MYTH: THE LARGER THE TORNADO, THE STRONGERFACT: A thin funnel cloud called a "rope" tornado might not look as devastating as some of the massive, computer-generated tornadoes seen in the movies, but don't be fooled. A tornado's size and shape does not signal its strength. Some rope tornadoes can wreak F5 levels of damage, whereas some extremely wide twisters - called "wedge" tornadoes - only reach F0, the weakest level on the Fujita Scale.

MYTH: OPENING WINDOWS WILL MINIMIZE DESTRUCTION

FACT: Although authorities once encouraged people to open windows to equalize air pressure, experts now say that doing so only lets in high-speed winds - and with it, the prospect of flying debris. Not only does opening windows have little significant effect on air pressure, it's also a waste of time.

MYTH: BRIDGES, OVERPASSES OFFER SAFE SHELTER FROM A TORNADOFACT: On April 26, 1991, a TV news crew hid from a weak tornado under a Kansas Turnpike overpass. They survived unharmed, filming the twister as it moved northeast. Millions saw the video, spawning the myth that the overpass is a shield. In fact, bridges cannot protect shelter-seekers from flying debris or high winds. Experts recommend getting indoors or, if that's impossible, lying flat in a low, remote place.

MYTH: EL NIÑO CAUSES TORNADOESFACT: The weather cycle El Niño, and its counter-phase La Niña, both stem from long-term sea surface temperature changes in the Pacific Ocean. Those temperature changes can affect weather patterns in the United States, but it is not proven that they directly cause tornado-causing thunderstorms.

/cnn.com/