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"  The Threat: Approximately 1000 tornadoes hit the U.S. each year Where: Most common in Plains When: Spring and summer, usually in early evening  Tornado fundamentals are easy: Get to the lowest floor in the house and put as many walls as possible between you and the twister. In tornado country, residents often install underground or basement storm shelters. For homeowners who lack basements, researchers at Texas Tech University have developed plans for DIY aboveground safe rooms created by pouring concrete into foam forms. Plans for DIY retrofit shelters, such as the basement build-in pictured here, can be found at fema.gov/plan/prevent/saferoom/fema320.shtm. If a tornado catches you out in the open, conventional wisdom is to hide in a ditch, but Larry J. Tanner, one of the researchers at Texas Tech, who has investigated every major U.S. tornado in the past 12 years, disagrees. &amp;quot;You&amp;#039;ll never see me in one,&amp;quot; he says. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;ve seen all sorts of things in ditches after a tornado\u20142 x 4s, propane tanks, rolled cars.&amp;quot; Look for a covered culvert instead. &amp;quot;If you&amp;#039;re in a city, stay away from grocery stores, gymnasiums or anything with a long roof span. Take shelter in large, sturdy buildings: Banks and hospitals are usually good.&amp;quot;  (Illustration by Merce Iglesias) "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/tips/a6149/how-to-prepare-your-home-for-tornadoes/>