If severe weather strikes when you are driving, do not seek shelter under a bridge or an overpass, as the drivers did in Oklahoma during a hailstorm this March.
It might seem like a good idea at first as theoretically the overpass would protect your car or truck from damage caused by hailstones. But it puts other vehicles at risk as you are blocking traffic whilst you’re sitting there waiting for the storm to stop.
Additionally, an overpass or a bridge doesn’t protect you from a tornado. A major disaster could result if a tornado were to strike a traffic jam behind a blocked overpass.
Numerous vehicles parked under an overpass for protection in Oklahoma this Saturday during the hailstorm. They left dozens of cars stuck behind them unable to go around the vehicles parked underneath the overpass.
The National Weather Service shares some tips on what to do during a severe thunderstorm, in order to keep you and your vehicles out of danger.
- Check the weather forecast prior getting into your car.
- Don’t drive during a storm.
- Postpone travel if there are storms along your route.
- If you come across a storm, exit the road and find robust shelter.
Above all, don’t seek shelter under an overpass or a bridge. You could stop others from getting to a real shelter.
