Actions to take during a tornado warning

Once a tornado warning is issued, immediate action needs to be taken.

Martina Pounds with Boone Co. Emergency Management said, “The main thing is to get down. Get down to the lowest floor.”

Pounds said all commercial buildings in Columbia are required to have a designated storm area.

If you find yourself at the mall, getting groceries, or at the airport, look for signs with a twister on it.

That will be the area you want to head to if a tornado warning is issued.

If you’re in a mobile home, you should get out, find a ditch, or a public shelter area.

What if your home is on the third floor of an apartment complex?

Pounds said aren’t required to have storm shelters, so this is when you need a plan.

Either become good friends with your neighbors on the first floor, head to the clubhouse, or even maybe a laundry facility if that is on a lower level.

If you’re on a highway you should look for the closest town that would have a gas station or area you could run into for cover.

Do not go under an overpass. A wind tunnel effect is created and is even more dangerous.

At a last resort, get in a low lying area, such as a ditch, and lay flat with your hands covering your head.