There are also straight-line winds associated with tornadoes that can gust up to 80 mph kph , easily tossing cars [source: Samenow ]. The massive El Reno tornado, which ravaged a swath of Oklahoma on May 31, , was the perfect example of such unpredictability. In a single minute, it grew from a mile 1. It contained multiple subvortices , smaller twisters rotating around the main one.
Thousands of residents -- perhaps encouraged by newscasts and various media outlets -- tried to evacuate in their cars, which led to gridlocked interstates around Oklahoma City. Twenty-two people were killed, many of them in their vehicles [source: Associated Press]. The El Reno tornado was also notable in that four storm chasers -- at least one of whom had a stellar reputation for safety and conservatism during storms -- were killed trying to outrun the twister in their vehicles.
Many experts hoped that their deaths might serve to hammer home the message that government organizations like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been broadcasting to the public for years: If a tornado is coming, do not get into your car.
The CDC could not possibly be more explicit in its warning to anyone thinking about speeding away from a storm. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. If you see a tornado, stop your vehicle and get out. Do not get under your vehicle. Follow the directions for seeking shelter outdoors. The same message is broadcast from countless sources. Here is one. Another is here :. Sturdy buildings are the safest place to be.
Tornado winds can blow large objects, including cars, hundreds of feet away. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift up a car or truck and toss it through the air.
Never try to out-drive a tornado. Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable. A mobile home can overturn very easily even if precautions have been taken to tie down the unit. Officials in Oklahoma pleaded with people to stay inside and off the roads. There are tornado warning false alarms all of the time. We've all been under warnings when nothing happened. However; when you hear those sirens go off, the time to take action is now! Hop in your storm shelter , or get home immediately if you are out and about.
This advanced warning is key to your survival. You do not want to roll the dice on your life! Look out the window. We all know that windows are dangerous during tornados, but what do most people do when they hear a tornado warning? They run right to the window to see if they can see it!
That is a big mistake. Windows can be easily broken, and will send glass and other debris from the outside right toward you! Did you know that being hit by debris is the number one way people are injured or killed in tornado?
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