Tornadoes and Road Safety -- Do's and Don't's

With severe storm season underway, it’s possible you may find yourself on the road when dangerous weather, such as a tornado, is bearing down. Let’s review some storm safety tips.

You’re driving down the road when you witness a terrifying sight- a tornado. Your first thought is likely to be, “Where can I go to be safe?”

The first instinct might be to hide in the car or under an overpass. However, these are the last places you should go for safety. A tornado can easily pick up your car and hiding under an overpass doesn’t prevent that from happening. In addition, hiding under a structure like an overpass or under something like a tree puts you at great risk of being struck by flying debris, which could result in injury or even death.

So, where do you go if stuck on the road during a tornado? The best choice of action is to get off the road if possible. Drive to the nearest building and try to find a designated storm shelter, basement or safe room to protect yourself from the tornado. If there are no shelters nearby, try to seek out a building and go to a small room without windows on the lowest floor of that building.

You could be driving through an area with no nearby buildings or structures when you spot a tornado. If so, seek out an area with a small drop in elevation such as a ditch, get out of the car and lie face down with your hands over your head to protect yourself from flying debris. If you cannot get out of the car, pull over, stay buckled, duck your head and try to find something to cover yourself to provide cushion in case you get hit by flying debris.

Severe storms, including tornadoes, can form just about anywhere, so it is important to have a safety plan in place ahead of time.

Source: weather.gov, spc.noaa.gov
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Story Image: A tornado on the ground in Hildreth, Neb., on June 14, 2014 (NOAA Photo Library/Ken Engquist).