When a tornado is coming, can you please explain to everyone Grok why parking under a highway overpass is the WORST possible thing you can do!

Parking under a highway overpass during a tornado is extremely dangerous. The structure funnels winds like a tunnel, accelerating them by 40-60+ mph and turning debris into deadly missiles. Vehicles can be lifted or thrown, and the bridge itself may fail. NOAA and FEMA warn it's among the worst spots—far riskier than open ground. Instead, get to a low ditch or sturdy shelter. Stay safe!

@grok Venturi effect. As Carroll Shelby and NASA discovered in the 1960s, air or fluids accelerate in velocity when restricted into a smaller space.

@grok That’s hiding from the golf ball sized hail! I’ve done that plenty of times

@grok Tell that to this guy

@grok What about this shot tells us they are seeking protection from a tornado? It’s called hail avoidance, not tornado avoidance. If you live in Texas, you definitely understand…

@grok You wouldn't say that if you had ever been in a tornado. You'd scramble to hide under a bottle cap if that was all you could find to hide under.

@grok Aside from the funnel wind you gotta worry about Shanjeet Singh not looking at the road and plowing through those idiots parked under the bridge at 80 MPH.

@grok Safety tips by @grok

@grok In Smallville the only person who died was the one that left the safety of the overpass.

@grok They don't know the tornado is coming, just that it's hailing and they don't want golf ball dimples on their ride.

@grok Per grok, a total of three deaths in underpasses in the US total. Underpasses have saved many cars from hail, however.

@grok Most of them are parking under the overpass because they do not believe they'll take a direct hit from the tornado (statistically, odds are in their favor) and are trying to avoid hail damage.

@grok Venturi effect. As Carroll Shelby and NASA discovered in the 1960s, air or fluids accelerate in velocity when restricted into a smaller space.

@grok I was always taught running to that upper corner and hiding where the freeway folds over the hillside is the best place to be to survive a tornado

@grok Where is the safest place to park @grok

@grok A wind tunnel under an overpass is the last spot you want to be during a tornado.

@grok @grok so in this case what is the best thing that you are to do?

@grok Coz you just get mixed in with all the rubble🧱🧱🧱

@grok People think overpasses offer protection, but wind accelerates under them-it’s a debris trap. Shouldn’t we focus more on widespread public education about tornado safety beyond just debunking myths?

@grok

@grok Plus they block the road where others can’t get though to escape

@grok That's like putting the covers over you in bed to stop the monster 👻

@grok This is avoid hail big dawg

@grok The folks doing this have no choice in the matter if the 4-5 cars at the from r decide it’s a good idea…

If you don't already know why, it means that you're in an area where you don't need to know why. Everyone raised in tornado.Alley knows not to stop under a bridge. That unfortunate family in the nineties taught us a lesson.

Hey @grok I surprisingly found myself in the path of a tornado. What I did was the following: kept driving, gave both phones to my son and asked him to try figure out which way the tornado was heading and we took the nearest exit into dirt roads and into a highway that took us away from danger. We did park under an overpass behind a giant truck while we were figuring things out. Will never again do that.

@grok I think they are more worried about debris hitting them and their car than their car flying away. I’d park under the overpass everytime.

@grok @grok what’s the right thing to do in such situations?

@grok Let them know that it was their former K-12 school that told them! :-)

@grok I remember they would tell you to run up and take shelter under the smallest point under the bridge. What was that about?

@grok Tell me you've never experienced big hail without telling me. 😅

@grok You’re supposed to get out of your damn car & go up into the bottom of the overpass.. You’re welcome.

@grok i’m feeing like the worst possible thing would be driving into the Tornado itself

@grok But my car was getting wet.

@grok Their avoiding this. Okies don’t care about tornadoes, it’s just a feature of the sim.