Why a coffee run is one of the worst things to do during a tornado

For most people, coffee and work are like yin and yang—comforting, even. But for Tyler Hall, his morning cup of joe nearly cost him a lot more than a few bucks.

“I’ve only had this dash cam for maybe four or five months,” Hall said. “My sister got one, said it was a good deal, so I hopped on Amazon and got one too.”

That camera ended up recording much more than his daily commute.

Like most mornings, Hall left a little early for work and made his usual stop at Dunkin’ Donuts—just three minutes from his home in Owasso.

“I wanted to get my caffeine going because I had to get on I-169,” he said. “That requires some caffeinated attention.”

But Wednesday morning was different.

“It started sprinkling, and then I noticed quite a bit of lightning,” Hall said. “By the time I got to the drive-thru window, my phone started beeping with a tornado warning. Then I heard the sirens.”

Still, he took the drink, said thank you, and pulled away—unaware that both the Dunkin’ and the Braum’s parking lot he’d soon stop in were in the tornado’s direct path.

“It was coming down so hard, I couldn’t even drive anymore,” Hall recalled. “I pulled into Braum’s to try and shield the car, and I started seeing big debris flying. Not just cups—trees doubling over. That’s when I realized this was not a regular thunderstorm.”

Even in a place as tornado-prone as Oklahoma, Tyler says alerts like this still catch people off guard.

“You don't see a tornado warning every day,” he said. “You might go a whole year without getting one on your phone.”

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

News On 6 meteorologist Stephen Nehrenz says situations like this are exactly why people should always take weather alerts seriously—and make adjustments accordingly.

“That’s Oklahoma weather in a nutshell,” Nehrenz said. “We can go from rainy conditions to rough, severe weather in a heartbeat. Racing a storm is not something I’d ever advise.”

He urges drivers to delay hitting the road when warnings go out.

“Being a few extra minutes off your typical routine isn't going to hurt you in the long run,” Nehrenz said. “It’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

LESSONS LEARNED

After making it safely to work and back home, Tyler says he faced more than just wind and rain—his wife wasn’t thrilled either.

“She was pretty upset because I told her I was going to stop at Dunkin’ in Tulsa instead of Owasso,” he said. “Maybe I’ll just emphasize my coffee in the kitchen and go straight to work next time.”

And he’s got some advice for fellow drivers.

“When you hear a tornado warning, if you’re not already in the know, that’s your cue to get into a shelter,” Hall said. “Don’t try to drive around a tornado. It’s not possible. That storm was too fast.”

Tyler’s dashcam may have captured the storm, but his experience is the real warning.

In Oklahoma, coffee can wait — safety can’t.