Don’t Do This When Severe Weather Strikes and You Are Driving

Brian Donegan

Published: April 9,2020

If severe weather strikes when you are in your vehicle, do not seek shelter under an overpass or bridge, as drivers in Oklahoma did during a hailstorm on March 23, 2019.

While it might seem like a good idea in theory – after all, the overpass would protect your car or truck from potentially damaging hailstones – it puts other vehicles at risk because you're blocking traffic as you sit there waiting for the storm to pass.

Drivers sought shelter under an overpass during a hailstorm in Oklahoma on Saturday, March 23, 2019.

A bridge or overpass also does not protect you from a tornado. If a tornado were to strike a traffic jam behind a blocked overpass, a major disaster could result.

Interstate 44 westbound in Oklahoma was at a standstill on March 23, 2019, after numerous vehicles parked below an overpass for protection from a hailstorm. These selfish drivers then left the dozens of cars and trucks behind them in harm's way, unable to go around the vehicles parked beneath the overpass.

Marcus Diaz@TheTXWXchaser

I-44 westbound blocked for traffic under the underpass #okwx

95

6:57 PM - Mar 23, 2019

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To keep you and other vehicles out of danger, the National Weather Service offers some tips on what to do if you're in a similar situation during a severe thunderstorm.

-Check the weather before driving.

-Delay travel if there are storms along your route.

-Don't drive into a storm.

-If you encounter a storm, exit the road and find sturdy shelter.

Rick Smith

✔@ounwcm

Reminder: overpasses and bridges are NOT hail shelters. If you park under an overpass and block traffic, you are putting other people in danger.

182

6:31 PM - Mar 23, 2019

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Most importantly, do not seek shelter under a bridge or overpass. You could prevent others from reaching real shelter.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.