MClarkson
EF5
When you have articles like this on fox news: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/05/26/incredible-sucking-power-tornadoes/ you can give up hope for educating the masses...
rob.cannon
EF0
not effective in cost vs. benefit. It would also be a bath house for the homeless.
Jeff Wright
EF4
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2010
- Messages
- 406
I seem to remember a Pre-Moore Oprah program on Tornadoes where Tim Marshall walked up a certain type of overpass ramp and disappeared between girders. In the famous Underpass video shot on the Andover event, we see the family get between girders more widely spaced. Finally, with Moore, there didn't seem to be any exposed girders at all, just black concrete with the folks completley exposed. An underpass might be helpful to get out of a hailstorm, but even then there is risk.
Shelters in overpass locations could act as a chaser convergence and cause traffic blockages that propagate backwards, out in the open. This would also limit first responders. I do think we need to spend tax money on public shelters, but they should be in the form of rest areas with proper off ramps and exits to allow ease of flow.
Shelters in overpass locations could act as a chaser convergence and cause traffic blockages that propagate backwards, out in the open. This would also limit first responders. I do think we need to spend tax money on public shelters, but they should be in the form of rest areas with proper off ramps and exits to allow ease of flow.
Jeff Snyder
EF5
Why have someone so clueless about the formation and occurrence of tornadoes write an article on a leading news ("news" -- lol) website? From that wonderful story comes this gem:
So tornadoes really get their power from the deflection of the jet stream (~250 mb) to the surface? I always knew I was missing something... Imagine parcels in the jet stream upstream of the storm and on their descent to the ground, and then bring the 250 mb temperature down dry adiabatically to estimate the temperature of that air assuming no diabatic cooling or heating (no dQ/dt).
I'm sure others have already said this, but I really don't think it's a good idea to give a place near a highway with limited parking any sort of shelter. There are many, many people who do not have underground shelter (or above-ground safe rooms), and I think it's highly undesireable to have people flee their homes to clog up the interstates and highways in hopes of getting underground. Primarily, I see this as a traffic management issue. We have yet to be an unfortunate witness to a worst-case traffic scenario (violent tornado moving down a bumper-to-bumper packed interstate near rush-hour). My wife was driving home from central OKC on 5/24, and she said the traffic was stop-and-go for much of the trip. Imagine if that El Reno-Piedmont-Guthrie track had been 10-20 miles farther south? I think traffic watching the Jarrell, TX, F5 was stop-and-go for a while too. We already have problems with people abandoning vehicles under overpasses and blocking the roads for everyone else behind them...
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hazelmaryjackson
EF1
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
- Messages
- 58
Maybe it would be helpful if there was some "official" advice on what to do if you see a tornado ahead when driving on the freeway. A lot of casualties seem to be people in cars which are carried away or flipped by the storm, on the road or parked nearby. Suggestions anyone?
rdale
EF5
There is "official" advice. Don't drive into a tornado. Don't park on the road. Find a shelter nearby. This isn't anything new or revealing -- common sense does still apply 
Jeremy Gilchrist
I too think this is a bad idea and they would probably end up housing junkies and the homeless most of the time.
Chuck Hurley
There's plenty of advice available but in my experience people are stupid and refuse to heed any advice given.
JanelleHelling
EF0
Storm-related issues aside, I can see potential for huge problems with undermining the structural support of an overpass. Can't imagine any state DOT or engineers would approve such a project.
Drew.Gardonia
that has already been addressed several times in this thread that electronic locks would be used that would be released only during times of storms.
rdale
EF5
Which is a major weakness in the system... Who decides when the threat is big enough? How? What about an unwarned tornado? If I see one and pull over to get in, but no warning was issued, I'm dead. Lawsuit.
The costs involved with this this system, plus remote key locks, plus monitoring, plus upkeep, simply is not worth the investment. Sorry.
The costs involved with this this system, plus remote key locks, plus monitoring, plus upkeep, simply is not worth the investment. Sorry.
Chris Carlson
EF1
I actually think this would be a good idea. I'm not a fan of the locks though. They could have one every 5 or so miles on rural interstates. They could be marked as a "Severe Weather Shelter" area. I'm from Minnesota and I can think of many rural interstates where you can miles without any decent shelter. The cost would be rather minimal I think. I don't see them building them into existing bridges but I don't think it would cost too much to build them into new bridges. As far as the homeless person issue, I imagine most of these going in pretty rural areas and I don't think homeless people would be much of an issue. I would probably just have a state trooper or DOT employee check them once a month to ensure they are clean.
It just wouldn't work. No further discussion needed.
Dean Baron
Supporter
I dont see that happening.
Dave Gallaher
EF5
Who would go around to make sure each one was empty before relocking? Inevitably, someone would get trapped in one and found as a corpse during the next warning.
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