City of Bonham
Emergency Management Office

AUSTIN – Tornadoes can occur at any time of year in Texas, including December, but

they happen most often in spring and summer. Spokesmen for the Division of Emergency

Management urge Texans to learn what to do when a tornado is sighted. The most

Seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of the home, such as a bathroom,

closet or room without windows.

Go to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor of the office building, or to the

designated shelter area.

Leave your mobile home and take shelter in a nearby building. If no building is

nearby, lie flat in a ditch or ravine. Mobile home parks should have a designated area,

as well as a monitor to track broadcasts during severe weather.

Never stay inside a car. Leave the car and lie flat in a ditch or a ravine. If a building is

nearby, take shelter inside. Never try to outrun a tornado in your car.

At school, follow plans and go to a designated shelter area, usually the school's

interior hallway on the lowest floor. Stay out of auditorium, gyms and other areas

with wide, free-span roofs. If you are in a portable or manufactured building, go to a

nearby permanent structure or take cover outside on low, protected ground.

Go to the interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor of a shopping center. Do not

leave the shopping center to get in your car.

If you are in open country, take cover on low, protected ground.

Avoid areas near exterior glass or doors, areas along exterior walls, or rooms with

wide expanse roofs -- such as auditoriums, cafeterias and gyms.

Learn the difference between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning. A Tornado

Watch means watch the sky. A Tornado Warning means a tornado is on the ground

and you must seek shelter immediately.