Meteorologist Tony Laubach offers tips on how to drive safely when tornadoes, high winds, hail or flooding threaten your drive.
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00:00 [Tornado sounds]
00:03 Driving in severe weather should be avoided if possible,
00:06 but if you do encounter severe weather, it's best to get off the road and find shelter,
00:10 but that is not always an option.
00:12 Tornadoes are very dangerous to motorists.
00:15 If a tornado is in the area, drive to the closest shelter and take cover,
00:18 but if no shelter is available, pull over and get as low in the vehicle as possible,
00:23 covering your head, and as a last resort, leave the vehicle and lay flat in a nearby ditch.
00:28 [Thunder]
00:31 Severe thunderstorms can produce hail as big as baseballs,
00:33 and these chunks of ice can fall at over 100 miles per hour and shatter windshields.
00:38 If you encounter hail, find shelter under an awning or other structure,
00:42 but do not park under a highway overpass.
00:45 This can lead to traffic jams, block emergency vehicles, and leave other drivers at risk.
00:49 If no shelter is available, pull over and angle your car into the hail
00:53 so the windshield takes the brunt of the impact.
00:55 Cover your head and face to protect yourself from breaking glass.
00:58 Hail can be dangerous even after the storm,
01:01 accumulating on the roads and causing pockets of very dense fog.
01:04 Slow down as you make your way through.
01:06 [Thunder]
01:09 Straight-line winds can be dangerous, especially to high-profile and lighter vehicles.
01:14 High winds can also lead to blowing dust, lowering visibility to near zero.
01:17 Slow down, allow plenty of space, and if possible, get off the road and wait out the storm.
01:23 [Thunder]
01:25 Any storm can cause flooding on the roads.
01:27 Do not drive your vehicle into floodwaters.
01:29 Turn around, don't drown.
01:31 It only takes six inches of water to sweep you off your feet,
01:34 and only a foot of water can carry away most cars.
01:37 Two feet can overcome larger vehicles.
01:40 Floodwaters can hide other hazards, such as sinkholes or missing roadways.
01:44 [Thunder]
01:46 The best way to stay safe during severe weather is to not get caught in it.
01:50 Have the AccuWeather app handy and consider delaying your trip
01:53 if severe weather is threatening an area along your route.
01:56 For AccuWeather, I'm meteorologist Tony Laubach.
01:59 [BLANK_AUDIO]