what to do when severe weather is forecast

[papagramx4]

We are in a lovely campground 300 miles from home.
We just heard local weather forecast for tomorrow. It includes wind gusts up to 50 mph and possibility of tornados in the evening.

Other than securing everything outside, what do WE do?

[Bill_Satellite]

There is much that can be done to improve you chances of survival during extremely bad weather and none of them include staying in your RV (or bending over). There are structures that will survive when an RV will be obliterated. Planning ahead when the possibility of life threatening weather is forecast is essential so you are not scrambling in random directions looking for shelter. Staying in the RV should never be considered safe.

[donkeydew]

take a deep breath bend over and grab your ankles. not much else can do if a tornado hits you.

[Bill_Satellite]

msmith1199 wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
Make sure you aren't parked close to any tree that may fall or branches that may break off.

Which puts almost 100% of the campgrounds here in PA off limits I suppose. Personally I open another beer and take my chances but we're not in tornado alley here. I actually like camping in shitty weather once in awhile.

In that case, make sure you put a sign on your door letting rescuers know how many bodies they should be looking for inside the rubble.

X2. A tornado is not "shitty weather", it's life threatening weather. People can be so oblivious.

[msmith1199]

Ralph Cramden wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
Make sure you aren't parked close to any tree that may fall or branches that may break off.

Which puts almost 100% of the campgrounds here in PA off limits I suppose. Personally I open another beer and take my chances but we're not in tornado alley here. I actually like camping in shitty weather once in awhile.

In that case, make sure you put a sign on your door letting rescuers know how many bodies they should be looking for inside the rubble.

[Cocky_Camper]

down home wrote:
Michigan campground. Tornado warning. Brought slides in, and jacks up, awnings in, and disconnected.
We were facing the lake and it was coming across right for us. We had some wind and rocked around a lot of wind and hard rain. Maybe some hail.
Knocked power out to the campground and surrounding area.
Myrtle Beach mini tornado? We were gone but knew storms were forecast and brought in awning and slides. People across from us had awning ripped off and wrapped around coach as did many more similarily. Toys bikes, and grills and everything else all over the place including in the ocean.
There was more serious damage in other parts of the campground too.
In Indiana there was a tornado warning. Factory told everyone to leave and go to school a few miles away until storm passed.
You know a storm is coming leave the coach with everything you can do to, prevent damage then find a storm shelter if there is one, or campground shower usually made of blocks and bricks and sturdier by design for such emergencies, many times.

Those campground are bad for that. Seen this happen MANY times at Pirate Land and Lakewood where the wind drafts up by the stream thing in between the two.

[Cocky_Camper]

Download the NOAA weather radio app, and program the area in that you will be staying. Have a plan to run like heck to the nearest bathhouse or safe structure if needed... That is about all that you can do.

[mike_brez]

Stay inside and play cards

[down_home]

Michigan campground. Tornado warning. Brought slides in, and jacks up, awnings in, and disconnected.
We were facing the lake and it was coming across right for us. We had some wind and rocked around a lot of wind and hard rain. Maybe some hail.
Knocked power out to the campground and surrounding area.
Myrtle Beach mini tornado? We were gone but knew storms were forecast and brought in awning and slides. People across from us had awning ripped off and wrapped around coach as did many more similarily. Toys bikes, and grills and everything else all over the place including in the ocean.
There was more serious damage in other parts of the campground too.
In Indiana there was a tornado warning. Factory told everyone to leave and go to school a few miles away until storm passed.
You know a storm is coming leave the coach with everything you can do to, prevent damage then find a storm shelter if there is one, or campground shower usually made of blocks and bricks and sturdier by design for such emergencies, many times.

[2gypsies1]

We once stopped at a truck stop for fuel around Oklahoma City. All the truckers were inside gathered around the t.v. We asked what's up. We were told they are watching the tornado warnings. We asked where it's at. We were told "Right Here"!!! Seriously, it had heading right for us. Along with the tornado they were predicting 'grapefruit-sized hail'. That scared us more than the tornado. We saw an overpass from the window; got in the motorhome and went to it. We pulled off the highway and tucked in under the overpass. Soon cars joined us & some were even climbing up the steep slope to park. The hailstorm came but luckily not the tornado which did hit a couple miles away. Later we talked to folks and were told the worse thing you can do is to get under an overpass because a tornado would roar through there. I guess in that circumstance the best thing we could have done was to stay inside the building at the truck stop and forget about the oncoming hail storm. A big decision.

[catkins]

An RV is not a safe place in a tornado nor hurricane. A bathouse or other structure is safer than an RV. High winds are one things but tornado or hurricane are a whole new level. Have you seen the pics of obliterated RVs/trailers after a storm?? Hurricanes you usually have days of warning - drive out of the area. Tornadoes - minutes warning. You need to know what structure is safest to go to. May you all stay safe.

[Ralph_Cramden]

msmith1199 wrote:
Make sure you aren't parked close to any tree that may fall or branches that may break off.

Which puts almost 100% of the campgrounds here in PA off limits I suppose. Personally I open another beer and take my chances but we're not in tornado alley here. I actually like camping in shitty weather once in awhile.

[wa8yxm]

Another thing when Big Storms like Tornados are "In season" find where the park's designated shelter is.. alas not all shelter areas allow pets.

Another thing that might help is radio. As a Ham Radio operator I listen to the skywarn net in the area when nasty weather threatens.. But then I'm skywarn trained both as a side effect of my profession and I too skywarn training as a Ham Radio operator as well.

Skywarn or properly called Weather spotter training is given by NOAA and is often sponsored by local Ham Radio Clubs. YOu need NOT be a member of the club to take the class in most cases.

Even if you do not have a radio.. IT is good training to have.

[wa8yxm]

Another thing when Big Storms like Tornados are "In season" find where the park's designated shelter is.. alas not all shelter areas allow pets.

Another thing that might help is radio. As a Ham Radio operator I listen to the skywarn net in the area when nasty weather threatens.. But then I'm skywarn trained both as a side effect of my profession and I too skywarn training as a Ham Radio operator as well.

[doxiemom11]

What is the weather going to be like where you are going? What hour is the wind supposed to start? I would check both of those things, and if the weather is good where we are going and we can be on the road towards the destination before the wind picks up, we would take off early to be ahead of the weather. If it's the same here and there, then sit tight where you are.