Dad's Quick Take
Know the basic response for the disasters common where you live: get low and interior for tornadoes, drop-cover-hold for earthquakes, move to high ground for floods, and stay warm and put for blizzards. Sign up for local emergency alerts so you get a warning.
The quick playbook
- Tornado — go to the lowest, most interior room (basement, bathroom); avoid windows and cover your head and neck. If you're in a mobile home or a car, leave — neither is shelter. Get to a real building; a low ditch beats a vehicle.
- Earthquake — Drop, Cover, and Hold On under sturdy furniture. No table? Get down next to an interior wall and cover your head and neck. Don't run outside mid-shake — that's where the falling glass is.
- Flood — move to higher ground; never drive or walk through floodwater. The National Weather Service put it in a rhyme so it sticks: “turn around, don't drown.” Six inches of moving water can take you off your feet; a foot can float a car.
- Blizzard / cold — stay inside, keep warm, conserve heat, and avoid travel.
- Heat — stay hydrated, find AC, and never leave anyone in a parked car. Know the line between the two versions: sweaty, dizzy, cramping and nauseated is heat exhaustion (shade, cool water, cool cloths), while confusion, slurred speech, passing out, or hot dry skin is heat stroke — that's a 911 call while you cool them down.
Get the alerts
Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and know your area's risks. A few minutes of warning is often all you need to get safe.
Common questions
What's the difference between a watch and a warning?
A watch means conditions are possible — be ready. A warning means it's happening or imminent — act now.