Severe Weather Approaching ?

[Mike_Taverniti]

What do you do if CG does not have shelter. Fill all tanks for weight ? pull in all slides ? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

[Caveman_Charlie]

camperpaul wrote:
Illinois Beach SP has two of these buildings:

Two foot thick steel reinforced concrete walls and roof.

Not exactly all the comforts of home but there are flush toilets.

See , for some reason I can't fathom the tornado shelters in the parks around here have the thick concrete walls, but the roof is just made out of regular wood. Not attached all that well either. It looks as thought they want the roof to get sucked off in a tornado for some reason.

[Thunder_Mountai]

Lots of good comments here. It all boils down to situational awareness. Between the Internet and television you know at least 24-48 ahead of time that there is a chance of severe weather. You can adjust you schedule accordingly to not be at the wrong place and the wrong time. For us in Colorado, we're usually trying to avoid the ice and snow.

The topic of what to do in case of severe weather kind of reminds me of the instructions they gave us as kids in case of nuclear attack. Didn't really matter 'cause you are going to die anyway.

[D___M]

sowego wrote:
ok, sorry, computer said it didn't post the message when it actually did...so I reclicked...sorry

There seems to be some kind of glitch that is causing posts to be included, but not giving the poster that message.

[sowego]

ok, sorry, computer said it didn't post the message when it actually did...so I reclicked...sorry

[sowego]

When checking in at a campground ask if there is a storm shelter on site or the location of the nearest one. When a watch goes out...start putting yourself into alert mode watching the sky and listening to a local radio station, and prepping in case the watch suddenly goes to a warning (disconnect from power, cable TV and water, pull in slides, stow all outside items and decide what you will do if the watch turns into a warning). You can never know how long to wait. I'd not take the RV out unless you have many hours of time to respond. But with some of the huge storms we've had...you cannot really tell how far to go or in which direction. Just be prepared to leave your RV, take a "to go" bag and bug out to safety.

Out on the road have a plan...have a weather radio on 24/7, keep an atlas at the ready so if a watch or warning goes out you can tell where the county is they are talking in relation to where you are and in an alert...know where you are & the area you are traveling in to. Be prepared to pull off at any shelter you can find before conditions deteriorate. Waiting out a bad storm in a Truck Stop is much better than being out on the road in the open. We also turn the computer on and using an air card connect to the Internet to see weather maps on NOAA, Weather Nation TV or The Weather Channel. (You can also do this using a smart phone or Ipad). Never try to park you rig under an overpass. In the past some folks recommended sheltering in overpasses but experts have now concluded it is more dangerous because winds can actually accelerate through an overpass not give shelter.


We've traveled with a weather radio turned on 24/7 and been in tornado alley during a tornado outbreak. The weather radio went off with a warning in the Topeka area where we were. We saw the storm shelter right across from us but after watching what other campers did, which was nothing...we stayed in the MH. That was when we realized we had no idea exactly where we were in relation to where the storm was because the warnings go out by county and local landmarks, something out of towners don't know about.

We all love our rigs but when it comes right down to it...save yourself and your family 1st!

[D___M]

Watch which way the campground owner is running and follow him!

[noe-place]

With no notice I'd head for the concrete/block bath house. With enough notice I'd probably drive away from it. If I didn't have time to leave and there was no strong shelter, pull in the slides disconnect electric line, grab any lose gear and hunker down. We got caught in a huge storm that hit at night in Gatlinburg a few years ago. It took down several trees, caused structural damage and killed a couple of people. We didn't get any notice so we rode it out but I sat up all night because the wind blew the MH back and forth so hard I wasn't sure we were going to be there at sunrise.

[camperpaul]

Illinois Beach SP has two of these buildings:

Two foot thick steel reinforced concrete walls and roof.

Not exactly all the comforts of home but there are flush toilets.

[Monaco_Montclai]

Well waz camp hosting one time , a big storm came up, couldn't even leave the park , trees were everywhere and across the road . Wow , staff and crews worked all nite. Now it's all happy-camping

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Peg Leg wrote:
I'd roll up the awning pick up the chairs and any loose items. Then I'd watch the sky. Having done some spotting with SKYWARN for the National Weather Service I know some things to watch for. Local radar, and a scanner would be on.

Where you gonna run to?

Sooooo where you gonna run to.....?

Could have added this to the Wichita Falls Tornado about Sheppard AFB:

F-5 on the Fujita Scale. Seven dead, 100 injured.
(Since 2007 the Scale is the "Enhanced Fujita Scale "EF-").

