Tornados On The Road

I am sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree with that article.

1. Who wrote it and where did they get their information? Experiments? 2. You have steel reinforced concrete above and below you, plus, you have the embankment for support as well. They make a good projectile barrier. Looking at it In a north, south, east, west, up and down threat area, an overpass takes at least 50% of that threat area away. A ditch gives you down and maybe two sides. So, if you are taking a "direct hit", where would you want to be? If you are in a 200 plus mph wind, I just do not see where a tunnel effect will make a difference in either scenario. Just my logic. 3. The article says "roads were blocked at times". Well, you wouldn`t be trying to out run the tornado would you? Do emergency vehicles show up in seconds because that is how long the tornado will last.

With all that said, if there is quick access to a strong structure, that is where I would be heading. Otherwise, overpass (or underpass).

The problem with overpasses is that a 200 mph wind turns all that reinforced concrete into a giant whistle that amplifies the wind effect. I have seen fresh prairie grass drilled into trees and sticking out like it grew there. I have seen a horse walking down a country road with a fence post sticking out both sides. That overpass won't do you any good if you get a direct hit - just the opposite. It's an extreme low pressure event, very localized. The lowest point you can get to is your best bet, and a ditch is generally the lowest point when you're out in the middle of the prairie. A culvert under a road is even better. Sure, if you take a direct hit in a ditch, you are likely to fly like a rag doll. But if you take a direct hit under an overpass, you are likely to fly like a rag doll with who knows what debris hitting you from every angle.

I'll tell you what I do, I keep driving. It's not like I can easily whip a U-Turn and avoid it, Swerve or speed up past 68. Obviously if it looks like I can slow down and come to a safe stop I'll do it to avoid the Tornado but other then that its time to mash the hammer and get going. I've been hit by Mini-Tornadoes and I tell you what, I can feel it. I felt it hit my nose and as I went through it, it wiggled my truck. It was one of the scariest things I've ever had to go threw.

Imagine your truck being wiggled like a snake moving at 68 MPH, it was a good adrenaline rush.

1. Who wrote it and where did they get their information? Experiments? 

The National Weather Service is a component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is an Operating Unit of the U.S. Department of Commerce

I am sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree with that article.

1. Who wrote it and where did they get their information? Experiments? 2. You have steel reinforced concrete above and below you, plus, you have the embankment for support as well. They make a good projectile barrier. Looking at it In a north, south, east, west, up and down threat area, an overpass takes at least 50% of that threat area away. A ditch gives you down and maybe two sides. So, if you are taking a "direct hit", where would you want to be? If you are in a 200 plus mph wind, I just do not see where a tunnel effect will make a difference in either scenario. Just my logic. 3. The article says "roads were blocked at times". Well, you wouldn`t be trying to out run the tornado would you? Do emergency vehicles show up in seconds because that is how long the tornado will last.

With all that said, if there is quick access to a strong structure, that is where I would be heading. Otherwise, overpass (or underpass).

The problem with overpasses is that a 200 mph wind turns all that reinforced concrete into a giant whistle that amplifies the wind effect. I have seen fresh prairie grass drilled into trees and sticking out like it grew there. I have seen a horse walking down a country road with a fence post sticking out both sides. That overpass won't do you any good if you get a direct hit - just the opposite. It's an extreme low pressure event, very localized. The lowest point you can get to is your best bet, and a ditch is generally the lowest point when you're out in the middle of the prairie. A culvert under a road is even better. Sure, if you take a direct hit in a ditch, you are likely to fly like a rag doll. But if you take a direct hit under an overpass, you are likely to fly like a rag doll with who knows what debris hitting you from every angle.

My point is, whether in a ditch or under an overpass, 200 mph wind is gonna do damage. I understand the pressure difference, but at that speed, I think the likelihood of any human being unscathed is based purely on luck. I would still choose the overpass.

Oh, was the horse hiding under an overpass...

