7 Things You Should Never Forget When Tornadoes Strike

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Tornadoes can be a year-round threat for many states. Here's a refresher on what's most important to remember when tornadoes threaten your home.

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The tips below were provided by Dr. Greg Forbes, a retired severe weather expert at The Weather Channel, and NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

1. Figure out a safe place to ride out the storm

Do you live in a mobile home? Get out. Driving in a car? Get home as quickly as you can, and if that's not possible, get to a sturdy building.

2. Get away from windows and get underground

Regardless of where you're hunkering down, it should be as far away from windows as possible. Even if a tornado doesn't hit, wind or hail could shatter windows, and if you're nearby, you could get hurt.

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3. If a tornado appears while you're on the road ...

You should make every effort to find a safe building for shelter. If you can't find one, NEVER hide under an overpass. Instead, find a ditch, get down and cover your head. Get as far from your vehicle as you can to prevent it from being blown onto you.

4. Put on your shoes – and a helmet

If you're at home and severe weather is bearing down, prepare for the worst. If your house is damaged by a tornado, you could end up walking through debris that's riddled with nails, glass shards and splintered wood. The best way to ensure your shoes aren't scattered is to put on a pair before the storm comes.

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If you own a bike helmet, be sure to put it on during a severe storm. It could save you from life-threatening head trauma if your home suffers a direct hit.

5. Keep your pets on a leash or in a carrier, and bring them with you

They're a part of the family, so make sure they go to a safe place with you. Make sure their collar is on for identification purposes, and keep them leashed if they're not in a crate. If your home is damaged by a tornado, it might not be familiar to them anymore, and they might get loose. Be sure to get them to a safe place or put them in a crate while performing clean-up.

6. Don't leave your home and try to drive away from a tornado

If you made it home, stay there. Tornadoes can shift their path, and even if you think you're directly in the line of the storm, being inside shelter is safer than being inside a car. Traffic jams could keep you from getting out of the storm's path, or a small wobble could send the storm in a different direction.

7. Know your severe weather terms

• Severe thunderstorm watch: Conditions are conducive to the development of severe thunderstorms in and around the watch area. These storms produce hail of ¾ inch in diameter and/or wind gusts of at least 58 mph.
• Severe thunderstorm warning: Issued when a severe thunderstorm has been observed by spotters or indicated on radar, and is occurring or imminent in the warning area. These warnings usually last for a period of 30 to 60 minutes.
• Tornado watch: Conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms and multiple tornadoes in and around the watch area. People in the affected areas are encouraged to be vigilant in preparation for severe weather.
• Tornado warning: Spotters have sighted a tornado or one has been indicated on radar, and is occurring or imminent in the warning area. When a tornado warning has been issued, people in the affected area are strongly encouraged to take cover immediately.
• Tornado emergency: A tornado warning that carries with it a "tornado emergency" is the rarest and is reserved for the direst of situations. This is only issued "when there is a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage from an imminent or ongoing tornado," the NWS says