Nature and Traveling

[GeminiJane]

I run a Garmin GPS with Doppler radar feature - gives you real time weather right on your navigation screen. Several times being able to see a storm front approaching and seeing how it was developing would allow us to catch a different side road and skirt around a bad situation by only going 15 to 20 miles on a different road. Sure makes travel less worrisome. Also gives you enough alert to pick a good spot to stop and put on rain gear if you see you're going to need it.

 

[Questions]

If you are riding and see a tornado coming, DONT try to hide under a bridge or overpass. The danger of being hit by flying objects is increased. Just this past week I heard a weather man actually say doing so is stupid.
His words not mine.

 

[Wheeler~]

If you are riding and see a tornado coming, DONT try to hide under a bridge or overpass. The danger of being hit by flying objects is increased. Just this past week I heard a weather man actually say doing so is stupid.
His words not mine.

As tight to the underside top of the overpass is recommended as the vacuum created by the tornado has the force to pull you out from under an overpass and also shields from the debris.

 

[Bootie]

Tornado

If you are riding and see a tornado coming, DONT try to hide under a bridge or overpass. The danger of being hit by flying objects is increased. Just this past week I heard a weather man actually say doing so is stupid.
His words not mine.

:agree:
First off, Tornados do NOT create vacuums. A vacuum implies that there is no air and that is obviously not the case. What the Tornado does do is drop the air pressure so that the air flowing from an region of high pressure to a region of low pressure produces a strong winds. A bridge has the effect of increasing the wind speed since the cross sectional area is reduced. So if you hide under the bridge, you will encounter higher wind speeds and dangerous flying debris. Lying in a ditch will keep you out of the wind and will help avoid flying debris. This is why the weather people recommend this over hiding under a bridge. Now having said that, if push comes to shove, and no other suitable shelter is available I, too, would take the bridge overpass.:dontknow:

 

[Mexican]

I live in Tulsa, just 90 miles N of Oklahoma City, i have been here for 20 years and NEVER been lucky or unlucky enough to see a tornado other than on tv, the iphone has a free weather channel aplication that displays a warning simbol when a tornado warning has been issued, a few days ago we had tornadoes on the ground allover Oklahoma but that don't happen everyday.
I would just enjoy the ride and don't worry about tornadoes, "when it is your turn, even if you get out of the way, when is not, even if you put yourself in the direct path"
If you happen to come thru Tulsa give me a call, i will be more than happy to show you around, there are some good riding places around here,
Lupe Ibarra
918 695 0111

 

[NancysToy]

Debris and increased windspeed beneath overpasses, drowning in a ditch or taking a lightning strike, being blown away out in the open. No good choices...just bend over and kiss your @#* goodbye.

 

[bruiser]

Debris and increased windspeed beneath overpasses, drowning in a ditch or taking a lightning strike, being blown away out in the open. No good choices...just bend over and kiss your @#* goodbye.

:roflblack::roflblack:

Seriously, I teach a C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) course, and have taught other safety and first aid courses. I'm also a member of Sky Warn (Scotty). We always teach that whenever caught out in the open, find a ditch or other depression, if no other shelter is readily available. This also applies to thunderstorms as well as tornados. As mentioned above, overpasses are not very good shelter, and are not recommended by the NWS. Living in NC we get all the "good" stuff. Hurricanes (not the hockey team either), tornados, huge thunderstorms, floods, high heat etc. etc. :yikes:

 

[Blue Star]

I'm just too old-fashioned and too dumb to use a smart phone... :gaah:
I do however keep an eye skyward... You learn to read the weather over time surprisingly well... :thumbup:

I too am too dumb to use a smart phone. I just click my heals together and repeat "I wish I was in Kansas" over and over :shemademe_smilie:

 

[Wheeler~]

:agree:
First off, Tornados do NOT create vacuums. A vacuum implies that there is no air and that is obviously not the case. What the Tornado does do is drop the air pressure so that the air flowing from an region of high pressure to a region of low pressure produces a strong winds. A bridge has the effect of increasing the wind speed since the cross sectional area is reduced. So if you hide under the bridge, you will encounter higher wind speeds and dangerous flying debris. Lying in a ditch will keep you out of the wind and will help avoid flying debris. This is why the weather people recommend this over hiding under a bridge. Now having said that, if push comes to shove, and no other suitable shelter is available I, too, would take the bridge overpass.:dontknow:

I refer to the ADJECTIVE: vacuum
Of, relating to, or used to create a vacuum.
Operating by means of suction or by maintaining a partial vacuum.
tr. & intr.v.
vac·u·umed, vac·u·um·ing, vac·u·umes
You are right about air in a region of high pressure flowing to a region of low pressure producing strong winds. The winds carrying over a bridge would create the Adjective definition, vacuum. Being in the upper most corner of a bridge would also put someone in the safest spot under that bridge. You're right, it's not the number 1 spot to hide but just this opportunity to weigh facts has been a blast. This portion of the forum, courtesy of Spyderikipedia.