1. Who wrote it and where did they get their information? Experiments? 

The National Weather Service is a component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is an Operating Unit of the U.S. Department of Commerce

In any case I'm not staying in a semi. I guess in South Texas we had more hurricanes then tornados but no matter staying out in the open or in something that can get cleaned of the ground was a horrible idea. And lets be honest if you're on the road your best option for shelter is only an overpass. There aren't too many shelter stops. But there are exits.

Part of my trip planning includes pulling up a weather app so I know what I may be heading into. If I see severe weather, I try to plan around it, or if I see I am approaching a storm, I again check my weather app. If it looks bad, I pull over and park it. Also, I have a company that sends out fleet messages warning about all kinds of things. Heavy winds and storms among them. I can't see any fleet manager being upset that you pulled over for an hour or two to let the storm pass.

The National Weather Service is a component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is an Operating Unit of the U.S. Department of Commerce

Yep. Same people who bring us "global warming", I mean "climate change" or whatever it will be called next.

Okay okay, sorry. Different forum.

Seriously though, being well prepared can keep all of us out of danger in various weather scenarios. I always check forecasts on my route and if nasty weather is possible, I am planning an "out" for the problem area way before I get there. If the clouds darken, I begin keeping tabs on everything around me in order to have escape routes and/or shelter spots. I like to be prepared.

Part of my trip planning includes pulling up a weather app so I know what I may be heading into. If I see severe weather, I try to plan around it, or if I see I am approaching a storm, I again check my weather app. If it looks bad, I pull over and park it. Also, I have a company that sends out fleet messages warning about all kinds of things. Heavy winds and storms among them. I can't see any fleet manager being upset that you pulled over for an hour or two to let the storm pass.

That sounds like a great plan. I read in an article that the safest people no matter what industry ask what ifs questions all the time though. And mother nature is a cruel beast that can make water look like a polar bear at the bat of an eye.

My point is, whether in a ditch or under an overpass, 200 mph wind is gonna do damage. I understand the pressure difference, but at that speed, I think the likelihood of any human being unscathed is based purely on luck. I would still choose the overpass.

Oh, was the horse hiding under an overpass...

There is no question that if you take a direct hit, even from a "little" F1, whether out in the open in a ditch or in a truck beneath an overpass, you are probably gonna die. Your odds are much better in the basement of a strong building.

Think of it this way: if you were in the Army in a shooting fight where there wasn't a lot of cover and the bullets could come from any direction, would you rather stand at ground level on a wide flat field of battle and hide from 50% of the bullets under an overpass, or dive into a trench where 95% or better of the bullets would whiz harmlessly over your head? (Keep in mind that in this fight, you have no weapons that can stop the enemy.)

The horse was likely minding his own business in a pasture. He didn't take a direct hit from the tornado, he took a direct hit from the debris - in this case a fence post. The debris doesn't always come from above, a lot of the time it comes straight at you. The funnel cloud tosses it out roughly parallel to the ground at a high rate of speed, kind of like when you pull the lid off a blender full of liquid before it stops. Even a little tornado can toss a fencepost a quarter or maybe even a half mile. If that horse had had sense enough to get into the barn or to duck into a ditch, the fence post most likely would've missed him.

So much for horse sense.

Think of it this way: if you were in the Army in a shooting fight where there wasn't a lot of cover and the bullets could come from any direction, would you rather stand at ground level on a wide flat field of battle and hide from 50% of the bullets under an overpass, or dive into a trench where 95% or better of the bullets would whiz harmlessly over your head? (Keep in mind that in this fight, you have no weapons that can stop the enemy.

Um, underpass.

The horse was likely minding his own business in a pasture. He didn't take a direct hit from the tornado, he took a direct hit from the debris - in this case a fence post. The debris doesn't always come from above, a lot of the time it comes straight at you. The funnel cloud tosses it out roughly parallel to the ground at a high rate of speed, kind of like when you pull the lid off a blender full of liquid before it stops. Even a little tornado can toss a fencepost a quarter or maybe even a half mile. If that horse had had sense enough to get into the barn or to duck into a ditch, the fence post most likely would've missed him.

So much for horse sense.

ZZZING!