The Opening-the-Windows Myth

This morning, we received a question from Laura that revisits a very common misconception about tornadoes and tornado safety.

I am wondering if I was correct in opening my front & back windows an inch or so, before I left for work, to prepare for today’s bad weather.

I have a German shepherd who has quite a problem with storms, and I thought that by opening the windows, it might equalize the pressure. And I seem to remember that opening your windows an inch was a good thing to prepare for a tornado. (I was in the Palm Sunday tornado in Radnor, Ohio, in 1965, as a child).

Thanks for your question, Laura. The idea of opening windows to "equalize the pressure" in your house is a myth. Unfortunately, it's a myth that was drilled into many of our young minds during elementary-school tornado drills. The kids nearest the windows were supposed to open them, then join the rest of us in the tornado shelter as quickly as possible. In reality, opening the windows doesn't do anything but let the rain in.

The barometric pressure at the very center of a tornado may, indeed, be very low but the pressure surrounding the funnel is the roughly the same as the rest of the region. If your house is close enough to the center of the tornado to experience a drop in the barometric pressure, the tornado is already in your living room and the windows have already been blown out.

For dogs that are afraid of storms, many trainers recommend conditioning and crate training. A crate becomes a dog's "safe space." You can even drape thick cloth around three sides to make it cave-like and create a den. The dog can retreat to the crate to feel more protected and relieve some anxiety. (My dogs are comfortable enough in their crates that they sometimes sleep in there with the doors open.)

Here's a great article from USA Today about how to help your dog deal with storms:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2010-06-10-vetviews11_ST_N.htm

Good luck with today's storms. We'll have complete coverage on NBC 4 at Midday, 5pm, 6pm and 11pm. We'll also cut in to regular programming whenever necessary to keep you up to date on the storms' progress.