Hunkering down - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Cattntitans · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hunkering down

Honeydeaux · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi Cathy,
We typically check out the bath house or any substantial building in the camp ground the day we check in. This becomes or primary evacuation point in an emergency. If we are caught off guard or separated we know where to find each other. If the weather is predicted to get bad we will leave the rig until the weather passes. We have gone to a movie theater several times as well. Enjoy a good movie and a box of popcorn. By the time the movie is over the weather has cleared in most cases.
The park we are in today does not have any such facilities so we have set a local church as the evac point. Should we get separated we know where to go. It is within walking distance of the park.
Regards

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Pull in the slides, unhook from utilities so we can evacuate if necessary, bring up the radar to track the storm and make sure we know where the emergency shelter for the park is. One morning we left a day early because we could see trouble heading towards us. can't tell you why, but I just knew we had to go. When we pulled into a park a state away that afternoon, in sunshine, we saw a tornado tracked right up the street the park was located on. That was one time Dave decided that he was glad (though wet) he went ahead and got us going that morning when I insisted we had to go.

LarryW21 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Oh my, Barb. Scary. We West Coasters may have earthquakes but you can't track them.

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

We did the East Coast one spring - never, ever, again. West Coast in the Spring, across the midwest after July, down the East Coast in the fall is the only way to go. Though anywhere along the gulf coast can bring sudden storms and threat of tornadoes. One of the worst tornado outbreaks we were ever in was in Michigan. We've been through earthquakes, blizzards, tropical storms/hurricanes, tornadoes, 100 mph straight line winds, all part of living all around the country for 50+ yrs.

Cattntitans · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thank you all for your posts. I'm showing this to my husband since he is the "oh just go to sleep. It will pass" kind!

RonC · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barbaraok wrote:
We did the East Coast one spring - never, ever, again. West Coast in the Spring, across the midwest after July, down the East Coast in the fall is the only way to go. Though anywhere along the gulf coast can bring sudden storms and threat of tornadoes. One of the worst tornado outbreaks we were ever in was in Michigan. We've been through earthquakes, blizzards, tropical storms/hurricanes, tornadoes, 100 mph straight line winds, all part of living all around the country for 50+ yrs.

Barb,

Thanks for the "EAST COAST IN THE SPRING" observation. We were about to head that way but now will go the other. I think the west coast in the Spring and east coast in the Fall is great advice. Experience ... nothing like it.

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

We, too, keep an eye on the weather and have a plan. We had some fairly strong winds once while we were in a campground, and the coach did rock a bit, but no tornadoes around, so we slept through it.

You can't outrun a tornado, so don't even try it. On the other hand, a forecast of severe weather for tomorrow ought to get you to at least get ready to go. If you are in a campsite with a tree above you pull out and at least go to an open area for the duration. Better yet, if you are getting close to the end of your stay, just go on somewhere else.

Should you be along the Gulf coast at hurricane time, the best answer I've heard to the question of where to go when a hurricane is predicted is "Michigan."

heyjohnm · RV-Dreams Family Member

Get a good weather radio, and know what county you're in! We were caught in a campground on the GA/FL line when tornado warnings were issued. Well, the warning was based on the counties affected and we didn't have a clue which countries we were in/adjacent to. We got better organized after that experience.

RonC · RV-Dreams Family Member

heyjohnm wrote:
Get a good weather radio, and know what county you're in! We were caught in a campground on the GA/FL line when tornado warnings were issued. Well, the warning was based on the counties affected and we didn't have a clue which countries we were in/adjacent to. We got better organized after that experience.

That's very good advice. As an RV'er ... things kinda run together if you don't do as you've suggested. This is particularly true if you're "on the move" ... sometimes wake up and think ... where are we now? I know it sounds like a simple thing but purposely knowing exactly where you are is a smart thing to do as Heyjohnm suggested.

-- Edited by RonC on Saturday 18th of March 2017 12:47:26 PM

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Weather radios are good things. Get one with SAME codes if you need to limit which counties it reports. Remember to undo the restriction when you move. We had a Radio Shack model that had weak radio and thus no reception in many places. We now use Midland exclusively. I figured out how to mount the Midland, because putting it away every move eventually broke the antenna.

Other than Amber Alerts and tests, our weather radio has alerted us twice on the West Coast. Once for the thunderstorm near Portland Oregon and another for tsunami warnings on the California Coast from the huge earthquake in Japan. Further east we have had many more alerts.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 19th of March 2017 09:49:27 AM