If shelter is not available or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area but be aware of the potential for flooding. If in a car, never try to out drive a tornado. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can easily lift up a vehicle and toss it through the air. Get out of the vehicle immediately and take shelter in a nearby building. 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. After a tornado, help injured or trapped persons. Give first aid when appropriate and don't try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Call for help. Turn on radio or television to get the latest emergency information.