Simple guideline to follow to help save lives should a tornado strike in your area.

- Retreat to a basement or cellar for the best shelter. If you do not have an underground room, stay in-doors and seek shelter on the lowest floor and stay under a sturdy piece of furniture.

- Shelter in the bath and cover yourself and others with pillows and blankets. This should help protect you from flying debris should the damage to your house be this severe.

-Stay away from windows

-Mobile homes offer no shelter in a tornado and should be abandoned. Try and find a ditch to lie in.

-If outside and away from your house, leave your car and find a ditch to shelter in. Overhead passes such as bridges are not a safe place to seek shelter as the wind increases in intensity underneath the bridge and can suck you out at tremendous speed.

DO NOT:

- Try and outrun the storm in a vehicle or on foot. Chances are you won't escape it and you could get seriously injured or killed.

REMEMBER: Tornadoes in this country are far less severe than those in the USA where these guidelines do save lives. Try not to panic. Stay in doors and wait for the storm to pass. These guidelines are merely suggestions as to ways to keep safe in a severe thunderstorm.