With a number of close calls, Wednesday's tornado watches throughout the Foothills and Calgary areas served as a stark reminder as to how quickly a severe weather situation can come about.

While tornados aren't a common sight in the Foothills, Okotoks Fire Chief Ken Thevenot says it's important to have an emergency plan in place ahead of time, should a tornado ever touch down near you.

He says the first step is understanding the warning systems.

"A tornado watch means tornados are possibly in the area, and you need to stay tuned on your television or on computer and follow those weather cells," Thevenot says. "The other is a tornado warning, which means the tornado's either on the ground, or it could be immediately in your area. So, with a tornado warning, immediately you would seek shelter."

Thevenot says should a tornado ever touch down near you, there's a few important things to keep in mind.

"If you're outside, if you're in that low-lying area, if you're out in area type of area, stay away from power lines," he says. "If you're in a building and it doesn't have a basement, you can try to get under some sturdy pieces of furniture, like a big table or something else that would block some debris (that could be) possibly falling down on top of you."

Thevenot also says if there's no basement to take shelter in, it's best to find an interior room with no windows, as glass can become very dangerous during a storm.

He says if you're stuck on the road during a tornado not to try and out-run the storm, but rather to pull over and seek shelter in the lowest-lying area possible.

Thevenot says although nothing serious transpired on Wednesday, it's not a situation anyone should take lightly.

"We take this very seriously with these tornado warnings," he says. "Please go to the (appropriate) website, and find a disaster plan, practice it with your family, and be prepared in the event something comes our way next time."

The Town of High River's Emergency Preparedness website can be found here.