The safest location during a thunderstorm is generally inside a substantial enclosed building or a hard-topped vehicle.

Avoid standing beneath isolated trees.

Avoid open fields.

And avoid being near bodies of water during active thunderstorms.

What Is That Huge Cloud Formation?

The enormous cloud formation shown in the lower photograph may look like a gigantic funnel or tornado.

However, photographs of storm clouds can be difficult to interpret.

Large thunderstorms can produce dramatic structures, including:

• Shelf clouds
• Wall clouds
• Gust fronts
• Mammatus clouds
• Scud clouds
• Rotating storm bases

Some of these formations can look extremely threatening without necessarily being a tornado.

A true tornado requires a rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the surface.

Therefore, a dramatic-looking cloud formation alone isn't enough to establish that a tornado occurred.

Why Weather Photos Can Be Misleading Online

Social media has made it incredibly easy for dramatic weather photographs to spread.

An image taken years ago in one country can be reposted with a caption claiming that the storm happened somewhere else.

Sometimes the photograph is genuine but the location or date is incorrect.

Other times, multiple photographs from different storms are combined into a single collage.

This means that headlines such as:

“URGENT! Extremely Severe Storm Just Swept Over…”

should be treated carefully unless the location, date, and weather information can be independently confirmed.

The photograph may still be spectacular, but the caption doesn't automatically establish what happened.

What Should You Do When a Severe Storm Is Approaching?

If official authorities issue a severe-weather warning, don't wait until the storm is directly overhead.

Move indoors.

Close windows and doors.

Bring loose outdoor objects inside if it is safe to do so.

Charge phones and essential devices.

Keep flashlights available.

Monitor official weather alerts.

If flooding is possible, move away from low-lying areas.

During particularly severe storms, stay away from windows and exterior doors.

A basement or an interior room away from windows may provide additional protection during certain severe-weather events.

Don't Rely Only on Social Media

Social media can provide useful eyewitness photographs, but it shouldn't be your primary source for emergency information.

For real-time information, rely on:

National weather services

Local emergency-management authorities

Official government alerts

Local authorities