Storms - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Waggin Tails · RV-Dreams Family Member

Storms

janni · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well, since you brought it up.........We are kind of in a tizzy(for lack of a better word) about the weather. We moved to Arkansas on April 5. I had done a lot of research online about "tornado alley" and informed that it is just something the weather channel makes too much drama about. We have never seen tornados after dark and I guess we really didn't the other night either. Neither of us are the scardy cat type but dang it was windy.....there were warnings on noaa and weather channel.....and that tree over our coach is huge! I was surprised by the number of deaths and we are thinking of moving again. We paid for a month but guess that doesn't matter as much as the 800 miles of backtracking to get out of this area.......uggggg!

Haywire · RV-Dreams Community Member

Let's hope & pray all who were affected will know we have then in our prayers.

P.S.---One nice looking rig in profile pic,guess the deal went your way,congrats!

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

We were up in Arkansas and despite the weather alert going off all night we didn't get much other than some rain and a bit of wind. Not enough wind to rock the 5er so we weren't too worried.

Where in Arkansas are you located Janni? We're just outside Ashdown.

-- Edited by Ckerr on Monday 18th of April 2011 07:21:14 PM

Roll Me Away · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yes, prayers for safety for everyone in Midwest areas today, as the TV weatherman says it's going to be rough there. Many years ago I drove right into a huge tornado in South Carolina, found my way to an off-Interstate cafe for safety (husband slept through it). Fearful thing, with the trees bending to the ground and a roar no words really describe well. At least one can track a hurricane, but tornadoes apparently just drop out of a cell in the sky.

What kind of weather radio do you all use? I was told that since I full time I should have a weather radio, especially when not hooked up in a campground. I haven't a clue what I should look for or where to go to get it. Any information is most welcome.
Again, prayers for everyone's safety.
Scottiegirl

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

we are less than 30 mins south of sanford NC where the tornadic activity leveled their Lowes and a shopping center... we have recently shopped at the Lowes that was flattened and saw photos of the Tractor Supply store we were in last week also destroyed... we were left unscathed here in the Pinehurst area but not all were as fortunate as us...

janni · RV-Dreams Family Member

Scottiegirl we use a noaa weather radio(came with our mh) and then check the weather channel online. I guess we aren't the only ones in the paths of this springtime weather. We are currently in Hot Springs and thinking we will head for Texas and New Mexico. It looks like if we get on the west side of Oklahoma City we will get out of the direct path anyway. Another front coming today.

snowman8 · RV-Dreams Family Member

janni wrote:
"...... I had done a lot of research online about "tornado alley" and informed that it is just something the weather channel makes too much drama about. We have never seen tornados after dark and I guess we really didn't the other night either. Neither of us are the scardy cat type but dang it was windy.....but guess that doesn't matter as much as the 800 miles of backtracking to get out of this area.......uggggg!

Janni,

Your last part of the above quote is absolutely correct......

I lived in NC in the 80's, and did my schooling in Spring 87 in Oklahoma City. Seen some really UGLY weather...Lived for over 35 years in CA and during the Spring of the last 4 years, have had F-0 and F-1 tornados in Northern CA. Moved to WA.....last fall severe weather in the Salem, OR area east of I-5....F-0 tornado there too.....Where there is Red blobs on the weather radar, there's chances of tornados.

As I write this I'm watching FOX News Weather and there is a huge line of WX from Fargo (calling for snow) to D.C. (More of the same that happened this week in NC).

We had a tornado touch down to our left front just outside Spearfish, SD in 09. it was a part of I-90 that was all torn up and traffic was diverted to one half of the freeway for miles, overpasses closed, nowhere to go.....was ticked off till I seen the bikers in the same situation.....new prospective on your sitation.....

Good luck and stay safe..............

karen and al · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're sitting in our trailer south of Glasgow KY under severe thunderstorm warning/tornado watch...Ugh! Not what I wanted 3 weeks into our full-timing, but we have our weather radio, our emergency pland we know where the concrete building is! I'm praying it'll be ok.

Karen

http://wishuponanrvstar.blogspot.com

505ers · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are in the Nashville KOA and a heck of a storm came through here at 1:30 am this morning. Nashville was under a tornado watch, fortunately no tornado but a severe thunder storm with 60 mph winds did some damage around town and did drop a couple of trees in the park.

Being newbies we are unsure what the procedures in a park should be:

Should the park open the office area as a shelter?

Are the concrete bathrooms safer than a 5er?

What kind of winds does it take to topple a fifth wheel?

PD CFK · RV-Dreams Family Member

Last night we went to sleep to the sound of hail pelting the roof of our Cameo, in beautiful Whittington Woods RV park in Southern Illinois. The power went out early on so we got to use our Onan 5500 in the morning! Worked like a charm. The wind uprooted a couple of trees, one which landed across the exit road. We're newbies too. Yikes! Tonight we're in Independance, Missouri, and hoping for a calmer sleep. :)

-- Edited by PD CFK on Wednesday 20th of April 2011 09:13:38 PM

Melstar · RV-Dreams Family Member

When we were in our 5er in a KOA in Florida last month....two storm fronts came through, one which had tornados all around us. It was during the day.....and we did go down to the bathhouse. I would not stay in a trailer during that kind of weather. I don't know how much wind a 5er could handle....especially with "straight line winds" but I do know that I feel safer in a brick building. The campground did not alert us to anything...I just watched the weather on a local station. Next time we go out....it will be with a weather radio....especially for night storms.

