A few tornado myths I used to hear:
1. Open the windows if a tornado is coming
2. Get under a overpass/bridge if caught in a tornado.

How did these myths get started, or, who started them?
I can remember in the movie "Night of the Twisters" as the tornado is coming the boy opens the windows of the house before he runs into the basement. I know the overpass/bridge myth has been shot down. What about the "opening the windows" myths. has it been proven wrong yet also?

Just to add a bit more on the thread.
I found this link that lists a few more Myths and gives brief descriptions as to why they are True or False.

And from whats said here the opening of windows really doesnt help at all !?

www.hprcc.unl.edu/nebraska/tornado-myths.html

According to Wikipedia, opening windows actually puts you at greater risk.
Quote Wikipedia:
One of the oldest pieces of tornado folklore is the idea that tornadoes do most of their damage due to the lower atmospheric pressure at the center of a tornado, which causes the house to explode outward. As the theory goes, opening windows helps to equalize the pressure.

The source of this myth is from the appearance of some destroyed structures after violent tornadoes. When one wall receives the extreme pressure of tornado winds, it will likely collapse inward. This then leads to a considerable outward pressure on the three remaining walls, which fall outwards as the roof falls down, creating the impression of a house which has exploded. Indeed, damage surveys of "exploded" houses usually show at least one wall which has blown inward. Additionally, if the roof is lifted before any walls fail, the walls can fall in any direction. If they fall outward, this structure can also appear to have exploded.[9]

In even the most violent tornadoes, there is only a pressure drop of about 10%, which is about 1.4 pounds per square inch (9.7 kPa). Not only can this difference be equalized in most structures in approximately three seconds, but this pressure differential is insufficient to cause damage. As windows are the most fragile parts of a house, in a significant tornado flying debris will likely break enough windows to equalize any pressure difference fairly quickly. Regardless of any pressure drop, the direct effects of tornado's winds is enough to cause damage to a house in all but the weakest tornadoes.

Current advice is that opening windows in advance of a tornado wastes time that could be spent seeking shelter. Also, being near windows is a very dangerous place to be during a severe weather event, possibly exposing people to flying glass.

The rest of the article, including it's sources, can be found right here.

they have a bunch of tornado myths out there we just know lots about them because some people have done what the myths say too do and they survived the tornado and it gets out by word of mouth or tv and other people hear about it so they try and don't make it and it seems that you don't here about those people as much as you do the others that make it,the whole overpass myth should even be a myth I think it should be a fact that if you go under a bridge during a tornado that the rate of surviving it is very low!

The Bridge/Tornado issue may well be one of the most commonly known of all myths but is also one of the VERY worst things anyone could do.
It will actually channel any wind and debris through it.
Ive seen many programmes mention this and actively stress that people do not try to seek shelter there.

To many including myself previously it is easy to see why people may well assume that a bridge does offer some safety but it certainly doesnt.

It's just through lack of knowing because we did not have the research and data to fall back on and disprove them.

Humans as we are we'll take shelter from any impending storm where ever we can and it's just a survival thing. Reed and Joel got caught in that F5 years ago and it's something they'll never do again by taking refuge under an overpass - but it will not change the general public's view about sheltering under overpasses because in the heat of the moment it may be their only chance of survival.

Through education and media can these wive's tales be put to rest. My mum used to tell me the same thing about storms and relieving the pressure inside the house by opening windows - we've all done it I'm sure!

But the pressure inside the dwelling is already lowering to match the outside pressure which is why you see curtains sucked through the window pane and the frame!!!

Sure people have survived by taking shelter under bridges and saved them, but there's lots of stories about young children being torn from their parent's arms during a passing tornado from the same situation.

There's bound to be many more myths broken as time goes on.

Thats what the Mythbusters are for!

Myth Buster 101:

Your windows will be 'open' in no time if there's a tornado bearing down on your home. Flying debris takes care of that for you.
Unfortunately, many lives were lost before scientists determined there was no major pressure differences between the inside of a building as opposed to the outside.
I grew up with Meteorologists yammering at us to open our windows before taking cover (in the SW corner, no less).
Many people have been maimed or killed due to wasting precious time running from room to room opening windows that wouldn't even be there seconds later.
People still do this today, believe it or not.
And, the SW corner thing; the opposite is now advised. Do not take cover in the part of the building facing (closest to) the oncoming tornado. The recommendation is the leeward (furthest away from the winds) side. The reasoning behind this is the many deaths/injuries incurred from blocks, building materials falling down upon people taking shelter in the corner nearest the oncoming winds, where on the leeward side, the winds tend to carry building debris up and away from that area.

Most tornado myths were started back in the day when there was no media. Remember, even Benjamin Franklin followed a small vortex on horseback, cracking his whip at it, thinking it would cause dissipation. That Ben was into Extreme Sports way before his time!

SkyEyeJo wrote:
Myth Buster 101:

Your windows will be 'open' in no time if there's a tornado bearing down on your home. Flying debris takes care of that for you.
Unfortunately, many lives were lost before scientists determined there was no major pressure differences between the inside of a building as opposed to the outside.
I grew up with Meteorologists yammering at us to open our windows before taking cover (in the SW corner, no less).
Many people have been maimed or killed due to wasting precious time running from room to room opening windows that wouldn't even be there seconds later.
People still do this today, believe it or not.
And, the SW corner thing; the opposite is now advised. Do not take cover in the part of the building facing (closest to) the oncoming tornado. The recommendation is the leeward (furthest away from the winds) side. The reasoning behind this is the many deaths/injuries incurred from blocks, building materials falling down upon people taking shelter in the corner nearest the oncoming winds, where on the leeward side, the winds tend to carry building debris up and away from that area.

Most tornado myths were started back in the day when there was no media. Remember, even Benjamin Franklin followed a small vortex on horseback, cracking his whip at it, thinking it would cause dissipation. That Ben was into Extreme Sports way before his time!


I do agree with that that the tornado will take care of the windows for you you just have to be careful that when the windows get taken care of from the tornado that the glass does not take care of you as well!That whole thinh with ben franklin chasing the tornado on horseback that just proves he was the first geniration of Storm Chasers!

how a bout the myths about tornados not crossing cities,water or mountains? last year during the super tuesday outbreak the atkins,ar tornado blw right by me(literally). this tornado stayed on the ground for over 120 miles,crossed multiple rivers,a couple cities,and probably the most significant mountain range in arkansas.i still believe this was either a strong ef-4 or weak ef-5.i feel as though this was a very significant twister as far as proving myths go.

also,may 2nd of last year another tornado blew right by me in damascus,ar. rated as an ef-3,this tornado also travesed over mountains and was 1/2 mile wide when it crossed us hwy 65.