What is Tornado emergency?
[[File:Binger Oklahoma Tornado.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Large, powerful tornadoes can cause a very large amount of damage when striking areas with a lot of people.]] A '''tornado emergency''' is a stronger wording of [[tornado warning]]s used by the [[National Weather Service]] in the [[United States]]. It is used when a large, powerful [[tornado]] is in an area with a lot of people. It means that a very large amount of damage and a high possibility of a lot of deaths are expected. The term was first used on May 3, 1999 when an [[1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado|F5 tornado]] hit just south of [[Oklahoma City]] in [[Moore, Oklahoma|Moore]]. Between 5:30 and 6:00 PM, a large, powerful tornado was heading for Oklahoma City, leading to the first tornado emergency.<ref>{{cite journal | title = May 3rd, 1999 from the NWS's Perspective | journal = The Southern Plains Cyclone | date = Spring 2004 | volume = 2 | issue = 2 | publisher = National Weather Service | url = http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/newsletter/spring2004 | accessdate = 2008-02-15 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20041108065124/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/newsletter/spring2004/ | archivedate = 2004-11-08 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Mathis|first=Nancy|year=2007|title=Storm Warning: The Story of a Killer Tornado|url=https://archive.org/details/stormwarningstor00math|publisher=Touchstone|isbn=978-0-7432-8053-2|chapter=Inside the Bear's Cage|page=[https://archive.org/details/stormwarningstor00math/page/129 129]}}</ref> == Tornado safety == If people are in a tornado's path, they should follow these safety tips: * Go underground. * If there is no floor beneath your house, go to the nearest storm shelter, safe room, or go to the center of the house and stay away from windows and doors. * If you are outside, get into a pit or somewhere low, cover your head and neck. * Bring a disaster preparedness kit which includes: *:* water, a gallon per person per day *:* food, non-perishable and can opener *:* battery or hand crank radio