Danger swirls in spring skies

Since Dallas is not generally known as a tornado-prone city, the tornado warning that occurred Tuesday evening left people wondering how to handle the situation.The same sirens that are tested the first Wednesday of every month were heard Tuesday, signaling for people to take precaution. People who have not experienced being under a tornado warning questioned which precautions to take. The fact that many widespread tornado myths exist did not help the situation.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Roger Edwards of the Storm Prediction Center dispelled several common rumors about tornadoes.

Myth: During a tornado warning, open your windows to equalize pressure.
Truth: Opening windows wastes time and is dangerous. If the tornado hits your house, it will blast the windows open anyway. The safest place to be is in a small, windowless room, like a closet or bathroom, or in the center of a room with windows. Wide-span roofs, like those in cafeterias, auditoriums and shopping malls are vulnerable for blowout and should be avoided if possible.

Myth: If you’re on the road, the safest place for you to be is in your car.
Truth: Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can easily toss and destroy cars, making them unsafe if the tornado is close. Only if the tornado is far away and traffic is light should anyone attempt driving out of its path. To determine if the tornado is close, watch its direction compared to a fixed point (such as a tree or traffic sign). If the tornado looks like it is moving to your right or to your left, it is not headed toward you. In this case, the best option is to turn at a right angle to the tornado’s path. If it is moving left, turn right, for example. If the tornado appears to stay in one place and grow larger or come closer, exiting the car is the safest plan. If you can, find a sturdy building for shelter; if not, lie flat in a ditch or on low ground far away from the road and possible flying vehicles. If you’re in a ditch, beware of flooding.

Myth: If you’re outside, hiding under a bridge is a good idea.
Truth: Taking shelter under a bridge is dangerous for multiple reasons:The winds may blow people loose from under the bridge and possibly into the tornado itself.The spaces around the bridge are still vulnerable to flying debris.The tornado might tear the bridge apart and create large flying objects or else collapse the bridge onto people below.

Myth: Tornadoes can’t cross rivers.
Truth: Rivers do not necessarily stop tornadoes. The deadliest tornado in U.S. history, which occurred on March 18, 1925, crossed unstopped across the Mississippi River and killed 695 people.

Myth: Most people killed by tornadoes are sucked into the tornado funnel.
Truth: The most common way people die due to tornadoes is from flying or crushing debris.

Myth: The southwest corner of your house is the best place to remain.
Truth: The southwest corner provides no more safety than any other part of the basement or lowest level. The southwest corner myth comes from the belief that since tornadoes generally come from the southwest, debris will rush into the northeast side of the room. Since tornadoes are not straight-line winds, the strongest wind may blow in any direction. The tornadoes themselves can enter from any direction also. Rather than the southwest corner, the safest place in the lowest level to be is under a heavy desk or mattress near the center of the room and out from under heavy items on the floor above. For added protection, cover your head and neck with your arms.

Myth: Hail, rain, lightning and silence precede every tornado.
Truth: None of the above is necessarily present before a tornado. While each can happen prior to a tornado, hail and unusual patterns of rain, lightning or silence are not dependable predictors of a tornado threat.

Myth: Larger tornadoes are more powerful than small ones.
Truth: The size and shape of a tornado don’t determine its strength. Some small tornadoes can still do violent damage of F4 or F5 on the damage scale rating, while some large tornadoes have created damage as weak as F0 or F1.

Myth: Large buildings can destroy or prevent tornadoes.
Truth: Even the largest skyscrapers can’t match the size and volume of a big tornado’s total circulation.

Myth: Tornadoes only come in the spring or early summer.
Truth: If conditions are conducive, tornadoes can form at any time of year.

Myth: Tornadoes last a long time.
Truth: The average tornado time span is 10 minutes.