You’ve seen the video. It’s grainy, 1991-era footage from the Kansas Turnpike. A family scrambles up an embankment, huddles under the girders of an overpass, and watches as a tornado whistles right over them. They survived. Because of that one clip, a generation of drivers grew up believing that a bridge is a magical shield against a vortex.
It isn't.
In fact, seeking shelter under a bridge is one of the most dangerous things you can do when a storm turns violent. If you're wondering are overpasses bad in tornadoes, the short answer is a definitive, terrifying yes. They aren't just "not great" shelters; they are active death traps that can turn a survivable situation into a fatal one in seconds.
The Wind Tunnel Effect: Physics Doesn't Care About Your Hiding Spot
Most people think of an overpass as a sturdy concrete bunker. It looks solid. It feels safe. But when a tornado approaches, the physics of the structure change entirely.
Think about a garden hose. When you put your thumb over the end, the water doesn't just stop; it shoots out faster. That's the Venturi effect. When a tornado's winds hit the narrow opening underneath a bridge, the air is forced through a smaller space. This actually increases the wind speed. You aren't just facing the tornado's wind; you're facing an accelerated, concentrated blast that can easily exceed 200 mph.
Bridges also don't have walls.
The wind doesn't just blow past; it creates incredible suction. Meteorologists like Reed Timmer and experts from the National Weather Service (NWS) have spent decades trying to debunk the "bridge myth" because they've seen the aftermath. When the wind whistles through those girders, it can literally vacuum people out from their hiding spots. You cannot hold on. No human has the grip strength to stay anchored when an EF4 or EF5 is trying to pull them into the sky.
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The 1999 Oklahoma City Disaster Changed Everything
If the 1991 video gave people a false sense of security, May 3, 1999, ripped it away. During the massive Bridge Creek-Moore tornado outbreak, dozens of people sought shelter under overpasses.
It was a bloodbath.
At the Shields Boulevard overpass and several others along I-44, the results were horrific. People weren't just blown away; they were pelted by high-speed debris. One woman was killed when the winds pulled her from the girders. Others suffered "de-gloving" injuries and massive trauma from the gravel and metal shards flying through the tunnel.
The NWS subsequently released a blunt assessment: overpasses offer zero protection from flying debris. And in a tornado, it’s rarely the wind that kills you directly—it’s the 2x4 through the chest or the shower of shattered glass traveling at the speed of a bullet. Under a bridge, you are standing in a gallery of shrapnel with no nowhere to duck.
Why the 1991 video was a fluke
The family in that famous Kansas video survived for a few specific reasons that likely won't apply to you.
- The tornado was relatively weak at that specific moment.
- The bridge had a very specific girder design that allowed them to wedge themselves deep into a pocket.
- They got lucky.
Luck isn't a safety strategy. Most modern overpasses are smooth underneath or have "spill through" abutments that offer no place to tuck away. You’re basically standing on a slide.
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Traffic Jams and the Secondary Danger
There is another reason why are overpasses bad in tornadoes is a question with a "yes" answer that involves more than just wind.
Human behavior.
When drivers see a storm, they panic. They park their cars under the bridge, often blocking all lanes of traffic. This creates a massive "sitting duck" situation. If the tornado hits that line of cars, the vehicles become 4,000-pound projectiles. Even worse, by blocking the highway, those drivers prevent others from escaping the path of the storm. Emergency vehicles can't get through. People who might have been able to drive out of the "hook echo" are now trapped because someone else wanted to save their paint job from hail.
Honestly, it’s a mess.
If you're on the highway and a tornado is coming, your car is a bad place to be, but a bridge is worse. If you block the road, you are endangering dozens of lives, not just your own.
What You Should Actually Do Instead
So, if the bridge is out, what's left?
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If the tornado is visible and far away, and traffic is moving, the best move is often to drive at a 90-degree angle away from the storm's path. Tornadoes generally move from southwest to northeast, but don't bet your life on it. If you can get to a sturdy building—a gas station, a fast-food joint, anything with a foundation—do it.
But what if you're stuck? What if the debris is already hitting your windshield?
- Stay in the car (Maybe): If there is no lower ground nearby, stay in your car with your seatbelt buckled. Lean down below the window line and cover your head with a coat or blanket. It’s not ideal, but the frame of the car provides some protection from smaller debris.
- The Ditch Method: This sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s often the safest bet. Find a ditch or a low spot in the ground away from the road (and away from your car, which could roll onto you). Lay flat, face down, and cover the back of your head with your hands.
- Avoid Trees: Don't hide under trees. They fall. They lose branches. They are lightning magnets.
Being in a ditch sucks. You’ll get wet. You might get muddy. But you are below the main force of the wind and the "shrapnel zone." In a ditch, the wind blows over you. Under a bridge, the wind blows through you.
The Reality of Structural Failure
We also need to talk about the bridges themselves. While it's rare for a modern highway overpass to collapse entirely, it isn't impossible. Tornadoes can exert incredible upward pressure. If a bridge has any structural weaknesses, the "uplift" from a major vortex can shift the spans. You don't want to be underneath tons of concrete that is vibrating at a frequency it wasn't designed to handle.
Moreover, the area around the bridge—the embankments—are often covered in loose rocks or rip-rap used for erosion control. In a tornado, these rocks become a swarm of stones.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Trip
Nobody plans to get caught in a tornado on a highway, but it happens. Especially in "Tornado Alley" or the "Dixie Alley" regions of the U.S.
- Monitor the Sky, Not Just the Map: Use an app like RadarScope or even just a basic weather radio. If a Tornado Warning is issued for the county you are entering, stop at the next exit and find a solid building. Don't try to "beat it."
- Know Your Location: On a highway, you are just a mile marker. If you hear a warning on the radio, do you know what mile marker you are at? Keep an eye on those green signs so you can tell where the danger is relative to your bumper.
- Keep a "Go Bag": Keep a heavy blanket or a thick jacket in the backseat. If you have to bail into a ditch, that padding can save you from a lot of lacerations.
The bottom line is that the "overpass shelter" is a deadly myth. It’s a piece of 90s folklore that refuses to die because it looks like it should work. But it doesn't. Physics is a cruel teacher, and the Venturi effect doesn't care about how many times that Kansas video has been shared on social media.
Forget the bridge. Find a building or find a ditch. Stay low, stay covered, and never, ever park your car in the middle of a highway to hide under an overpass.