Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries handy. Make sure you have a battery-operated radio available. Develop a family emergency plan and be sure every member of the household knows what to do if disaster strikes. Watches are issued several hours before a warning. During a watch, you should listen to radio or television for updates on the weather and have in mind where you would go should a warning be issued.
Warnings come as little as one minute and as long as a half-hour before a tornado strikes.
When a warning is issued, you should be prepared to seek shelter immediately. A warning is not issued unless a tornado has been seen. The danger is real. Your shelter should be on the lowest level of the house, preferably an inside basement room without windows. If you don't have a basement, seek shelter in a closet or bathroom or under a stairwell on the first floor.