We have a significant threat for tornadoes likely across our area tonight, some of which could be long-track and strong.

The latest forecast can be found HERE, as of Wednesday morning (April 2, 2025).

Go over with family and co-workers what to do in the event of a Tornado Warning for your area – day or night.

Outdoor sirens can be heard in the event of a tornado, but there’s important limitations to these sirens: They’re really only good when you are outdoors.

You should have multiple ways to get weather alerts, including:

• NOAA weather radio
• Radio
• Friends and family
• Apps on your phone (radar, mobile NWS, etc.)
• Wireless emergency alerts

Tornado safety drills at school and work are a great idea, knowing where to shelter when a tornado – or conditions supporting the development of a tornado – is imminent. Like tonight.

Putting the most interior walls between you and the outside of the house is important, as well as moving away from doors and windows. If you can, move to the lowest level of the building when seeking shelter.

This is also a good time to think about where you would go at various locations. The obvious locales are school, home and work. What about the mall? What about at your kid’s soccer practice? What about if you are in a parking lot? What if you are at a baseball game, at a golf course, or on a lake? Check out this website to learn more about where you should go in the event a Tornado Warning is issued.

Things to discuss:

• What county do we live in?
• Where should we shelter during the warning?
• What supplies should we have in the shelter?
• Where is the gas shutoff in the event you need to turn it off?
• Where should we meet after the storm in the event a tornado hits?

Be sure to go over these things with children so you can help alleviate fear. The before, during and after are all be important stages of tornado safety:

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is very true when it comes to severe weather preparedness. Plus, taking a few minutes to talk about it now can make the situation MUCH less stressful when you need to act.

There are several locations where you should NOT shelter during a tornado or severe weather. Cars offer little protection and can easily get swept away; instead, ditch it and head for a ravine or a lower-lying area away from overpasses.

Be sure to have a plan – at work, at home at school – if and when a Tornado Warning were to be issued where you happen to be.

A TORNADO WATCH means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form during the next several hours. This is your early heads up, and you are “watching” for warnings.

If a TORNADO WARNING is issued for your area, move to a place of safety, ideally a basement or interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.

Meteorologist Jessica Blum

FOX 23 Storm Alert Team