But does this advice hold up to modern meteorological science? The short answer is . Not only is it ineffective, but it is dangerously counterproductive. The Origin of the Myth The belief likely stems from observations of tornado damage in the early 20th century. Survivors would see homes with collapsed walls and blown-out windows and assume the internal pressure had caused the explosion. In reality, the windows were almost certainly blown inward by the tornado’s extreme winds, and the walls failed from external wind pressure, not internal expansion.
It sounds logical. A tornado is a violently rotating column of air with extremely low pressure at its center. The idea is that if this low pressure passes directly over your home, the higher pressure inside will push the walls outward, causing the house to “explode.” Opening a window, the theory goes, allows the pressures to balance, saving the structure. do you open your windows during a tornado
For generations, a piece of folk wisdom has lingered in the back of many Americans’ minds: “When a tornado approaches, open the windows to equalize the pressure. It will prevent your house from exploding.” But does this advice hold up to modern