We're staying in Northern Florida at Suwannee River State Park. This afternoon there is a "High Risk" for tornadoes. We were camped in the campground in the trees in a class A. The trees are 60 feet tall pines and are blowing all over the place. We had a large branch come down and just miss the back of the RV yesterday. I felt uncomfortable under all those pines with the current winds and they're forecast to get stronger later today. Sooo,,, we moved the RV up to a parking lot on the way out of the park. Left or hoses and cargo trailer there. We're in a "day use" area but it's an empty paved parking lot. There must be 100 spaces. It's us and one van so come on down there's room!!! We're parked now out from under the large pine trees. Well.... a campground volunteer came by and told us we'd have to move. She wants us back under 60 foot pine trees in high winds. Rules are rules but I don't feel safe there. The volunteer said that they were all "taking the same risk". She had the Park Ranger stop by and when were told her we were not spending the night (in their "day use" area) she didn't argue much (I wasn't moving anyway) it would take handcuffs. It's stupid to be in those pines. Looks like when these kind of storms are forecast, they wouldn't get their panties in such a wad and would allow people to park in a safer location. Right now the winds are 20 MPH and you can hear branches cracking and falling and we're in a Styrofoam box. Tonight they'll make us move back into the pines. There's a gate to this place and nobody can get in after they close the gate at 6PM. I'd rather stay here away from the trees all night because of the winds. Nobody can get to this lot anyway. They'll make us move!

My experience is that they get so many tornado warnings they ignore them.

If you don't feel comfortable, don't move to a dangerous area. If they get too bad at hassling you, leave and go park at WalMart. Looking at the weather, it looks like by this evening it will have passed your area. The reports now indicate that about 15 have been killed by these storms. Stay safe.

rgatijnet1 wrote:If you don't feel comfortable, don't move to a dangerous area. If they get too bad at hassling you, leave and go park at WalMart. Looking at the weather, it looks like by this evening it will have passed your area. The reports now indicate that about 15 have been killed by these storms. Stay safe.We're stuck with high winds today thru tomorrow then it moves out. I'd like to just stay parked here out of the big trees. There's us and three cars in this big parking lot. You could park another 75 cars here in the empty spaces. I tried to call the Florida State parks office but it's Sunday so guess what. They're closed.

We left Ft Clinch State Park in northern eastern Florida just below the GA line yesterday instead of today to head south to a less risky area. Today we're at Lake Griffin State Park near The Villages, and the warnings here put us in the "Moderate Risk" for tornadoes region. There's a lot of trees here, but not many really big ones, so we'll hope for the best. A volunteer came by a few minutes ago making sure everyone was aware of the warnings and where the shelters are if needed.

Better off safe! If that camp host is on a power trip, the worst thing that can happen is law enforcement comes and will eject you from the park, maybe a ticket for not following instructions of the camp host. That's a lot better and less expensive than damage to your rig, injury or worse.If they make it a big deal, like trespass or ban from the park system, call up a local TV station and the State will quickly change it's tune. If it comes to it, remember to keep your temper and tongue in check when talking to anyone and record everything.

Tornado Warning | Good Sam Community

cmcdar
Explorer
Jan 28, 2017
wannavolnteerFT,

I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this in your town.
wannavolunteerF
Explorer
Jan 28, 2017
cmcdar wrote:
here you go...

CMCDAR thanks for the link... I was just so overwhelmed by seeing the devastation that I couldn't think clearly to do some type link or look at the pictures anymore.

My place of employment was hit and I have had to go through some of these areas and it is just heartbreaking.
Georgia_Popcorn
Explorer
Jan 28, 2017
We left Mirimar Beach on Monday on Jan 23, Monday this week, there was us and another guy, both driving 30' THOR's (one Hurricane and one Windsport) and coming across the "big bridge" on Hwy 331 going toward Defuniak Springs, Monday AM about 6:30, I truely thought the wind was going to blow us off the highway, I didn't say anything to the DW, but honestly, I thought we were goner's!!!!!!!!!! It was all I could do to keep it straight, the cross wind was horrendous!
cmcdar
Explorer
Jan 27, 2017
DutchmenSport wrote:
rockhillmanor wrote:
cmcdar wrote:
...NOTE: We were the ONLY campers in the shelter/restrooms. I am not sure what goes on in other peoples heads but sitting in a camper in high winds, hail, T Storms, Tornado Watches/Warnings, is not for me. - to each his own.

Kinda funny but could have been real deadly.