*live* TV tornado coverage
Serious - but sometimes funny stuff - check the little window VW and other "period" vehicles, the "Calamity Janes", LEOs with cigars, etc.

LOTS of room in Texas. Sheppard AFB was a HUGE place, Training & SAC Base. IMO the active and in-active runways, taxiways, and A/C parking area would be best described in miles - rather than acres.

Close in - on the edge of the housing areas, there were classroom buildings. That's were you went *if* you were in the housing areas.
Walk (or run) a couple of city blocks.

WAY, way out on those flat, cement aircraft areas - there were old (WWII vintage) hangars that originally were a metal frame with lots of windows all the way around.
Sometime later, the windows were removed - the metal frames remained.
(Newer versions had modern buildings built *inside* the old hangars.) The rumor was the AF couldn't get money for new construction.
Solved that in typical govt style, by building new *inside* the old - sort of a "remodel" - old hanger over/around a new building.

Anyway - cut to the chase:
Lots of 'classes' on-going *WAY*, way out on the flight line on/in stationary (no longer flyable) A/C there.

Where to run to?

The folks 'caught' in that situation would go to the (old) empty metal framed hangars (they were the closest), sit on the floor and link arms.
In the new bldgs, you sat in the hallway between classrooms and did the same.

The guys out on the flight line "boondocks" had a harrowing experience in the old hangars!!.

When the tornado passed through - they 'levitated' off the ground!!
They all told the same story - some thought it was for several seconds, some said 20-30 seconds to a minute.

Floaters?..:@


~

[dspencer]

Peg Leg wrote:
I'd roll up the awning pick up the chairs and any loose items. Then I'd watch the sky. Having done some spotting with SKYWARN for the National Weather Service I know some things to watch for. Local radar, and a scanner would be on.

Where you gonna run to? Out on the road is one place I don't want to be.

I'm with Peg Leg, I would never try and get out on the road. It's way too dangerous out there pulling that big box. Most campgrounds has some kind of storm protection. Most that I have stayed in is the bathrooms.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Crowe wrote:
How severe? Bad T-storms? Tornadoes? Hurricane? For t-storms that may have heavy winds, pulling in your slides does help stabilize. Tow vehicle/toad is probably safer if you have one. Tornadoes-lowest point possible. Head into interior of bath houses or other buildings, preferably made of cement or brick. Hurricanes-evacuate.

Rule #1: Keep a battery operated weather radio handy. You may have a TV in the unit but if the power goes out it's useless.
Rule #2: Know what county you are in. Severe weather reports are given by county.
Rule #3: Be safe, not stupid. Accept that quite often when it's man vs. mother nature, man loses.

Campgrounds and "Designated Shelters" - NOT!

Was in large campground in Rapid City, SD.

NO "designated shelter".
NO directions, suggestions or signage for any such thing.

Some severe weather moved in - my (our) personal choice for "designated shelter" was the restroom/s which had cinder block walls.
Fortunately, didn't get to that point.

BTW - my "Weather Spotters Class" was first hand, up-close and personal at Sheppard AFB for the Wichita Falls, TX tornado in 1964.

Once you've heard the "freight train", and experienced the devastation
(death & destruction).....you *are* a believer!..:W

I'll take CA EQs anytime!

~

[Caveman_Charlie]

All my local campgrounds have a tornado shelter. It's the bathroom, it's always built out of cement or blocks. I think it's a law in MN.

[wa8yxm]

Take a Weather Spotters CLASS now.. they teach you what to do if no shelter.

Seriously, I think campgrounds are required to have designated shelters.. Often the restrooms.. I know that is where I was told to go if it got hairy here.

If you are in Tornado or himicane country ask when you register, do not assume,, And keep a weather-all hazards radio operating (At least in standby) mine has gone off several times so far this spring,,, Since it is in travel mode where I am parked I get alerts affecting like 4 different states, Some have come as close as 20 miles to where I was parked, but none closer (Thankfully) but I can tell you that those radios are credited with saving many lives since their invention.

Short story: Factory, I think in Ohio, had one.. It went off, they closed down operations and retired to the storm celler.... Storm passed, the all clear sounded, they came back "Topside" and found... Nothing.

NO factory, No machines, No cars in the parking lot (Though there was one big block chevy engine,,, just no car or truck surrounding it) I mean nothing.

Total dead or injured at that factory: ZERO.. insurance rebuilt, bank account kept the employes paid (Slightly reduced but enough to keep their bills paid) and they are back in operation... With a brand new weather radio.