Take the warning seriously
A tornado warning describes a time-sensitive hazard in a defined area. Read and follow the issuing authority’s instructions immediately. Do not wait to see a tornado outside or try to confirm it with this map. Keep official emergency alerts enabled on your phone where available.
Choose shelter in advance
A purpose-built storm shelter or basement offers protection. Where these are unavailable, use a small interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. Protect your head and neck. Mobile homes and vehicles are not reliable tornado shelters; arrange access to a sturdy shelter before severe weather begins.
Maps support awareness, not shelter decisions
Warning areas and timestamps help explain the message but are not a street-by-street prediction of where a tornado will travel. Updates can be delayed. Use local emergency information to decide when it is safe to leave shelter, and avoid debris and damaged utilities afterward.
Make the shelter decision before the warning
Identify the lowest interior room you can reach in under a minute, or a designated storm shelter if your building has one. Tell family or coworkers where it is. Mobile homes and vehicles are not adequate shelter; know which nearby sturdy building you can use. Helmets, sturdy shoes and a flashlight are reasonable items to keep in that room. This map is a way to read the official area. It is not a reason to go outside and look for the tornado.
Night and travel situations
Many strong tornadoes occur after dark, when a map on a desk is easy to miss. Keep a phone alert method that can wake you. If a warning is issued while you are driving, the safer move is a nearby substantial building, not an overpass. If no building is available, you are in a poor situation: a ditch lower than the road is a last resort that official guidance describes, and it is still dangerous. Do not shelter under a bridge.
Sources and further reading
Official National Weather Service reference. Source checked September 28, 2026. This general guide does not replace a current warning or advice from local authorities.
Check current warnings
Explore related live official warnings, or search your location for a forecast.