Gridlock Guy: Study shows staying in your car during a tornado may be safest

The recent rash of deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma had me wondering where in the country I would need to move to be safe from tornadoes.

According to research done by Tulane University, from 1950-2006, eight states had no tornado related deaths including California, Nevada, Vermont and New Hampshire. During this time, tornadoes have been reported in 49 of the 50 United States, with Alaska being the only state without tornado activity.

The state that lost the most lives due to tornadoes was Texas with 527 fatalities. Georgia ranks 13th on the list with 162 deaths.

Okay, so I’m probably not going to move to Alaska, and I feel my brick home is a reasonably safe refuge if a tornado hits Atlanta. My biggest fear remains, what should I do if I’m in my car during a tornado?

I have always been told to get out of my car during a tornado, that being in a car in such a violent storm is a huge mistake. I’m not going to lie to you; if caught in a tornado, I would have second thoughts about fleeing my car unless there was a stable building nearby. I decided to do some research on the subject.

Most sources still recommend getting out of your vehicle if a tornado approaches.

I did, however, find one scientific study that might change the way people view this situation in the future. Conducted in 2002 by Kent State University, Wichita State University and Boyce Thompson Institute, the research was used to determine the “safety and stability of stationary motor vehicles exposed to severe winds.”

Data was used from 291 vehicles exposed to tornadoes, two “storm-chasing” vehicles and a wind tunnel used to see how high wind speeds effected both sedans and mini-vans. The findings were quite interesting.

Cars exposed to F-1 or F-2 (73-157 mph winds) tornadoes were not moved by the high winds 72 percent of the time. Ninety-six percent of the cars exposed to F-1 and F-2 winds did not tip over. That means in an F-1 or F-2 tornado there is a 4 percent chance that your car could tip over.

The higher the wind speeds, the greater chance of car movement. Cars exposed during F-3 and F-4 ( 155-260 mph winds) tornadoes were “moved” 50 percent of the time and tipped over 18 percent of the time.

The study concluded that: “Although an underground shelter or sturdy building offer the best protection from severe winds, it is found that a vehicle may be a relatively stable place and may be safer than a mobile home or the outdoors. These findings may warrant changes to public recommendations made during tornado warnings and other severe storm situations.”

Now, I’m not saying that you should definitely stay in your car when a tornado is approaching, but it may be your best bet if you can’t find a permanent structure of low-lying area to take cover.