Wild Weather - Montana Owners Club

rames14 · 04-18-2006, 03:29 PM

With the plethora of tornados and bad storms this year, I wanted to share a first hand encounter we had on the Thursday evening before Easter. We got to the Montana at the Galesburg East Holiday Park where we seasonal and watched as storms were coming into the area. Iowa City, Iowa had already been hit by tornados. Within an hour after we arrived, my weather radio went off with a tornado warning. Our campground owners were off on an errand and the only place to take shelter was the restroom. We managed to get all of the campers into the restrooms as the storms moved into the area. We left the shelter too soon and within two minutes after we left the shelter, we were hit by either a tornado overhead or straight line winds. The travel trailer in front of us was flipped over and moved about fifteen feet. No one got hurt, but a number of us suffered minor storm damage to our trailers (we lost a slide awning, had some damage to our satellite dish on the roof of the Monty and also it bent the TV antenna and broke a corner on one of the vent lids.) But, I learned several lessons. First, although this is our second season at this campground we didn't know where to take shelter. We did have the weather radio and flashlights along. We didn't wait long enough however. In fact, I was driving by that trailer that blew over right about when it was blowing over. I also learned that the CB radios with weather alert work even when they are turned off. If an alert comes on, it automatically sets off a shrill alarm on the radio until you turn it to the channel and listen.

So, with all of this scary weather, be sure and take care. Fortunately, I had just bought a new chainsaw and actually had it in the truck and helped cut up about ten downed trees for the campground owner - none of it suitable for burning, unfortunately.

jrgwdenner · 04-18-2006, 03:37 PM

To put it mildly, we are VERY thankful that you and the others were not hurt. Scary!

fulltimedreamer · 04-18-2006, 05:25 PM

Ron and Terrie,

Glad you are safe. One of the things we try to look for is a safe building for shelter. Don't want to get caught in an RV in a tornado.

ragdoll · 04-18-2006, 06:24 PM

So thankful you all and the others weren't hurt. We don't carry a weather radio but that is on our list - one just doesn't know about this weather lately. We do pay close attention to the weather when we are traveling or staying in a particular area. Hope your repairs come along nicely.

Safe travels.
Lorraine

CountryGuy · 04-18-2006, 10:07 PM

Ron, a good reminder, thanks, and glad everything is ok, sounds like you were very lucky in the damage area. Whew!

campbud · 04-19-2006, 01:26 AM

Ron and Terri, we were out camping too when we were hit with the storms too. We were at a state campground in Marseilles IL when the tornado sirens went off. We could not take shelter in the shower house b/c it was not opened yet for the season. So we went up under the bridge and climbed into the girters. It sheltered us from the wind and hail. Most of the other people stayed in there vehicles under the bridge. It was very scary, and luckily it passed with miminal damage. I really think that the State should have the shower houses open just for cover at least. The park ranger came by afterwards to check on everyone and I think he was faced with alot of upset campers. I am happy to hear everyone was ok. We too carry a weather radio.

Joyce H · 04-19-2006, 02:35 AM

Ron & Terrie, Glad you are safe and only some minor damage. We went through some high winds this week while on the NC outerbanks (Gusts up to 40 mph). That was scary enough for me. We could actually feel the unit rocking. Thanks for posting so we can all learn how important it is to always keep mother nature in mind when we are traveling.

Parrothead · 04-19-2006, 12:39 PM

So glad no one was hurt. I experienced several tornadoes and near tornadoes when I was a kid and it ain't fun.
Happy trails..............................

rames14 · 04-19-2006, 03:38 PM

The weather radio is a "must have" if you are in the midwest during the spring/summer. We were able to get most of the people into the restroom - next time we'll use the women's for the ambience. Unfortunately, we should have stayed another twenty or thirty minutes. There was an elderly couple with a Montana (had never heard of the MOC) that got caught out and the lady looked like she was in shock. Easter weekend fortunately isn't a big camping weekend. We only had about six total rigs occupied. Campbud - where are you from? We're over in Frankfort. We are at Galesburg East just about every weekend.

Dustytuu · 04-19-2006, 04:52 PM

Glad you are OK.
We have the CB with weather on it. But we are getting a weather radio we can carry around or take into a shelter.
Thank you for reminding everyone how to be safe.

Imp · 04-19-2006, 05:22 PM

For those of you in Texas (at least around Austin), you can get a weather radio at HEB right now for $29.99. It is a MIdlands All Weather Radio with battery back up. Ours went off last night with the severe storms that went just to the north of us.
Myrna

Montana Sky · 04-19-2006, 07:06 PM

Another thing I need to have in the RV. Glad that nobody was seriously hurt, rv's can be replaced - people cannot.

Montana_70 · 04-20-2006, 07:24 AM

Thanks for the report. I remember in '04 when people in the park I was parked in stayed for hurricane jeanne and rode out the storm in the park restrooms. Said it was the scariest night of their lives and "never again".

Mother nature is sure in control. I very glad you did OK with minimal damage and no one was hurt. Those types of experiences can really shake you up.

tbhd · 04-20-2006, 08:12 AM

Well we don't have a weather radio but we're gonna!!! Really glad everyone is okay.

Sharon

Montana_4791 · 04-20-2006, 02:09 PM

Being from Iowa City, I can tell you that the town is still alive and well!! We are fulltimers and not there now, but family and newspapers on line, have kept us well informed. Our former business was not even touched by the tornado, but 6 blocks away the roofs were gone. Mother nature can be wild, so be careful out there!!
GO HAWKS!!

OntMont · 04-21-2006, 05:18 AM

Ron and Terri, Glad you are safe, but that would have been a very scary experience. We were a bit south of you in Effingham, IL where we stayed for and extra day to let the storms pass to the north of us, but even so, our weather radio got a good work out. We could see a lot of bad storm cells on the radar to the north of us. In particular, we thought "Mike and Wendy's" area in NW Indiana was being hit hard.

(Our weather radio now seems to have died, possibly as a result of getting bounced around on I-69, so we are probably going to have to look for a replacement - too bad we are no longer in Texas where we shopped regularly at HEB).

dchafer · 04-21-2006, 06:42 PM

Glad to hear everyone is ok. Those tornadoes are pretty scary. I will be purchasing a weather radio before we head into Montana headed for Ontario. How long is tornado season. would be nice if they were done by the time we leave British Columbia.(May 18) I am not too brave when it comes to wind. We will be going down I-90 through North Dakota and then up into Minnesota to Michigan to cross at Port Huron. We were chased by tornadoes a few years back and its no fun. Diane

sreigle · 04-23-2006, 06:35 AM

Having grown up in the midwest and done lots of rv'ing there, I can agree a weather alert radio is a good thing to have. It's also nice to know most all areas in that part of the country have tornado sirens that will blow should there be an alert. This includes many state parks and COE parks. Those that do not, the rangers will come around and roust everyone. They even do that in parks with sirens. So it's not like you get no warning. Unless maybe you are truly boondocking. Warning or not, it can be scary.

Ron and Terri, I'm glad you folks came out of this ok. The odds of being in a tornado are very small. I'm far more fearful of being in a big earthquake. But the odds are of little value when you're in the path of a tornado.

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