I live in the midwest and you can prepare for a tornado, even an F5. Being prepared never guarantees a safe outcome but it can sure tip the odds.

Situational awareness is the most help - Stay aware of weather conditions, NOAA is pretty on the ball with watches and warnings and the local TV weather teams are sometimes even better. Severe weather is usually forecast hours in advance and even the worst storms give at least several minutes of warning if you are paying attention. Use the TV, AM/FM, the internet, cell services (weather bug) and weather radios to stay connected to the local weather. On your home turf this is pretty easy but it can be a real challenge when in a different area of operations.

Sirens and Weather radios save lives - Make sure you know your communities tornado warning system and figure out if you can hear it in your home. I grew up in the country and we could not hear the sirens from inside our house. If the weather was questionable we stayed up and watched TV or listened to the radio. If it got too late we slept in the basement. Now I live in town and still can't hear the sirens through all the insulation so I have weather radios in my home and at work.

At home - know where the safest part of your house is - a small room or closet in the basement away from windows is about the best unless you are building a dedicated storm shelter. Keep you BOB in or on the way to your safe room. Be sure to have shoes, gloves, some prying tools, a light and a whistle with you.

If you don't have a basement and the house is tied to a solid foundation, get to a small interior room. If the house is not tied to a foundation or structurally suspect - get out and get low!!

In commercial buildings (work/shopping) get to the lowest floor possible, stay away from windows and out of wide open spaces. Bathrooms and interior hallways are usually the best bets.

In a car - get out and get indoors or get low.

Preps can help you dig out after the fact. Tornados have a relatively small foot print so help can be available almost as fast as the storm passes so preps should be more focused on recovery instead of surviving for 3 or more days while waiting for help.

Not much to comment about in the news so far. My heart goes out to the families and I'll admit to a slightly morbid curiosity as to why there were so many casualties from this particular storm.

- Eric