Weather Imagery

One myth that could potentially cost someone their life is the belief that highway overpasses provide safe shelter from tornadoes. This is a myth for reasons which may not be immediately obvious to some and probably started when a video clip aired nationally that showed a family and a news crew running up and hiding beneath an overpass to shelter themselves from an oncoming tornado. This is not what you want to do and could prove fatal.

Millions of people all across the country saw this video and figured this was the safest thing to do. Since then, many people have been killed by doing exactly what they saw on TV.

The National Weather Service as well as meteorologists all across the country have been trying to educate people that this is not what you want to do. The people who did survive that event were lucky as the tornado was relatively weak and didn’t land a direct hit on the overpass. The fact is, an overpass is a very dangerous place to hide and there are several reasons for this.

• First, the overpass will channel fast moving debris that will pelt and batter any person who happens to be in the air flow. Crawling way up into the rafters won’t protect you as the debris will ricochet and most undoubtedly hit you. If the wind alone doesn’t suck you out, a piece of debris will most likely knock you out. You cannot avoid the debris.
• Second, as the tornado first approaches the winds will come from one direction, but as the tornado passes, the winds will make an almost 180° turn and start blowing from the opposite direction. The same principal applies to a hurricane as the eye crosses overhead. So, any person who puts a barrier between themselves and the oncoming winds, such as a girder or support beam, will only be fully exposed once the tornado crosses the overpass. This crossover will happen much too quickly for the person to rearrange themselves into a safer position.
• Third, although this hasn’t been proven scientifically (as of 01/17/2005), the wind speeds could possibly increase as they are funneled through a narrower space. An example of this being, if you exhale with a straw in your mouth, the wind coming out the end will be much faster than had the straw not been there. A majority of the scientific community believes the same may be true of a tornado crossing an overpass, although no scientific data has been gathered.
• Fourth, the higher above ground level you are, the faster the wind speed. Most overpasses ramp up at an angle to meet the road above. As you climb higher above ground, the winds will only get faster. It has been proven that the winds speeds closest to the ground are much slower than even just a few feet above ground.

So what should you do if there’s a tornado heading your way? The best thing to do is not put yourself in that situation. If you see a nasty looking cloud ahead, pull over and wait. In all likelihood, if you proceed you’re going to run into some large hail that will undoubtedly damage you car. If you see a tornado in the distance, turn around and drive the other way. But if you’re out in the open and the tornado is fast approaching heading right for you, the first thing you want to do is get out of your car. That’s right! Run away from your vehicle and get as low to the ground as you possibly can. In a ditch, no matter how shallow, is best. The reason being, the winds closer to the ground are considerably slower! If you’re even just a few feet above ground level, the winds speeds can be ferocious.

Other Tornado Myths

• Do Mobile Home Attract Tornadoes?
• Does Opening Windows During a Tornado Help?
• Is The Southwest Corner Safest?
• Tornadoes Never Hit Big Cities?
• Can You Really Outrun a Tornado In a Car?