What's the worst storm you have been in while camping?

[lushy]

Just curious of everyone's experience with Mother Nature. Here's one of ours.

South Dakota in 2011 a storm is rolling in. I'm not one to get uneasy about the weather but this one had me very concerned for the wife and family. I think the pictures will tell the rest of the story.









And then after it passed by:

[sunny_jeep]

We were parked in a Walmart one night and when we got up in the morning getting ready to leave when a Strom blew in. Well the wind was so bad that it pulled the return rack in the parking lot clean out of the pavement.it missed us thank goodness.

[lushy]

janstey58 wrote:
Re: your 1st picture, you had your awning out?

I sure did! :E We had just finished eating inside the TT when I came out and saw the sky. Grabbed the camera and took some pics and then put the awning in. You can see in the rainbow picture that it's in. 🙂

[Houston_Remodel]

mabynack wrote:
I guess my worst camping experience involved sleeping in tents in the desert and having the local populace shooting at me. Iraq sucked.

Yep, I'll stop complaining right now.

[campigloo]

First, Maybynack, THANK YOU!
My first strange camping experience was when I was about 16. We went to the nearby Gulf of Maheco island of Grand Isle. We brought various adult party supplies, mostly legal, some not so much. Pitched our tents at a really neat place near the water. Let the party begin! Some time during the very early morning there was some moisture and the waves got louder. You guessed it, sploosh sploosh; the tide had come in. Oops.

The next one, fast forward 35 years or so later, the same island. We got there Friday afternoon with Hurricane Katrina safely headed to Appalachacola, Fla. Had a great time. Saturday morning we gott evacuation orders. We ate breakfast and went home. Hell of a long way to go for breakfast!

[Merrykalia]

mabynack wrote:
I guess my worst camping experience involved sleeping in tents in the desert and having the local populace shooting at me. Iraq sucked.

This is about weather, but thank you, mabynack, for your service.

[atreis]

X3 for Hurricane Arthur, in Delaware at Cape Henlopen SP.

Fortunately, the campground sits in a depression between sand dunes. No problems, no damage, no leaks.

[Wrong_Lane]

X2 for Hurricane Arthur while on PEI.

WE were on an Ocean Front site. For the first half of the storm we were faced directly into the wind, jacks down, awning retracted and slides in. Lots ocean spray and we rocked around a bit. We were not near any trees or power poles so I stayed put. Figured it was no worse than traveling down the highway at 60 MPH into a headwind.

Second half of the storm the wind blew from directly behind us. WE stayed put for that as well, tucked up tight.

No problems, no damage.

The guy beside us was in a Class C rental and left his slide out. I politely warned him but he was "Frunk as Duck" so to speak and ignored me. The slide awning ripped in half during one big gust and was then flapping on the roof. The guy didn't even bother to come out to look or retract the slide.

The entertainment never stops!

[bigcitypopo]

We had one just recently here in December. We were camped at Ocean Mesa. (North of Santa Barbara,Ca) the Pineapple Express came through... 40-70mph gusts... Down spouts...Rain sideways and upside down.... Brimstone and fire... Holy geez. Next morning. Lite mist and all of the other peeps arrived... It was a squal. Unreal...

The kids loved it... I was hoping I didn't have to pull out and get high ground. Luckily the park has awesome drainage...

[the_bear_II]

Our favorite camping spot is right next to the ocean along the California coast.
A couple of months in advance we had planned a 3 day weekend trip and as the planned weekend got closer the weather reports predicted a storm with wind, driving rain, lightning and high waves. We decided to go anyway because we needed a get-a-way for sanity....

We arrived Friday afternoon and got setup during a light misting rain. I had the awning out and built a fire in the fire pit. We grilled a couple of steaks and baked potatos on the BBQ. Set up our table under the awning with candles and ate our dinner while we watched the fire, listened to the waves and the gentle rain hitting the awning. Just as we finished dinner a fireworks show began to the south from the fairgrounds. It was beautiful. The rain continue through the night and the wind picked up.

Saturday all H--- broke loose. Winds rocked the trailer, the rain pounded, waves kept getting bigger and would slam down so hard you could feel it in the trailer. This continued throughout the day. We were cozy inside and spent our time reading and watching movies along with watching the show outside. As the afternoon approached we began seeing lightning out over the ocean. We watched out the window as it got closer and closer. Lightning strikes on the off shore islands and to the water. Eventually the thunder was booming. As the storm passed we watched the lightning hit some railroad tracks about 20 feet away. I thought windows were going to break from the thunderous boom that followed.

The storm calmed and the gentle rain came back through Sunday. Monday the sun shined and of course we had to leave.

Overall it was a very relaxing weekend but a little scary through the thunderstorm.

[ford_truck_guy]

A couple of years ago we had a durachieo hit us while at Delaware State Seashore Campground right on the water.. At midnight we awoke thinking we were hit be a freight train!!! That was the longest 60 minutes of my life...

There was a few trailers back a couple of rows that ALL the windows were blown out , the trash dumpsters were full with tent rails bent up,, ripped canvas.. ripped awnings,, chairs,,ect... what a mess..

[pianotuna]

five days of blizzard with a high temperature of -27 C (-16 F)

[BB_TX]

Worst was not a storm in the traditional sense. Not even cloudy. But an unusual weather system caused extremely high winds at an RV park in southern Colorado. RV park told everyone in an area containing a lot of very tall spruce trees to move to the other end of the large park. Good thing. 8-10 large trees were blown down and would have crushed several rigs. Only casualty was a new Dodge (yes they were still Dodge then) dually had a tree fall directly on the cab and crush it flat to the window sills.

[oldmattb]

mabynack wrote:
I guess my worst camping experience involved sleeping in tents in the desert and having the local populace shooting at me. Iraq sucked.

Best post today!

Matt B

[mabynack]

I guess my worst camping experience involved sleeping in tents in the desert and having the local populace shooting at me. Iraq sucked.

[mabynack]

Hurricane Opal. We evacuated from Panama City and went to Fort Rucker Alabama. The storm track shifted and we ended up right in the path of the storm. Wind speeds at the park were clocked at 106 mph and there were so many trees down that we were blocked in for two days. A big oak tree fell within feet of our RV. The power went out during the night and it felt like the RV was going to get blown over.