Minnesota Tornado Myths Your Grandparents Probably Still Believe

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- There are many myths and legends about weather in Minnesota, and tornadoes have some of the strangest. From why certain cities don't get hit by tornadoes to what you should do during them.

Little Falls' myth about Chief Hole in the Day is a popular local legend.

Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay says the myth about tornadoes not hitting large cities is one that is just not true, along with one about water:

"There's the other one that tornadoes won't cross rivers, and of course, if you know your history, the St. Cloud tornado, it hit St. Cloud, then it hit Sauk Rapids even harder, so it just went right across the river, knocked over the bridge on its path going across the Mississippi. It's pretty good, pretty good value there too, so it just didn't care."

Boulay says most legends and myths are not based on any factual weather phenomenon but came about more from how tornadoes move and how big Minnesota is. He says movies like Twister also contribute to some of the tall tales.

1880s, research by John Park Finley thought tornadoes didn't hit north of St. Cloud.

Many of the things we used to do for tornado safety, like going to the southwest corner of a building or getting out of your car and running into a ditch, have become state folklore as well. Boulay says the myth about opening your home's windows was actually dangerous:

"People used to think your home would explode due to the pressure change of tornadoes going over it. It's a very bad thing to do. For one thing is you're putting yourself in harm's way closing windows, or I mean opening windows, and then if you do that you actually let the damaging winds inside your house and probably cause more damage, so it's better to keep your windows closed and seek shelter."

Boulay says another classic myth is that mobile homes attract tornadoes, which stems from the fact that they are more likely to be damaged because they are very vulnerable to the wind. He says the safest place during a tornado is a small reinforced room like a bathroom or a closet or in a basement.