If no shelter is available, lie down in a low area using your arms to cover the back of your head and neck. Be sure to stay alert for flooding. Be alert to what is happening outside. An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado, even if a funnel is not visible. Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still.
Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm.
It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado. Several times in recent years, schools have been hit by tornadoes. Fortunately, in most cases classes were not in session. In some other cases, where students were present, school officials familiar with tornado safety took prompt action to safeguard the students before the twisters hit. Tornado drills require different actions than fire drills.