2. Stage a small kit there

   Sturdy shoes, a flashlight, a helmet for each person, a whistle, and a basic first aid kit. If you have to climb out of debris, you'll want all of them.

3. Practice once a year

   Walk the route at night with the lights off. Kids remember a drill far better than a conversation.

03Make sure an alert can reach you — even asleep

Many of the deadliest tornadoes strike after dark, when people are asleep or the funnel is hidden by rain. Relying on a single alert source is a gamble; layering two or three is cheap.

04Help the house hold together longer

No ordinary house is built to survive a direct hit from a violent tornado. But a large share of tornadoes are weaker ones, and on the edges of stronger ones, the same upgrades that help in high winds can mean the difference between repairs and a rebuild.

1. Start with the garage door

   Big doors are often the first thing to fail. Once one gives way, wind pressure inside the garage can lift the roof. A wind-rated door or bracing kit is a good-value fix.

2. Tie the roof to the walls

   Metal straps or clips that connect rafters or trusses to the walls help resist uplift. A contractor can tell you whether a retrofit is practical through your attic.

3. Reduce the debris around you

   Store or anchor patio furniture, trash cans, and grills when storms are forecast, and remove dead limbs from trees near the house.

4. Shore up your paperwork

   Take a video tour of every room and store it in the cloud. Review your homeowners policy for wind coverage and deductibles — see our insurance guide.

05After the tornado passes

1. First minutes
   Check people, then hazards.

   Treat injuries, then look and smell for gas leaks, sparking wires, and fire. If you smell gas, leave and call from a safe distance.

2. First hour
   Stay put unless it's unsafe.

   Keep listening for alerts — another storm may follow. Stay away from downed power lines and assume any wire is live.

3. First day
   Document before you clean.

   Photograph and video all damage, then make temporary repairs like tarps and boarded windows to prevent further loss. Keep every receipt.

4. First week
   Work carefully.

   Wear boots, gloves, and long sleeves around debris. Run generators outdoors only, far from doors and windows, and keep CO alarms working.