Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!
Last fall we were caught totally off guard because we hadn't paid enough attention to the local weather reports and were caught by surprise with how horrible the flooding Colorado really was. We were told to evacuate the campground, spent a night in the Target parking lot, spend Friday morning coming up with plan A, B and C and finally escaping the flood area using none of those routes due to additional road closures. http://rv-dreams.activeboard.com/t54956395/evacuatated-and-now-we-wait/
Since then we've learned to pay a lot more attention to the local weather. Last night we sat in our 5th wheel listening to the rain pound on the roof for a short time and then turn to a steady rain for quite a while and felt the strong winds hitting the trailer and we were so happy to be here. Why? Because we were stationary, not driving in the wet and very, very windy conditions.
Our original plan was to drive yesterday afternoon once my work for the week was finished, but after watching the weather reports and seeing the increasing chance of wind and seemed like increasing intensity of the winds forecast, we left at 4 PM on Thursday and drove west for 4 hours, getting on the other side of the Sierras. So yeah, it was dark when we arrived at our RV park, but it was an easy drive with just a few windy places, so much more pleasant than the drive would have been 24 hours later. And yes, I ended up working until 10 PM and then was back at it very, very early Friday AM, but Friday night we were totally relaxed even with the winds and rain.
So yes, we can be taught and learn something even when we have to learn the hard way
We're almost weather junkies. We have the weather up on the computers all the time, and check it several times each day when it is nice, and several times each hour when it isn't. Right now there is rain south and west of us, but nothing severe in the forecast for today. Tomorrow is another story. We usually stay in town after church for lunch and Wal-Mart, but tomorrow we may make it a very quick lunch and get back home, just in case.
Im going to have to find it but I had a route planner that also included updated local weather...when you signed in at the end of the day it would update the weather map and give you the local weather.
__________________
1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
Asked my DH and he said that he really likes the one in the CB radio. The cb does not have to be on, but have power to it to receive the alerts. Because it is tied into the CB, it has a good antenna. He said it is a Cobra.
-- Edited by Talensnana on Saturday 26th of April 2014 09:51:25 PM
__________________
Patti and Ed
and their feathered kids in the Lipson Chicken Coop
It is very easy to see on the map where the nasty weather is located (or expected) in relation to your location. Anything in blue is important as that shows where high winds are expected. And anything yellow or red, either outlined or filled in, needs your undivided attention as these indicate severe weather.
I also monitor TWC weather channel (TorCon values) and local news stations. Having spent last spring and summer in Kansas I discovered it's bad to rely 100% on the television for data. When the storm arrives the satellite signal has a tendency to be blocked out by intense storm clouds and leaves you with no data. I also carry a weather radio with S.A.M.E. technology that I can use to receive alerts as well as listen to the NWS reports. I recommend everyone carry one of these radio's and keep it programmed with the code for your location. The alert is valuable at night when you might be sleeping and do not know of approaching weather.
While I don't have one myself folks in the shelter with us that had cell phones with internet access proved to be valuable devices. When it's dark and stormy and the tornado siren is going off and you have relocated from your RV to shelter it is nice to be able to "see" what's happening with the storm track. More expensive than the weather radio, but if you have one you will be very popular in the shelter
NorCal Dan wrote:While I don't have one myself folks in the shelter with us that had cell phones with internet access proved to be valuable devices. When it's dark and stormy and the tornado siren is going off and you have relocated from your RV to shelter it is nice to be able to "see" what's happening with the storm track. More expensive than the weather radio, but if you have one you will be very popular in the shelter
With regards to this, the availability of information on a cell phone via internet will depend on where one's shelter is and how it is constructed. The one in the mobile home park where we currently are will not allow cell signals to "penetrate" to the phones. The one time that we "headed for the fraidy-hole," I stood outside under a carport roof and watched on my phone. Inside the shelter, I could get nothing.
Terry
__________________
Terry and Jo
2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 2008 Ford F450 2019 Ford Expedition Max as Tag-along or Scout
We do carry a handheld battery operated (rechargeable) weather radio on board. We also keep several apps on our devices that give us push notifications and additional information. My two favorites are the Red Cross Tornado app, and Weather Radio. We don't rely on just one source for information - as any of them can be interrupted or be out of range. Last year while riding out an intense storm with tornado warnings (in a basement shelter), the Red Cross app wasn't sending updates, but the Weather Radio app was.
Also, be aware of how your current location is detected and adjusted as you move about.
Asked my DH and he said that he really likes the one in the CB radio. The cb does not have to be on, but have power to it to receive the alerts. Because it is tied into the CB, it has a good antenna. He said it is a Cobra.
-- Edited by Talensnana on Saturday 26th of April 2014 09:51:25 PM
Used these for years on semis. Great for storm alerts in your area. But, I think you need to be checking on weather earlier. This alert is kind of a "head for the storm shelter" NOW alert.
-- Edited by mpierce on Monday 28th of April 2014 08:38:48 AM
__________________
2012 Voltage 3600 2014 RAM 3500 DRW 3 Honda Valkyries
Another website that is useful is Weather Underground's Road trip planner, you can put in the starting location, time you are leaving and destination. The website then gives you the forecasted weather and any advisories along the way.
Unfortunately their cell phone app doesn't have this, you have to access it via their website.
This is a video posted to youtube about last nights tornado in Arkansas. It is 2 and a half minuetes long and an aerial view. At about a min. you see it hover over people trying to 'rescue' someone out of a demolished 5th wheel. Please remember to find somewhere other than your RV to take cover in, if severe weather is headed towards you. Your life is worth more than the cost of a hotel room with a storm shelter. We would not want to miss you or your posts here .