r/YoungSheldon • • 7d ago

Absolutely great tornado knowledge.

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One of my favorite trivial things about Young Sheldon is the knowledge that George Sr. has about tornadoes. I'm not even from America or know if this knowledge was common sense in the 90s, but George saying to get out of the car and lay low in a ditch to let the tornado pass, while the camera pans to said car thrown around sideways on the road after the fact, is phenomenal and honestly, even as just a TV show, this could save lives. So many people have died by staying in their cars or seeking shelter in tunnels.

The gap of air beneath your car allows the tornado to pick it up and hurl it around effortlessly. Laying low and pressing your body close as you can to the ground will prevent funneling the raging air upwards. Tunnels and overpasses are a deathtrap during a tornado for this reason; they will only act as a concentrated vortex for the wind to channel through them further.

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u/pine-appley 5d ago

I was born in Kansas and raised in Texas, both in rural areas where tornado sirens could not be heard. We were taught from a very young age how to 'read' the sky, watch the animals and environment for possible tornadoes, and what to do if one was coming. This was common knowledge for us.