TORNADO SAFETY TIPS
Read more about Tornadoes at:  NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

Tornado safety tips are available in two PDF files:  Thunderstorms and Tornados.

Tornado Shelter Locations on campus.

Campus Severe Weather Warning System

Fact Sheet: TORNADOES
When a tornado is coming, you have only a short amount of time to make life-or-death decisions. Advance planning and quick response are the keys to surviving a tornado. The Cincinnati area is at risk for tornadoes, and has experienced a number of deadly storms.

BEFORE
Conduct tornado drills in your department or college each tornado season.  Be aware of the shelter location in your building, and practice having everyone in the department go there in response to a tornado warning. Understand the difference between a "tornado watch" and a "tornado warning."

Contact the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Red Cross for more information on tornado safety at home. For more information on the University of Cincinnati's severe weather procedures, contact the Fire Prevention Unit of the Department of Public Safety at 556-4992.

Have disaster supplies on hand in your department, home or apartment. These should include:

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual
• Emergency food and water
• Nonelectric can opener
• Essential medicines
• Cash and credit cards
• Sturdy shoes

In case family members are separated from one another during a tornado (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together.

Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.

Tornado Watches and Warnings
A tornado watch is issued by the National Weather Service when tornadoes are possible in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms. This is time to remind family members where the safest places within your home are located, and listen to the radio or television for further developments. 

A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. On the East and West campuses of the University of Cincinnati, the campus severe weather warning system will be activated. This system gives voice instructions in the buildings equipped with the new fire alarm systems (this includes all residence halls). Hamilton County will activate the outdoor warning sirens.

Tornado Danger Signs
Learn these tornado danger signs:

• An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible.
• Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become still.
• Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tor

DURING
If at home:

• Go at once to the basement, storm cellar, or the lowest level of the building.
• If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway or a smaller inner room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet.
• Get away from the windows. Do not open windows.
• Go to the center of the room. Stay away from corners because they tend to attract debris.
• Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.
• If in a mobile home, get out and find shelter elsewhere.

If on campus:

• Go to the basement or to an inside hallway at the lowest level. Most buildings have marked severe weather shelter areas.
• Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls.
• Avoid places where there are exterior windows or skylights.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If outdoors:

• If possible, get inside a building.
• If shelter is not available or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If in a car:

• Never try to outdrive a tornado in a car or truck. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift up a car or truck and toss it through the air.
• Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building.
• If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
  

 AFTER

• Help injured or trapped persons.
• Give first aid when appropriate. Don't try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Call 911 for help with seriously injured persons.
• Turn on radio or television to get the latest emergency information.
• Stay out of damaged buildings. Return only when authorities say it is safe.
• Use the telephone only for emergency calls. Do not call 911 for information.
• Clean up spilled chemicals, gasoline, or other flammable liquids immediately in lab spaces. Leave the buildings if you smell gas or chemical fumes.
• Remember to help others who may require special assistance-- the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Fujita - Pearson Tornado Scale

F-0: 40-72 mph, chimney damage, tree branches broken
F-1: 73-112 mph, mobile homes pushed off foundation or overturned
F-2: 113-157 mph, considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted
F-3: 158-205 mph, roofs and walls torn down, trains overturned, cars thrown
F-4: 207-260 mph, well-constructed walls leveled
F-5: 261-318 mph, homes lifted off foundation and carried considerable distances, autos thrown as far as 100 meters

For more about tornadoes, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's site's tornado section.

Tornado Safe Rooms