Ashburn, VA

55° F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

55°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

News & Features AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Business Climate Health Recreation Sports Travel

News / AccuWeather Ready

What to do if you encounter a tornado while driving

Seeking shelter from a tornado under an overpass might sound like a good idea, but meteorologists say that is one of the worst things you could do.

By Chaffin Mitchell, AccuWeather staff writer

Copied

Tornadoes can cause damage once they start to form. If you're driving when a tornado is near, you need to know how to navigate to safety.

Seeking shelter from a tornado under an overpass might sound like a good idea and it's an idea often captured in films, but meteorologists say that is one of the worst things you could do.

"Never try to seek shelter under a bridge or overpass, as these structures can actually amplify the speeds of the winds and they offer little to no protection from flying debris," AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist William Clark said.

The narrow passage underneath an overpass could cause an increase in the wind speed under the bridge.

Clark said there aren't any completely safe options if you're near a tornado while driving, just less dangerous ones.

"The safest option is always to seek shelter in a sturdy structure especially underground. This can be achieved if the tornado is visible at a far distance and there is light traffic, by driving at right angles to the perceived path of the tornado and seeking shelter in a sturdy building off the roadway," Clark said.

A tornado-producing thunderstorm with an ominous and rapidly rotating wall cloud threatens Cactus, Texas, on March 22, 2019. Tornado sirens blare as cars drive past. (AccuWeather/Reed Timmer)

The best driving decision you can make is to stay off the road until the weather clears, Chris Hayes, second vice president of transportation risk control for Travelers, said.

"Stay low. Stay in your car, secured into your seat belt, and put your head down below the window, covering it with your hands or a blanket if you have one. Or, if you can safely get lower than the level of the roadway, exit your car and lie in that area, using a protective covering like a blanket or tarp if you have one with you," Hayes said.

"Lie down and cover your head with your hands. Being lower than the roadway will allow the strongest winds to pass over you and give you the lowest chance of being struck by flying debris," Clark said.

Car turned over after accident with crash electric pole after a severe storm. (photovs/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Flying debris is one of the greatest risks when a tornado hits.

"Debris from a tornado can turn into missiles that can reach speeds greater than 300 mph in the strongest tornadoes. Matter of fact, estimated winds from the infamous May 3, 1999, tornado that affected Oklahoma City area were around 318 mph," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio said.

It is human instinct to run away from danger, and since cars reach speeds that exceed the speed of a tornado’s path, some people try to outrun tornadoes. This is not a good idea for many reasons.

Tornado winds can blow large objects, including cars, hundreds of feet away. Tornadoes travel swiftly, are able to change direction quickly and can lift a car or truck into the air.

“Tornadoes can travel at very high speeds. Forward velocities can range as high as 60 or 70 mph, albeit these speeds are rare. Tornadoes more commonly move at speeds ranging between 20 and 40 mph," Rossio said.

In some states, there is a better alternative than getting into a ditch if a storm catches you on the road.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

Kansas has storm shelters along highways in some areas. There are 30 storm shelters located along the Kansas Turnpike. Each shelter has a flashlight, first aid kit, water, batteries and a radio.

Officials stress not to leave your home and drive to a storm shelter in the event of severe weather.

"The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) has a tornado shelter at every toll booth for the toll workers, but they are also open to the public in the event of a tornado. The KTA is the stretch of I-35 from Kansas City through the Oklahoma border," Clark said.

Clark said it would be helpful if the storm shelters were every several miles, but he doesn't think it is realistic to drive 50 miles to the closest shelter when in imminent danger.

For more safety and preparedness tips, visit AccuWeather.com/Ready.

RELATED:

Tornadoes and travel: How to stay safe inside an airport or hotel
What should go into a successful tornado drill for your family, business
The difference between tornado watches and warnings

For the latest weather news, check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Severe Weather

Frequent rounds of intense rainfall to raise flood risk in central US

May 24, 2022
Weather Forecasts

Drought, winds to fuel Southwest wildfires as heat builds

May 24, 2022
Weather News

Deadly tornadoes ravage Germany

May 23, 2022
Severe Weather

Deadly Gaylord tornado was the strongest to impact Michigan in 10 year...

May 23, 2022
Weather News

Cave explorers discover ‘heavenly’ sinkhole surprise

May 23, 2022
Climate

What's behind ticks suddenly thriving throughout the Eastern US?

May 20, 2022
Weather News

Toddler dies in hot car during record-challenging heat wave in Memphis

May 20, 2022
Severe Weather

What's your home's 'wildfire threat score?' New tool lets you find out

May 20, 2022
Weather News

Army of gastropods seen climbing up walls of woman's home

May 19, 2022
video

The time to prepare for this hurricane season is now

May 23, 2022
Recreation

16 spring essentials that you shouldn't do without

Feb. 4, 2021
Health

Collars and chewables to keep your pup free of ticks and fleas

Apr. 28, 2022
Show More Show Less Chevron down

Topics

News & Features

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Top Stories

Severe Weather

Deadly derecho leaves widespread damage in Canada

16 minutes ago

Astronomy

Asteroid the size of 350 giraffes to fly past Earth this week

2 hours ago

Severe Weather

Sub-tropical disturbance moves inland, threatens severe weather

9 hours ago

Tornado leaves devastating path of damage

2 days ago 0:53

Podcast: Wildfires, droughts, energy shortages: a long hot summer ahea...

More Stories

Featured Topic

Local Arthritis Forecast

Featured Stories

It's been 75 years since the first named hurricane struck US soil Comfy mattresses you can pick up on sale this Memorial Day Coolers that'll help you beat the extreme summer heat
AccuWeather AccuWeather Ready What to do if you encounter a tornado while driving
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Shop AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Weather Blogs Winter Weather
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Shop AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Weather Blogs Winter Weather
© 2021 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | TAG Disclosure | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK