fanciesmom
in our dreams
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Joined: 06/11/2010
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Thanks all! Bob stayed up until 5 am watching. This morning he went out to the rain gauge - 3 3/4" of rain yesterday.
We travel with our laptop and a GPS attached to it along with a broadband modem. We can track exactly where we are - then go to the weather channel and get the forecast. Our local weatherman is very good at explaining what to look for in cloud formations etc.. But I sometimes think they don't realize there is weather West of Fargo!
Weather radio is on and portable - we'll also have the vhf scanner. I guess today is going to be another bumpy day.
Paranoia is only hindsight in advance.
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david_42
Oregon
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Joined: 04/08/2005
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Nothing will protect a RV or building from a tornado. I've seen cases where it looked like a 1000 foot-wide gang-plow went through a town. nothing left but bare dirt. Getting under an overpass will protect you from hail, but the over/under pressure and winds will still cause damage. The only option is to avoid them. If you are on the road, try to find a road that is perpendicular to the direction of travel and get out of the way. Big problem with doing that is it puts you in danger of getting rolled by the cross-wind.
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MaverickBBD
Formerly of Bellingham, Wahington, U.S.A.
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Joined: 11/21/2004
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We traveled through 'the ally' in early June. We always have our weather radio on. Sometimes set to county, sometime S.A.M.E. code loaded sometime all alerts. For years I carried it for years and thought it was broken because it never went off. Then we traveled through Iowa and couldn't get it to stop. This year we were in Ohio. Started out with watches, then warnings, then local sirens. I think actually to sirens I went outside to look at the sky. Campground hosts came around and said that if we didn't feel comfortable staying in our motor home we were welcome to join them in the shelter. Then the siren went off and I told DW to come along "this is not a drill". Got outside the motor home and practically had to drag her as she was busy looking at the sky. Met a family from Colo. heading for the shelter. Told them we were from Washington and didn't know anything about tornadoes. We know about earthquakes and volcanoes. Have yet to have advanced warning of an earthquake let alone a shelter. The picnic area was right outside the shelter door so we all sat around there. The one I liked was the single gal tenting by herself. She showed up with a six pack. Is this normal procedure? Are we responsible for bringing our own beer?
About 20 minutes later the CG host came around and said the warning was canceled. Two nights later we were in Indiana. Same thing only this time we were right across from the bath house. Although specifically stated in the check in information that it was not an official storm shelter it was the most substantial structure in the park. They also said that when the siren sounds it is REAL loud. That is where I was heading if I head the siren. Only this time I knew to bring my own beer.
Tom, Cheryl & Blossom(coonhound mix)
'05 Winnebago Journey 36G w/Cat. C-7 350 hp Freightliner XC
AFE air filter, aero turbine muffler, 4 FSD Konis, ultra track bell crank and Safe-T-Plus
FMCA 397030
WIT 129107
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adondo
Pasco, Washington
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Joined: 07/28/2004
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Everyone knows RV's and mobile homes are ''tornado magnets'' 
All kidding aside...
Weathering one out under an overpass is a BAD IDEA. The winds can actually increase from a funneling effect. You need shelter, preferably underground.
We've been in bad weather in South Dakota and the like, but have been lucky.
As said, you should have a weather band radio for up to date info. I have a WX band on my scanner, a lot of CB radios have a WX band. All marine radios have the WX band too. Radio Shack sells a few good WX radios. You can buy one with an alert feature so it only ''opens up'' for emergency traffic when needed. Take it from a radio tech who works on NOAA systems... ask me what the day's weather will be after working on a radio continuously blaring the weather info for 2 hours, and I don't have a clue... I've long since mentally tuned it out.
Tornados are unpredictable, so forget about outrunning one. Storm chasers drive fast vehicles for the most part, and sometimes they get in trouble... a slow moving and impossible to turn around on a highway RV is bad news. It may be a loss, but if twisters are close, just find shelter somewhere fast and leave the rig. It can be replaced, but you, your family and your pets cannot.
FMCA# F355513. 40 foot Safari Continental, one slide, Cat powered Magnum Blue Max chassis, PAC brake PRXB, Allison MD3060, Aqua-Hot, 7.5 KW Quiet Diesel, Howard PCS, Velvet Ride suspension. 2006 Jeep Commander.
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SP4380
Livonia, MI, USA
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Joined: 08/31/2004
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We have had the Tornado experience twice this year.
We were at Milan Dragway in southeast Michigan when several Tornados passed through. One devastated the town of Dundee, 4 miles south of our location. We had several warnings throughout the evening so we developed our plan. Dragstrips are basically big open fields with no place to hide.
A little after 2am, the sirens went off again. This time it was raining so hard that you could barely open the door of the MH. We jumped into my daughter's car an drove to the cinderblock bathrooms. My daughter did grab the laptop so we could monitor the situation. 1/8 mile from where we were parked to the bathrooms. Could have sworn we had 4 flat tires on the car!
When we got into the bathroom we could see on the computer that the storm was directly over us. A few scary moments! Once it passed, we heard the track owners asking if everyone was OK. They had taken shelter in the concession stand!
Luckily, no damage at the track but Dundee was hit bad.
The main thing is to be aware of your surroundings and make the best choice to avoid injury to yourself and family.
Motorhomes can be replaced.
2 weeks later in the same area while driving home we saw a Tornado drop out of the clouds and touch down about a mile west of the Freeway. The only thing we could do is drive north as fast as we could. Not easy when towing a 30' trailer with a 30' class A!
We don't need to go through that again!
Terry
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wcferb
Wi
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Joined: 04/23/2009
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I was impressed by the weather info given at Harrington Beach State Park in Wisconsin. They tell you what county you are in as well as the surrounding counties. Would have helped us alot to have that info in Talledega when there were tornados there in April. Always need to be alert to changing weather.
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gonzo71
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Joined: 10/05/2003
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Today is the 10th anniversary of Pine Lake (alberta Canada) Tornado that killed 12 RV'rs. This tornado hit the RV park without any warnings. 12 dead and 100's insured. Google for it. Lot's in the local news about it today.
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