It was Sunday afternoon. Nikki was home in Sioux Falls on Spring Break. Her parents had just left for Washington, D.C., and she was hanging out at her house, waiting for her two younger brothers to arrive.

All of a sudden, it started raining. Not just raining, mind you, but absolutely pouring. Nikki had heard that there might be some nasty weather, but she had no idea it would rain like this.

Nikki realized that her dad’s car, the Mustang, was still parked in the street. She raced out in the downpour to move the car into the safety of the garage. Her brother then came home, soaked from a wet game of soccer. Nikki found some towels to dry him off, and they watched out the window as the torrents of rain came pelting down and rivers formed in the street.

Then, as suddenly as the deluge had began, it was over.

The gusting winds ceased and the storm moved on, as Midwestern thunderstorms so often do. Little did Nikki know where it would end up.

The storm moved from Southeastern South Dakota on into Minnesota. As it traveled, it grew in strength, springing tornados and golf ball-sized hail in its wake. Two people died, and numerous Minnesotan and Northern Iowan farms were damaged. When the storm was over, four counties in Minnesota were declared federal disaster areas.

But nowhere did the storm do the most damage than in St. Peter, Minn., Nikki’s other home.

Nikki attends Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. Tornadoes ravaged this sleepy campus town, breaking glass, lifting roofs off buildings and upturning cars sitting peacefully in driveways.

St. Peter was completely ransacked. The campus, which was formerly lined with trees, is now barren. Broken glass and debris are still scattered all around. Electricity has only partially been restored in the town, and Gustavus officials are uncertain as to when the campus will have power again.

Thankfully, students at the college were on Spring Break during the storm, so most weren’t in St. Peter. However, those that were still there were left in unheated, windowless houses or apartments.

Students will not be able to go back to class at least until April 14. Officials still weren’t releasing information about individual dorms, so Nikki doesn’t know yet how badly her dorm room was damaged. However, she does know that at least one dorm near hers is missing a roof and walls.

Nikki told me she is very grateful that Gustavus students were not in St. Peter, because she is certain that students would not have known what to do or where to go.

I thought that was interesting, because I’m not at all sure what to do in case of a tornado here in Ames. We’ve had fire drills in the dorms, but I have no idea where I should go from the fourth floor of my dorm if the tornado sirens were to sound. Practically every room in my building has windows, and the first floor is only partially underground.

St. Peter residents knew about the storm and the possible tornadoes 20 minutes in advance. But most people aren’t as lucky. Most tornadoes pop up with absolutely no warning.

What would happen at Iowa State if a tornado were to rumble through Ames? What would you do?

Here are some safety tips for what to do during a tornado warning, according to the National Weather Service.

“If a warning is issued or if threatening weather approaches:

• In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement.

• If an underground shelter is not available, move to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and get under a sturdy piece of furniture.

• Stay away from windows.

• Get out of automobiles.

• Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car; instead, leave it immediately.

• Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes and should be abandoned.

• Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that advance warning is not possible. Remain alert for signs of an approaching tornado. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most deaths and injuries.

The month of April is notorious for tornado-producing thunderstorms. Annually, Iowa is a prime target for tornadoes. Sooner or later, Ames is going to get hit.

Nikki and the other students at Gustavus Adolphus College are relatively lucky. They’ve escaped with damage only to their property.

But would we be so lucky?

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Sara Ziegler is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from Sioux Falls, S.D. She is the opinion editor of the Daily.