SURVIVAL CODEX LIBRARY Tornado Safety National Weather Service · Source: NOAA / National Weather Service What to do before, during and after a tornado, from the National Weather Service. For anyone who wants to know how to stay safe when a tornado, high wind or hail threatens. READ WITH CARE: We copied this page on 2 October 2026. Agencies revise this guidance, so check the original for the current version, and in a real emergency follow instructions from local officials. ABOUT THIS COPY: Made by Survival Codex on 2 October 2026 from the agency's own page. The agency's text that follows is unchanged; only this cover and the closing page are ours. It is a work of the U.S. federal government, in the public domain in the United States (17 U.S.C. §105). FREE AT THE SOURCE: https://www.weather.gov/safety/tornado NO ENDORSEMENT: Our use of this material does not imply endorsement by NOAA / National Weather Service or the U.S. Government of Survival Codex, its products or services. https://survivalcodex.com/pages/library/nws-tornado-safety ================================================================ TORNADO SAFETY ================================================================ Tornadoes, Wind, Hail A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground. Tornadoes are capable of completely destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles. Tornadoes can occur at any time of day or night and at any time of the year. Although tornadoes are most common in the Central Plains and the southeastern United States, they have been reported in all 50 states. This website is designed to teach you how to stay safe when a tornado threatens. If you know what to do before, during and after a tornado, you will minimize your risk of injury and increase your chances of survival. You'll also find links to research, past events other topics of interest as well as downloadable safety handouts about thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes. If you, or someone you know, has been a victim of a tornado, please share your story so we can prevent others from becoming a victim. When you write, please note that NWS has permission to use your story and, if possible, let us know the town and state you were in and the year the event took place. ================================================================ SURVIVAL CODEX LIBRARY End of the agency text. The current version of this guidance is always at https://www.weather.gov/safety/tornado. Agencies revise their advice; check the original, and in an emergency follow instructions from local officials. More free U.S. government manuals and guides, filed by the job you need them for: https://survivalcodex.com/pages/library This document: https://survivalcodex.com/pages/library/nws-tornado-safety Survival Codex: https://survivalcodex.com