What Not to Do in a Tornado or Derecho

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I was disappointed to see a member of the Iowa State Patrol violating a basic rule of weather safety during Monday's derecho: Never stop under a bridge in a tornado or high wind situation.  An underpass accelerates the wind and makes a bad situation even worse. People have been killed doing this.

Midday Monday, we told people go get off the roads ahead of the derecho. Numerous tractor-trailers were blown over the in the storm. But, if you unexpectedly find yourself in a high wind situation, pull to the side of the road away from poles, signs or other items that could be blown into your car. If possible, park your car parallel to the direction of the wind.

The above stated, take a look at the readout of his radar. It clocks a peak gust of 98 mph which seems reasonable based on the sound of the wind, the appearance of the wind-blown rain, and other wind speed reports in the area.

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