Tornado Safety Outdoors
Tornado safety outdoors: never shelter under trees, overpasses, or in vehicles. Find a ditch, lie flat, cover your head. Escape distance and last-resort actions.
The Absolute First Priority: Get Inside
If any permanent building is within a few minutes' distance, get inside. In order of preference:
- Any home with a basement
- School, church, or community center
- Gas station or restaurant
- Store or business
- Bus depot or transportation center
Even the smallest, cheapest permanent building is dramatically safer than being outdoors.
When You Cannot Reach a Building
Get Low
Find the lowest terrain feature you can - a ditch, culvert, or ravine. Lie flat, face down. Cover your head with your arms.
Being flat means:
- Less debris impact profile
- Better wind protection from the ground
- Reduced surface area for the tornado to lift you
Stay Away From Trees
Trees fall during tornadoes and can crush you. Even large trees fail at EF2+ winds. Do not shelter under or near trees.
Stay Away From Water
Lakes, rivers, and ponds create dangerous debris paths. Water bodies also don't stop tornadoes as some myths suggest.
NEVER Do These
Never Shelter Under a Highway Overpass
The wind tunnel effect ACCELERATES tornado winds under overpasses. Multiple people have died sheltering under overpasses. This is one of the most dangerous myths in tornado safety.
Never Shelter in a Vehicle
Cars can be lifted, thrown, and destroyed by tornadoes. If a tornado is imminent, abandon the vehicle. Full car safety guide →
Never Try to Outrun in Rain or Poor Visibility
Do not attempt to escape a tornado in a vehicle if visibility is poor - you may be driving toward it without knowing.
Never Stop to Take Photos
Do not linger to observe or photograph a tornado. Every second matters.
Specific Outdoor Situations
At a Sporting Event
Stadiums and outdoor venues have shelter protocols. Follow venue instructions to enter concourses and interior spaces. Move to lowest level of the venue.
At a Campground
Tents and RVs are NOT safe during tornadoes. Move to permanent structures - camp bathrooms, park offices, or nearby buildings. If no shelter, use the ditch method.
At a Farmer's Market or Fair
Move to permanent buildings if any are available. Fair rides, tents, and carnival structures are all unsafe.
At an Amusement Park
Park protocols direct guests to designated shelter buildings during severe weather. Get to those buildings quickly.
Golf Course
Return to the clubhouse. Golf carts, gazebos, and open areas are dangerous. Do not shelter in the "lightning shelter" boxes that dot some courses - they're for lightning, not tornadoes.
Beach or Lake
Move to permanent buildings ashore. Boats are dangerous during tornado conditions. If water bodies produce waterspouts, treat them as tornado equivalents on shore.
The Ditch Method Explained
If lying in a ditch is your only option:
- Find the deepest ditch nearby
- Lie face down, arms over head
- Away from any vehicles
- Away from anything that could fall on you
- Stay flat until the tornado has passed
Ditch sheltering is a last resort - it doesn't guarantee survival, but statistically it's better than remaining in a vehicle or exposed area.
Weather Warning Systems for Outdoor Activities
- Bring a NOAA weather radio to outdoor events
- Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone
- Check weather forecasts before outdoor activities during severe weather season
- Have a shelter plan wherever you are
- Know the location of nearest permanent buildings
Vehicle Escape (Only If Possible)
If in a vehicle with clear visibility and enough time:
- Drive at right angles to the tornado's path (not directly away)
- Head toward permanent buildings you can identify
- Do not stop to observe or communicate
- Never drive toward the tornado
Only attempt this if you have clear line-of-sight to the tornado and safe driving conditions.
Special Considerations
Pets
If possible, get pets into your shelter with you. Carrying pets during tornado escape is difficult but preferable to leaving them.
Children
Carry small children if possible. Cover them with your body while lying flat if in a ditch.
Elderly and Disabled
Plan in advance for helping those with mobility limitations. Communicate about tornado response before events, not during warnings.
Bottom Line
- Get inside any permanent building if possible
- If no building available, find the deepest ditch and lie flat
- Cover your head with arms
- Never shelter in a vehicle, under an overpass, or under trees
- Stay in position until the tornado has passed
Try the interactive simulator
Place an EF0–EF5 tornado anywhere in the world and see modeled fatalities, structural damage, and economic loss based on real census data.
Launch simulator →Try the interactive simulator
Place an EF0–EF5 tornado anywhere in the world and see modeled fatalities, structural damage, and economic loss based on real census data.
Launch simulator →