You’ve probably seen the famous tornado movie where a film crew was chased by a tornado and they wound up taking shelter under a Kansas highway overpass.
The following videos provide some great reasons you why you do NOT want to seek shelter under an overpass, if you happen to be driving in your car when a tornado approaches.
Tornado Overpass Video #1
This first video highlights the danger of riding out a tornado under and overpass. One tornado survivor describes how he watched in horror as a woman “blew out” of the makeshift shelter she was seeking underneath an overpass:
Tornado Overpass Video #2
These people survived a relatively weak tornado, but don’t miss the update below this video:
So, does an overpass make a good tornado shelter?
NO! Here’s why…
Because overpasses are death traps. The high winds from a tornado under an overpass can create a type of dangerous wind tunnel effect — and debris can be blown right through at dangerously high speeds, seriously hurting anyone under the bridge.
Plus, if the overpass collapses, anyone under it is in extreme risk of injury or death.
Here’s a longer version of the same video which shows injuries suffered by those who stayed in their vehicles during that tornado.
Tornado Overpass Video #3
Here’s another video shot by amateur storm chasers who sought shelter under and overpass. You can hear that someone got hit by flying debris and called for help. See their update after the video below:
This video is a great example of how NOT to safely storm chase. Seeking shelter under an overpass is a HUGE mistake, since the winds actually accelerate there when a tornado approaches. DO NOT TAKE COVER UNDERNEATH AN OVERPASS WHEN A TORNADO IS APPROACHING! This video defines the beginning of storm chasing for TornadoVideos.net. We knew very little about storm structure or forecasting back then, but we learned fast on May 3, 1999.
~ Source
As a homeowner, I primarily write about weather safety tips that everyone should know in order to protect their home and family during major weather events. I especially like to share seasonal “outside the box” ideas that most wouldn’t think of in the Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall.
The weather events I’ve personally experienced include: Hurricanes (while living in Florida), Tornadoes (while living in Indiana, Texas, and Tennessee), Earthquakes (while visiting California), Blizzards (while living in New York and Indiana), and Flooding (while living in Tennessee).
