Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it. Use arms to protect head and neck. If shelter is not available or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building. Be aware of the potential for flooding. Use arms to protect head and neck.
Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift up a car or truck and toss it through the air.
Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building. If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding. It was combined with two additional criteria suggested by then NWS Severe Storms Forecast Center director Allen Pearson in 1971 to form the Fujita-Pearson Scale . Pearson added the tornado's width and path length as two additional elements and the NSSC began using that combined Fujita-Pearson Scale in 1973.