How to drive safely in any kind of severe weather

Meteorologist Tony Laubach offers tips on how to drive safely when tornadoes, high winds, hail or flooding threaten your drive.

Transcript

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]