Spring is tornado season, so let’s take a look at a few twister myths and how the truth about them can keep you safe.

The first myth is that spring is tornado season! While it’s true more than half of those in the Northern Hemisphere do occur in April and May, they can occur in any month of the year.

It’s also a myth that tornadoes never strike the same place twice. Some places have had three in one day. Others have had one on the same day in three consecutive years.

It’s a myth that tornadoes won’t cross bodies of water or form in mountains or cities. While that’s less likely, they’ve hit several urban areas in the southern U.S. and jumped over the Mississippi River.

It’s a myth that you can outdrive a tornado in your car. Tornadoes can travel 60 miles an hour or more and move unpredictably. Your car could be picked up by one of them.

Parking under a bridge or overpass could actually be more dangerous because those structures can channel and intensify the wind and debris.

If a tornado is coming toward your car, the safest thing to do is get out, move away and find shelter in a ditch, or lying face down in a flat field.

Another myth is that air pressure will explode a house’s windows outward. It’s actually flying debris carried by the wind that’s the most dangerous part of a twister—and that’s what breaks windows.

So don’t worry about opening them; that’s precious time you could use taking shelter.

You can find more tips to stay safe during a tornado on EarthDate.