If you are in a manufactured home, travel trailer or recreational vehicle, consider moving to a shelter as the storms move into your area, before warnings are issued, especially if the storms are moving fast. A severe thunderstorm is associated with wind speeds of 58 miles per hour or more, hail inch in diameter or larger and heavy rain. Treat this like a tornado warning. Use the same shelter you would for a tornado. A tornado has been seen or a thunderstorm is exhibiting characteristics that would indicate the possibility of a tornado forming.
Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms and can leave an area devastated in seconds.
A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud, striking the ground with whirling winds of up to 200 miles per hour or more. In Minnesota tornadoes occur mainly in April, May and June. Dakota County has experienced 17 tornadoes over the last 50 years. If you are in the affected area, take shelter immediately. If you are outside and not being immediately threatened by the severe weather, move indoors quickly.