science

Overpass myth

Overpass myth is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Overpass myth rather than just read about it. In short: The overpass myth, also known as the tornado overpass myth, refers to a common misconception that overpasses, usually located on highways, are a safe location to take shelter during a tornado. The myth gained mainstream attention in 1991 and has been responsible for numerous deaths as a result of tornadoes, notably during the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado.

Key takeaways

Overpass myth belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Overpass myth to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Overpass myth from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The overpass myth, also known as the tornado overpass myth, refers to a common misconception that overpasses, usually located on highways, are a safe location to take shelter during a tornado. The myth gained mainstream attention in 1991 and has been responsible for numerous deaths as a result of tornadoes, notably during the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado.

History The myth first gained mainstream attention in 1991, when a video of a news crew sheltering under a Kansas Turnpike overpass during an F2 tornado was spread across the United States, being watched by millions of people during newscasts and other television outlets. The video led many viewers to believe that overpasses were safe places to take shelter during tornadoes. The news crew survived with only minor injuries, further leading people to believe the myth. In May 1997, several drivers and videographers took shelter under a highway overpass to avoid a deadly F5 tornado that hit Jarrell, Texas; the overpass narrowly avoided being struck. One of the deadliest instances of the overpass myth being followed occurred on May 3, 1999, when two people were killed and over a dozen more were injured while sheltering under several overpasses from a violent tornado near Moore, Oklahoma. As a result, the myth was addressed by the National Weather Service at that year's National Weather Association Annual Meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. In a February 2024 publication of First Coast News, Dr. Harold Brooks with the National Weather Service stated in an interview with the channel that "Going under an overpass is just not a good idea for tornado safety. What we really want to think about with what makes something safe in a tornado is we're worried about horizontal winds, and we're not so much worried about debris falling on top of you but worried about stuff blowing sideways at you".

Hazards

Several meteorologists have advocated that overpasses are insufficient shelter from tornado winds and debris, and may be among the worst places to take refuge during a violent tornado. The embankment under an overpass is higher than the surrounding terrain, and the wind speed increases with height. Additionally, the overpass design may create a wind tunnel effect under the span, further increasing the wind speed. Many overpasses are completely exposed underneath and most lack hanging girders or a crawlspace-like area to provide sufficient protection from debris, which can travel at high speeds even in weak tornadoes. People stopping underneath overpasses may also block the flow of traffic, putting others in danger. Dangers involving overpasses during tornado events include flying debris impaling people taking shelter under overpasses, people being blown out from under the overpass, a structural failure of the overpass itself and other non-deadly hazards, including stopped vehicles under overpasses making it difficult for emergency vehicles to reach a tornado disaster site.

Depiction in media The myth is referenced in the 2024 movie Twisters, when the main characters take shelter under an overpass at the beginning of the movie, resulting in the deaths of several people.

See also List of common misconceptions Tornado myths

References

Sources Meyer, D.M.L. (2021). "Tornado-strength winds interacting with a highway overpass". University of Rhode Island. Retrieved February 27, 2025.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Overpass myth

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Overpass myth claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Overpass myth before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Overpass myth ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Overpass myth

In research: Overpass myth appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Overpass myth in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Overpass myth is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Misconceptions, Myths, Tornado, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Overpass myth outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Overpass myth in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Overpass myth means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Overpass myth out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Overpass myth in simple terms?

Why does Overpass myth matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Overpass myth?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Overpass myth.