Should You Open Your Windows During A Tornado

Instead of worrying about air pressure, focus on physical protection. The National Weather Service and FEMA recommend the following:

In the past, some people believed that opening windows during a tornado would help equalize the air pressure inside and outside your home, thereby reducing the likelihood of your roof being torn off or your windows shattering. The idea was that if the pressure inside and outside your home was the same, the force of the wind would be less likely to cause damage. should you open your windows during a tornado

It sounds logical in a physics-class sort of way. However, meteorologists, structural engineers, and emergency management agencies are unanimous in their verdict: Instead of worrying about air pressure, focus on

To understand why the advice is wrong, we first need to understand the myth itself. The logic is based on the barometric pressure drop associated with tornadoes. Tornadoes are areas of intensely low pressure. As a tornado passes over a sealed house, the theory posits that the pressure inside the home remains high while the pressure outside drops drastically. This pressure differential creates an outward push on the walls and roof, theoretically causing the structure to "explode" outward. It sounds logical in a physics-class sort of way

The idea of opening windows to save a house from exploding is an atmospheric urban legend. It fails to account for the violent mechanics of wind damage and internal pressurization. By keeping your windows closed, you maintain the structural integrity of your home's envelope for as long as possible. More importantly, by ignoring this myth, you save the only thing that truly matters in that moment: the time you need to get yourself and your family to safety.

For decades, a persistent piece of folk wisdom has clung to tornado safety lore: the idea that opening your windows before a tornado strikes will equalize air pressure between the inside and outside of your home, preventing the structure from exploding. This advice, often passed down through generations, seems logical on the surface. If a tornado is a vortex of extremely low pressure, then allowing that low pressure to enter the house should prevent a catastrophic pressure difference, much like opening a car window on a hot day to let air circulate. However, this seemingly intuitive advice is not only incorrect but dangerously misleading. The overwhelming consensus among meteorologists, engineers, and emergency management agencies, including the National Weather Service and FEMA, is clear: you should never open your windows during a tornado. Instead, you should immediately seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor, and leave your windows firmly closed.