Tornado Safety

[DougE]

Sadly, it appears that several RVers were killed in Louisiana by a tornado while in their RV. What is a safe way to weather a storm?
I would think it would be obvious to shelter in a fixed structure in the campground. Otherwise wouldn't it be better to get in your tow vehicle or toad where you would be surrounded by steel? I would even consider idling the engine so the airbags were active. Thoughts?

[ol_Bombero-JC]

KatPalmertoyhauler wrote:
A few years ago friends of ours, in a very large new camper parked overnite on their way home from a gathering we had been at with them that week. Can't remember if they stopped to overnight in a Cabela's or a Campers World parking lot. Their camper was hitched to their heavy tow vehicle. While asleep the tornado sirens went off and he stood up from bed and that's all either of them can remember. Their camper was rolled many times and totally demolished, but somehow they both survived with just broken bones and cuts. It was the weight of their tow vehicle that keep their camper from flying off. There were a few other campers overnighting there too, but not everyone was so lucky. Luckily it was the edge winds that hit that parking lot which is why they are both alive. (someone in another camper died). They thought they lost their cat but the next day it came crawling out of their totally flattened camper. So even though the chances of ever being hit by a tornado is low, it could happen. Please use common sense and get inside a concrete building if possible. Don't stay inside a camper, they blow apart or are totally flattened. By the way because the camper was attached to their vehicle the vehicle insurance helped pay and they were able to buy a brand new just as fancy camper as the one they lost. He said if they had unhooked it from the vehicle they would have received less insurance money (plus they would have probably died). My choice between being in a camper and a large vehicle is choose the vehicle if you have no other choice. Please use common sense and try to get into an underground or concrete shelter if you have any time. And always travel with an emergency weather radio (that would have alerted them sooner).

Another.... "paragraphs please" post...:W

~

[Roy_Lynne]

The best place to be during tornado season is Alaska.

[wa8yxm]

Tornado and other storm survival hints:
1: Get a weather/All hazards radio, READ THE MANUAL
2: Take a weather spotter's course.... Even if you do not join a skywarn group the information can save your life.
3: Apps for your phone.. Go to the app store and type in NOAA.. they will duplicate the radio in step 1

The class will tell you to find out where the shelters are if you are in a campground or on the road. And where to take shelter if you should get caught "out and about" (Hint, a ditch is a very bad place to shelter, it can drown you).

Beyond that.. I'll let the class instruct.

[sayoung]

FYI, here in Texas several of the public rest stops have actual " storm shelters" .
Living here in Texas all my life except for a year in Florida , tornados,straight line winds, & micro-bursts are nothing to try to ride out in a car or rv.

[KatPalmertoyhau]

A few years ago friends of ours, in a very large new camper parked overnite on their way home from a gathering we had been at with them that week. Can't remember if they stopped to overnight in a Cabela's or a Campers World parking lot. Their camper was hitched to their heavy tow vehicle. While asleep the tornado sirens went off and he stood up from bed and that's all either of them can remember. Their camper was rolled many times and totally demolished, but somehow they both survived with just broken bones and cuts. It was the weight of their tow vehicle that keep their camper from flying off. There were a few other campers overnighting there too, but not everyone was so lucky. Luckily it was the edge winds that hit that parking lot which is why they are both alive. (someone in another camper died). They thought they lost their cat but the next day it came crawling out of their totally flattened camper. So even though the chances of ever being hit by a tornado is low, it could happen. Please use common sense and get inside a concrete building if possible. Don't stay inside a camper, they blow apart or are totally flattened. By the way because the camper was attached to their vehicle the vehicle insurance helped pay and they were able to buy a brand new just as fancy camper as the one they lost. He said if they had unhooked it from the vehicle they would have received less insurance money (plus they would have probably died). My choice between being in a camper and a large vehicle is choose the vehicle if you have no other choice. Please use common sense and try to get into an underground or concrete shelter if you have any time. And always travel with an emergency weather radio (that would have alerted them sooner).

