Study shows fleeing tornadoes safer

Once you start considering the idea of trying to tell people it's ok to flee a tornado in a vehicle under specific conditions, then all you will do is create confusion and make it even worse for the general public to know what to do. Look at the infamous bridge video in Kansas and how it's widespread dissemination infected the public with the idea that bridges are good places to take shelter from a tornado. Despite years of efforts to counter-act this, there are still quite a few people that still do this when a tornado approaches.

Besides, this study was done by the American Journal of Epidemiology? LOL!! I'd love to spend about 30 minutes with these folks and discuss their "study". I think they are idiots myself and this is a very dangerous abuse of "studys" that seem to permiate our society today and one that the mindless drones of the news media pick up and run with in this day and age of sensationalist news stories.

What I'd like to see is an official study released that says better building codes along with safe rooms constructed in your house is the best way to survive a tornado.
 
The Gen. public shouldn't be trying to outrun tornadoes in thier cars, they don't have the knowledge which could allow them to do this with success, they may end up driving into the tornado if it is not seen, the traffic issues, etc. all of that screams don't try and outrun a tornado.

That said, if there is a confirmed torando heading toward my home or a storm shows huge amounts of rotation on radar, that which would likely produce a tornado, i would be on the road in 5 mins. Why, because i live in a house that is around 100 year old, has no basement, is ringed by large, very old trees and the house itself is not all to sturdy, being it is that old. i, myself, would stand a better shot at living if i chose to drive away from the storm, but many would if they went into basements.

thats my opinion, summing it up, most people on this board could drive away from a tornado, we know the way a storm works usually, which is why there are people out chasing and "catching" tornadoes, this same knowledge could be reveresed to get away from a tornado. But 99% of the people who live in the U.S don't.
 
Fleeing tornados

Example of why fleeing a tornado in a car may be a good decision:

05/11/00/Blackhawk County, Iowa (where I live): only 1 fatality occured and that was an elderly women who died 17 days later after being CRUSHED in her BASEMENT as the tornado shifted the foundation onto her. The tornado was rated a strong F3.

I believe that under the following conditions it is acceptable to flee a tornado in your car:

1. If you live in a mobile home!

2. If you're not located in a big city or other urban area during rush hour etc.!

3. If you have plenty of notice that a tornadic storm is approaching and know the road network in your area well!

To say that fleeing a from a tornado when you have plenty of lead time and a good road network is the wrong thing to do, is not a good answer, like I said before, safety rules can vary per situation. Just because the National Weather Service says its the best thing to do doesnt mean it is! Case in point:

The stronger of the 2 tornadoes that ripped through Harrison county the afternoon of 5/16/99 killed 2 people and destroyed 6 homes and a bridge before it dissipated a couple of miles east of Logan. A family of 5 leaving a high school graduation party encountered the tornado on a road around 6 miles northeast of Missouri Valley and took cover in a ditch about the time the path of the tornado widened to a quarter mile. Two of them were killed after their car and a 3-ton combine head were thrown on them. There were also numerous flipped or smashed vehicles in this area. F37OU, F15OU

Was getting out of there cars and into a ditch a good idea for these people?

Safety rules vary per situation!
Telling people to say in there homes when they dont have a basement and when a tornado like Oklahoma City/Jerreled Texas is comming your way can mean an almost certain death sentence! Its fine if there is only 1 person who needs to go to the closet or bath tub but what if you have a family of 5??? Can't fit 5 people in a bath tub, can't fit 5 people in a closet. Many homes don't have basements in Texas/Oklahoma.Its time to change some old safety rules....
 
If I'm in a well constructed building and faced with the choice of whether or not to flee or stay where I am - I'm going to stay where I am - the chances of being in a building which sustains F4 or F5 damage are not great enough in my opinion to warrant fleeing. Only 2% of all tornadoes are rated F4 or greater, and of those the F4+ damage occurs over a fairly small portion of its path, so the way I see it the odds of surviving a tornado at home are overwhelmingly in my favor. Plus recent history is full of examples of people surviving strong tornadoes by taking proper shelter in a home or building (Cordell 2001, Moore 2003, Mulvane 2004, etc).
 
An older couple was parked next to us on June 12 at the Shamrock, TX Best Western. They asked me if they were ok to drive north to Liberal, to which I replied "yes." The man asked me what they should do in case they did drive up on a tornado. I told them "turn around and drive the other way."

I always tell people that, if they are already in their vehicles when they enclounter a tornado, to turn around and drive away. Tornadoes are relatively small storms, and in most cases are a quarter mile wide or less, which isn't that large of an area to get away from. The one thing I always stress to folks when I'm answering this question is "Do NOT stop your car and get out and get in a ditch." That is suicide IMO. A car is both heavier and faster than a human being, so that gives you two chances to come out of it better than getting out of the car itself.
 
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