#16: An overpass is a safe place during a tornado
Television footage helped give this myth a long life. Images of people sheltering beneath highway overpasses made the concrete structure look reassuringly solid compared with the open road. Meteorologists and emergency officials have spent years trying to undo that impression. Wind can accelerate through the confined space beneath an overpass, while debris remains a serious threat. Parking there can also block traffic and trap people who might otherwise reach safer shelter.