[Dtank]

sdianel wrote:
do not get in a vehicle and try to drive away unless you leave before the tornado warning is issued. For example, if we were in one of the affected areas we knew 2 days in advance that this outbreak was going to be bad so we would have left. When we arrive at a campground we ask where the shelter is. Sturdy building, away from windows with as many walls between you and the outside as possible. Usually the bath house but not always. Sometimes you may need to drive to a nearby building. If you do not know the area I would not attempt to drive away from a tornado especially in the dark with heavy rains. Your vehicle is not safe but may be safer than your RV. (not saying much). Get a weather radio and keep it on. Look at the map and see what county you are located in and what counties surround you and what cities are nearby. when they issue the warning they tell you where the storm is located, what direction and how fast it's traveling and what cities will be affected. Sometimes you only have a few minutes warning. We keep the weather radio on at all times and scan it when we arrive at the next location. We have the TV, the weather radio, my computer and the map handy. My son lives in OK and says that most (not all) tornadoes move from the SW toward the NE. So if you do have to leave in a vehicle, find out where the tornado is located and which direction it's headed, then if it's coming from the SW, head due south in your vehicle. More dangerous at night. Don't go to sleep if there is a possibility of tornadoes if you don't have a weather radio that will wake you up. Don't second guess and don't let anyone talk you out of going to a shelter. Don't try to take stuff with you unless you have it ready to go before hand. Common sense will keep you safe. In the last 7 years of full timing we have evacuated 4 times. In FL, IL, MO and OH. Better safe than sorry.

Might be good info.......if only there were paragraphs!..:R

So, moving on to next ("readable") post..:W

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[W4RLR]

I have a VHF amateur radio in the truck. Programmed into the memory of the radio are all six NOAA weather radio frequencies. While traveling, I tune into the strongest signal and listen to see if the forecasts are covering the area I am in. It works well enough for me to keep from traveling into a known storm area.

Inside the rig, I have a Midland weather radio with auto search for the strongest NOAA weather radio frequency. I check to see if that signal covers the area I am staying in. If not, I scan until I find the station that does cover the area I am in.

When there was bad weather in the campgrounds I have stayed in, the usual place to take shelter was the campground's bath house. All brick and concrete with very few windows.

[deweysmith5]

Tornadoes by state

Interesting slideshow

[FLGup]

When we travel with our tt we are always aware of the weather with apps and local news on tv. If we are in a tornado warning during the daytime, we look for the block buildings. At night, I sleep like a log. I would sleep thru anything and wake up dead if I went to bed in a tt during tornado warnings at night.

If they are forecasting really bad weather overnight, we find a nice hotel and have a special night there, where we sleep great. ;-).

[CavemanCharlie]

hammertime28 wrote:
Not a joke. Several news reports on tornado preparedness suggest it.

Really, Me bad. I'm sorry I've just never heard of that sort of thing around here. We usually get told stuff like go to the basement or strong building.

Truthfully, I don't think any of my friends with kids even have helmets to put on them. And, people in may area usually wait until the last minute to go to the basement. There would be no extra time to put on a helmet.

[hammertime28]

Not a joke. Several news reports on tornado preparedness suggest it.

[CavemanCharlie]

hammertime28 wrote:
It is also a good idea to have your kids put on a bike helmet to protect from flying debris. Not a bad idea for an adult either.

I'm not sure if this is a joke or what ?

I'm on the northern end of tornado alley. In 1998 a large tornado missed me by 3 miles and destroyed the towns of Comfrey and St.Peter.
It tore a path almost all the way across MN. Happened on March 29th.

It is a good idea to be prepared if you live in this area. You don't have to be paranoid about it. Just be aware of the weather and have a plan.

Nobody is going to put helmets on their kids though.lol

[hammertime28]

It is also a good idea to have your kids put on a bike helmet to protect from flying debris. Not a bad idea for an adult either.

[WayneLee]

My father-in-law has a farm southwest from St. Louis. On one weekend, all the brothers, sisters, and in-laws came down for hay bailing season. That evening, all the men were playing cards in the kitchen when a storm started brewing.

My father-in-law went outside, looked at the storm, and came back inside. His only words were "time to head to the basement", at which all the girls and children headed for the root cellar. Of course, us macho guys stayed upstairs still playing cards.

About 15 minutes later, we heard the "train sound" coming quickly. We all hit the floor and crawled under the tables or whatever we could find. It seemed like an eternity, but it was over in about 15 seconds.

The next day, we went outside and there was a path about 5' wide cut through the woods and hay fields, and nothing was left standing in the pathway. And, the path was less than 1/4 mile from the house.

After that experience, we never questioned our father-in-law about the weather. That was the closest I have ever been to a tornado and, I hope, that last time.