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

If you believe that severe storms are a possibility, when you check into the campground find out where their storm shelter is located. This will give the necessary information before the storm arrives that could save your life as there is no time to find out once the storm arrives.

MNdrifters · RV-Dreams Family Member

We use a plug in weather radio that we bought at Radio Shack. It goes off when there are weather alerts. When there is no power we also bought a small radio from Eddie Bauer that runs on solar power and also runs on a hand crank when the sun is not shinning. Also we have those two way radios (walkie-talkies) that will also receive NOAA broadcasts if we are out hiking. We like to cover all of our bases.

One more thing that I almost forgot about. In the pick-up we have a Midland CB that will receive NOAA broadcasts. Knowing what county you are in helps. biggrin

-- Edited by MNdrifters on Thursday 21st of April 2011 08:43:28 AM

RickandJanice · RV-Dreams Family Member

505ers wrote:
Are the concrete bathrooms safer than a 5er?

Concrete buildings are the best place to go in tornado or high winds, especially if you can get to an area below grade. Even if a concrete building is not available, the center of a wood building is still safer than a trailer of any kind.

As for the amount of wind a 5th wheel can withstand without tipping, it would depend on the direction of the wind. Let's just say that if the wind is going to be strong enough to worry about, then I would go to regular building.

bubbadan · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just got back from Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas, it rain and the wind rocked our TT last Friday night, didn't have any more rain until Wednesday afternoon and all night. No bad storms just wind, wind, wind and rain.
We had a great time and that is a special place for those that have not had a chance to visit.

Melstar · RV-Dreams Family Member

I just read about the horrible tornados in Arkansas last night which took 7 lives and destroyed a town....and tornados in Texas.....more on the way today....how is everyone doing in campers and MH throughout this area? Hope and pray all Dreamers are safe and sound!

-- Edited by Melstar on Tuesday 26th of April 2011 09:07:04 AM

2fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

I can't even begin to imagine what its like living in the Southeast right now. We had 55 mph winds here in Idaho yesterday,with minor damage around the Treasure Valley area.

The national wearther forecast says that the month of May is usually the peak time for Tornados. Can it get any worse?

Melstar · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ron and Sharon.....did you stay in your 5er through the strong wind? Just curious as to how much wind one can stand to stay put??

2fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

Melstar wrote:
Ron and Sharon.....did you stay in your 5er through the strong wind? Just curious as to how much wind one can stand to stay put??

No still in the S/B until around the 10th of May. Just spoke with the owners of the Campground today where we will be working at this summer. We were going to be there around the 5th of May, but because of the wet spring we are going to wait a week and arrive around the 13th.

We do have several RV parks in our area and haven't heard of any damage yet. I don't know how much of a direct hit it would take to topple a 5ver, and I hope I never find out.

505ers · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are attending the workamper.com rendezvous in Heber Springs Arkansas. The weather is wild tonight and was even worse last night. four people were killed by a tornado about 40 miles south of here. Two tornadoes were spotted around Heber Springs last night. It's a beautiful area but right now we wish were in another location of the country.

One question for you more experienced RVers:

At the rally some said they put their slides in during bad weather; is that a good practice?

Melstar · RV-Dreams Family Member

505ers.....did you evacuate your RV to a building during those storms?

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

During high wind and/or hale we bring the slides in to protect the slide toppers. If the wind is catching the toppers and they are flapping I can't sleep so I will pull the slide in to quite things down. If it's very windy having the slides in will give less surface area for the wind to grab and keep the rock'n'rolling down some...

janni · RV-Dreams Family Member

I should have guessed something was up when the daily weather reports on tv give there tornado predictions like other places give chance of rain. Instead of a 70% chance of rain they give that in chance of tornados! We moved out of Hot Springs on Sunday(had our spot paid until May 5) and GLAD we did. We had some concerns the whole last week we were there. I visited with a few locals and they said they weren't right in the tornado alley and that these weather patterns were unusual for there. We were located about 50 miles from Valonia where at least 9 are dead. When we left we had to pull in to a truck stop when our NOAA radio warned of tornados. After that we drove as far as we could and then stopped at a rest area outside of Sallisaw OK. A car hydroplaned off the road right in front of us! We saw police and emergency vehicles right along and 5 wrecks. We took off early yesterday morning and headed WEST. We blew through Oklahoma City and are tucked in at Amarillo. Let me tell you........my Akansas pictures are awesome and the people there are some of the nicest we have met but this has been quite an experience!

505ers · RV-Dreams Family Member

Melstar wrote:
505ers.....did you evacuate your RV to a building during those storms?

Melstar,

We had our NOAA radio on and we were watching the storm tracks on the Internet. Fortunately for us, none of the tornadoes made a direct hit on Heber Springs. In our campground one 5th wheel was grazed by a falling tree, the roof was slightly ripped ; not a good thing with all the rain. We had all our stuff ready to head to the bathrooms but we never did leave the 5er.

Another tornado watch today but tonight all the severe storms are out of the Arkansas area. We hope everyone is okay in the Alabama, Tennessee areas and where any severe storms are wreaking havoc.