On March 21, a destructive and ominous sound rushed through the air. Every second that passes was filled with vicious drops of rain, as sirens begin to sync in with the disruptive melody. The weather forced forecasters to declare a possibility of tornado development, leading to a weather watch.

However, if the forecasters resort to a warning, which frequently happens during spring in North Texas, how could people prepare to survive the brutal, whirling force of nature, known as a tornado?

If you hear a tornado warning siren, go to the lowest floor of the building and ensure that there are no windows. If possible, closets and crawl spaces could minimize the highest risk of harm. If those options are inaccessible, attempt to move under sturdy objects, like a heavy table or workbench.

If a siren occurs while you’re at school or work, there will usually be a preplanned drill for a tornado. Proceeding with that is the best option. But if there isn’t a preplanned drill, stay away from large areas like cafeterias, gymnasiums, and auditoriums. And finally, if you hear a siren far from any visible shelters, attempt to find the steepest ground level, and lie as flat as possible, while hoping that the tornado somehow doesn’t move towards you. 

Once a safe place is obtained, listen for more information on a radio, or any electronic devices. Frisco’s Cable Channels 12 (Grande), Channel 16 (Time-Warner), Channel 37 (Verizon FIOS), or Channel 99 (AT&T U-verse) and any other TV stations/radios will broadcast information updates as they become available.