Everyone - please put up this tornado drill map in you classroom. Develop a severe weather action plan and have frequent drills. A school district should have a plan for rapid dissemination of tornado Watches and Warnings to every school in the system - either by radio or telephone. Each school should be inspected and severe weather shelter areas designated by a registered engineer or architect.
Basements offer the best protection.
Schools without basements should use interior rooms and hallways on the lowest floor and away from windows. If possible, these interior hallways on the ground floor should not be parallel to the tornado's path, which is usually from the southwest. Never use gymnasiums, auditoriums, or other rooms with wide, free-span roofs. Teachers and students should know their designated areas. Specific teachers or other school staff members should be designated to monitor for severe weather.