The National Weather Service says most tornados happen between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. Right at the time kids are getting home from school. So people need to make sure that their children know what to do if they're home alone. If you don't have a basement, go to a small internal room, a closet or bathroom. And get something over your head.
Mobile homes provite no protection, even with tie-downs.
In the country, try to get to a building. As a last resort, get out of your car and lay flat. In 1991, we thought a TV crew and some motorists were smart to take shelter under and overpass on the Kansas turnpike. Now scientists say that was a bad move because by narrowing the gap, winds actually accelerated. And with no handholds, they were lucky they didn't get sucked out by the tornado.