Contact:  Dane Konop                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
          (research)                6/17/96          
          Barry Reichenbaugh 
          (forecasts and warnings)

TORNADO SAFETY INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM NOAA

Just like in the movies, scientists do try to intercept tornadoes to learn more about them and improve tornado forecasts and warnings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And while the tornado science portrayed in "Twister" is often quite fantastic, the destructive power of tornadoes and their threat to the public are only too real.

Each year the United States experiences about 1,000 tornadoes and an average of about 70 tornado-related deaths. While most tornadoes occur in the southern and midwestern states in the spring and early summer, tornadoes can occur anywhere and at any time of year if the conditions are right.

In addition to strongly advising the public not to chase or get dangerously close to a tornado to film it, NOAA offers the following safety tips:

1. Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or television for tornado warnings and instructions.

2. If you hear a tornado warning or a storm threatens, seek shelter immediately.

3. If you are in a building, go to the designated shelter, the building's basement, or an interior room, such as a bathroom or closet.

4. If you are in an automobile, do not try to outdrive a tornado. Abandon your vehicle and seek shelter in a ditch or depression.

5. If you are in a mobile home, leave it for a more substantial structure.

6. Protect your head and body from flying debris.

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Additional Web links:

NOAA Storm Prediction Center http://www.awc- kc.noaa.gov/spc
NOAA Office of Meteorology http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/tornado.htm
NOAA National Severe Storms Lab http://antietam.nssl.uoknor.edu/mosaic_files/vortex.html