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Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
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Tornado Safety Information

BEFORE THE TORNADO

A tornado watch highlights an area where tornadoes are likely to develop. Continue your normal activities during a tornado watch, but keep track of the latest weather reports, and be ready to get to a shelter. Tornadoes develop quickly.

IN THE HOME

Go to the basement. Get under a table, work bench, or some other sturdy furniture to protect yourself from falling debris. A stairwell is also a good place to hide during a tornado.

IF YOU CANNOT GET TO A BASEMENT

Go to a small, interior room on the lowest floor. Closets, bathrooms and interior halls afford the best protection in most cases. Get under something sturdy or cover yourself with blankets, and stay away from windows.

IN AN APARTMENT , SCHOOL OR OFFICE BUILDING

Move to the lowest level, to the innermost room — or go to a pre-designated shelter area. Stay away from windows! In a hallway, crouch down and protect your head from flying debris. Avoid areas with glass and large expanses of roof with no supports.

IN A MOBILE HOME, CAR, TRUCK OR OTHER VEHICLE

Abandon your mobile home or vehicle as quickly as possible and find a sturdy shelter — preferably a permanent structure. Avoid bridges - they act as wind tunnels People who try to escape a tornado by driving away in a vehicle often don't make it.; they get caught in deadly winds.

TORNADO RECORDS

There were 18 tornadoes in Minnesota in 2007 — the lowest total since 1990, when there were only 12. The two strongest tornadoes, near Pelican Rapids and near Eldred, were rated EF-2, with winds of 111-135 mph.