If you've recently seen the film Twisters, then you can probably already guess where you shouldn't hide in case of a tornado. But the absolutely worst place to hide from a twister is under an overpass. That is, of course, if you care about surviving.
Meteorologist Aaron Brackett of Nexstar's KFOR explains why you should reconsider the hiding spot. You see an overpass actually causes the winds from a tornado to increase. So you're dealing with strong winds as a result. It's not by a little either. An overpass adds a lot of wind power.
"So even if you have a wind in a weaker tornado of 100, 150 miles per hour, you can add 40, 50, 60 miles per hour to that just from being underneath the underpass. So, it's actually making the tornado you're in worse," he says.
There's been several moments throughout history that show why an overpass is a bad idea to hide from a tornado. Take a storm from 1999. Several people tried to hide from a F-5 twister under an overpass. A survivor described people "getting sucked out from under the bridge." Besides the obvious, you're also at risk of having the bridge collapsing on top of you.
Consider Doing This During A Tornado
Instead, consider getting off the highway and trying to find a stronger shelter elsewhere. "When the traffic is jammed or the tornado is bearing down on you at close range, your only option may be to park safely off the traffic lanes, get out and find a sturdy building for shelter, if possible," NOAA writes. "If not, lie flat in a low spot, as far from the road as possible (to avoid flying vehicles)."
While you cannot outrun a tornado in your car, you can always try to get out of its way. For instance, if the tornado is moving right then try moving left. What you want to do is put distance between yourself and the twister. If you get trapped in your car, keep your seatbelt on and try to get law as possible. Stay away from windows and keep them shut.
Remember this advice. It just might one day save your life.