Approaching tornado at Tom Sawyers CG. I moved my MH off the river bank immediately. Didn't want to be upside down in my MH floating down the great Mississippi when it hit!

I went to the back of the CG and saw a TT with the truck still attached to it. Wife and hubby outside of it arguing about whether to go to the storm shelter or not.

Hubby goes back into TT and slams the door. Incredible winds start and I watched in total disbelief when his wife disconnects the truck from the TT and heads on down to the shelter.

That storm hit and in a nano second it flipped that TT right over!! We got the guy out and he was ok. he thought the tornado got his truck....no one wanted to tell him his DW took it. :C

If it wasn't so sad, that really is a funny story! As a written story it very funny, and almost poetic justice! But I know in real life it was horrible for this family.

Still, it made me smile!

Fortunately, all survived and hopefully a lesson was learned. It could have ended tragically as did the basically minor rv accident where the father was killed because he refused to where a seatbelt.

Foolish pride can be deadly.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Jan 27, 2017
rockhillmanor wrote:
cmcdar wrote:
...NOTE: We were the ONLY campers in the shelter/restrooms. I am not sure what goes on in other peoples heads but sitting in a camper in high winds, hail, T Storms, Tornado Watches/Warnings, is not for me. - to each his own.

Kinda funny but could have been real deadly.

Approaching tornado at Tom Sawyers CG. I moved my MH off the river bank immediately. Didn't want to be upside down in my MH floating down the great Mississippi when it hit!

I went to the back of the CG and saw a TT with the truck still attached to it. Wife and hubby outside of it arguing about whether to go to the storm shelter or not.

Hubby goes back into TT and slams the door. Incredible winds start and I watched in total disbelief when his wife disconnects the truck from the TT and heads on down to the shelter.

That storm hit and in a nano second it flipped that TT right over!! We got the guy out and he was ok. he thought the tornado got his truck....no one wanted to tell him his DW took it. :C

If it wasn't so sad, that really is a funny story! As a written story it very funny, and almost poetic justice! But I know in real life it was horrible for this family.

Still, it made me smile!
cmcdar
Explorer
Jan 27, 2017
here you go...

Albany Georgia Tornado Damage Photos
wannavolunteerF
Explorer
Jan 27, 2017
additional info... just a few minutes after I posted to get out of the RV if you have a warning. Our tornado warning went off. EF3 tornado tore through sections of the county including completely wiping out two mobile home parks and numerous homes and businesses. some one mentioned the storm damage they saw on I75, that was some of it. I looked for a good picture to show, but can't come up with one. try looking at www.albanyherald.com for pictures. Numerous people have been out of work for days, because our places of employment were hit. When you see pictures of the houses and mobile homes (that in GA must be tied down with hurricane straps) blown to bits where you can't even recognize that it was a home, you realize there is no way to live through a direct hit on an RV, so you definitely should get out. Heartbroken over two tornadoes hitting our town in 20 days.
TNGW1500SE
Explorer
Jan 26, 2017
UPDATE: Talked to a Craig at the Florida State Parks. He told me that the volunteer was wrong. That the Ranger there was just "filling in" and she was wrong as well. We should not have been told to go back under those large trees if we felt unsafe there. He said that we could have stayed in the day use area overnight (during the storms) if we felt safer there. He assured me he would review the rules with the staff and volunteers.

PS: We had no problem with the camp hosts there. They were very nice people.

PSS: From now on we will be asking campsites about large trees (before booking) if the weather forecast is calling for high winds during our stay.
TNGW1500SE
Explorer
Jan 26, 2017
rockhillmanor wrote:
.......no one wanted to tell him his DW took it......

LOL!
rockhillmanor
Explorer
Jan 26, 2017
cmcdar wrote:
...NOTE: We were the ONLY campers in the shelter/restrooms. I am not sure what goes on in other peoples heads but sitting in a camper in high winds, hail, T Storms, Tornado Watches/Warnings, is not for me. - to each his own.

Kinda funny but could have been real deadly.

Approaching tornado at Tom Sawyers CG. I moved my MH off the river bank immediately. Didn't want to be upside down in my MH floating down the great Mississippi when it hit!

I went to the back of the CG and saw a TT with the truck still attached to it. Wife and hubby outside of it arguing about whether to go to the storm shelter or not.

Hubby goes back into TT and slams the door. Incredible winds start and I watched in total disbelief when his wife disconnects the truck from the TT and heads on down to the shelter.

That storm hit and in a nano second it flipped that TT right over!! We got the guy out and he was ok. he thought the tornado got his truck....no one wanted to tell him his DW took it. :C

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