Tornado Management

[pbahlin]

I grew up and spent most of my life on the east coast where the big weather challenge is hurricanes. If you are free to move (like you are as full timer) the best hurricane management technique is to simply get out of its way. The thing with hurricanes (especially today) is that there is plenty of time to do so. You get lots of warning time and pretty accurate info on where it's going.

Tornadoes are just the opposite; little to no warning time and no way to tell where they're going. Since I've no experience with them, they scare me. How do you manage your whereabouts and actions when you are in tornado country.

Is there a time of year where you don't want to be in certain places? Do you hook up and sit in the TV with the engine running, ready to outrun the beasts? Do you chain your rig to the ground and lay under it? Do you dig a root cellar on your first day at a new site? Do any RV parks come with storm cellars? Or, do you just look for a park that looks like it was recently wiped out (and therefore not likely to be redevastated)?

[WaltandLynne]

I am so glad that you asked this! I was just logging on to MOC to ask the same thing.

To anyone who is in Mississippi or Tennessee and went through the recent tornadoes, I hope you and yours are safe. You have been in my thoughts.

Your troubles got me to thinking about how to handle dangerous, threatening weather while out and about in the Montana. Just how do you deal with it? I was driving home from Detroit this morning and wondered if you parked under an overpass if you were caught out on the road during threatening weather. I also wondered about campgrounds and storm facilities. What do you do with the slides - pull them in?

This thread could have been posted under General in my opinion because it can affect us all.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Scary stuff, been through many tense afternoons/evenings under warnings, and in the surrounding storms, which are no fun either.

Many campgrounds do have plans in place for such events, some have those plans displayed, others you will have to ask, and don't be surprised if the campground owner is reluctant to discuss them with you, guess they don't want to upset the clientelle. (But that is another story).

Look for block buildings, like the washroom/shower buildings.

Get yourself a weather radio. Determine what COUNTY you are camped in! Check maps, but, you must KNOW where you are.

If you 6th sense, or guts or intuition or whatever you want to call it is screaming, listen to it! Get out of the rig, take glasses, and your meds and ID and not much else, well, maybe the dogs. (Lots of RVers have an emergency bag at the ready for just these sort of situations, grab, RUN for that block building!)

Love trees, for the shade, HATE trees during storms, they scare the beejeebees outta me! Reason is obvious I believe.

There are lots of other great ideas of coping with tornados. It is good to be "scared" of them. I know there will be offerings of other great ideas coming here soon thanks to the great members of the MOC.

[Wild Horse]

I thought that's what the straps on the floor next to the chairs was for ?

We haven't even left on our maiden voyage yet, and I already have my plan in place. Grab a stuff bag filled with important papers,meds,etc. load the dogs in the tv, and get the heck outta dodge. Monty stays...by the time we determine we should leave, my guess is the winds will be high enough to put us at risk towing the monty anyway.

Being proactive is key, I think. When we reach a place and get setup, I'll find the best local news station. I'll key the weather radio to the closest noaa station. I'll google maps to find myself two escape routes. Now, I'll only do all these things if we are in a potential danger zone.

You don't have to travel far to get out of the path....head 20 miles out of the path and grab some dinner for crying out loud.

I visited my folks in FL last winter...they have a class A in a rv resort that has condo lots. Their neighbor had put anchors deep in the ground. While I was there, we had high wind warnings....I was outside getting ready to "get outta dodge", and all of a sudden this huge yellow strap was comin' out of nowhere ! This guy was tossing trucker load webstraps over his tt, and strapping it to those anchors. I told him to let me know how that worked out for him....when I got back from the next county.

[boylanag]

When we get to a new campsite, we check for buildings, cover like Carol suggests and then go to http://nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm to see where to set our weather radio so that we can be alerted to tornado warnings, etc. For a tornado, if you wait for the heavy winds to come before leaving or going to shelter, it is probably too late. NOAA radio is a must have whether traveling or not.

[Rondo]

There's no way you can outrun a tornado-- period!! That's with or without the Monte.

Carol and Bill both have great advice and as was said most parks have a plan for such things and as Carol said head for the block/cement building if you don't feel safe in the unit. The idea of "getting the h-ll out of there" is great but in most cases you don't have that choice. Tornados spring up out of nowhere on a stormy night. I've been through about 5-6 of them during my lifetime and they are not any fun! They tell you to listen for the train sound-- well that's fine but it's to late by then. The tornado is upon you by then. All you can do is hold on and I hope you're in a safe or secure place.

If you're on the open road and see one pull over and get to the lowest point around-- a ditch, culvert. raveen or whatever-- lie flat on your belly and cover your head. DO NOT TRY AND OUTRUN THE THING!! It is to fast for you to try this and the winds will be from 100 mph plus on one also so hang on to something if possible. I've seen it pick up cows, cars and buildings so you are nothing compared to those. I've also saw where it has driven a piece of straw into a power pole or taken a 2X4 and drove it into a tree.

A tornado is nothing to play around with or try and outguess. Have an escape route if possible and IF you have enough time but if not head for a shelter (bathhouse if at an rv park) and wait it out there. The Monte or the TV is no place to be! The weather radio is an excellent idea and we have one turned on whether we're on the road or at home. The weather service nowadays is excellent and give you plenty of warning so listen to them and/or watch a local tv station if you can for any such information.

I hope you never have to be in one but if you are be prepared for it!!

[jpbcny]

If you have "Texting" enabled on your Cell Phone you can sign up to receive "TWC Alerts" from the The Weather Channel

(The Weather Channel does not charge for text message alerts, message and data rates may apply from your mobile phone company)

The procedure is to login and "Update" your Location (Zip Code)in the settings, as you move from place to place:

Sign Up For Weather Alerts


Severe Weather Alert Categories

TWC Alerts will contact you when The National Weather Service (NWS) issues an alert. There are several categories of severity:

SEVERE

Blizzard Warning
Coastal Flood Warning
Extreme Wind Warning
Flash Flood Warning
Flood Warning
Heavy Sleet Warning
Heavy Snow Warning
Hurricane Warning
Ice Storm Warning
Inland Hurricane Warning
Inland Tropical Storm Warning
Lake Effect Snow Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Special Marine Warning
Tornado Warning
Tropical Storm Warning
Winter Storm Warning


MODERATE

All the Severe alerts listed above plus
Blizzard Watch
Coastal Flood Watch
Dust Storm Warning
Excessive Cold Warning
Excessive Heat Warning
Extreme Wind Warning Update
Flash Flood Watch
Flood Watch
Freeze Warning
Freezing Rain Advisory
Gale Warning
Heat Advisory
High Surf Advisory
High Wind Warning
Hurricane Watch
Inland Hurricane Watch
Inland Tropical Storm Watch
Lake Effect Snow Watch
Lakeshore Flood Warning
Lakeshore Flood Watch
River Flood Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning Update
Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Severe Weather Update
Severe Weather Watch
Significant Weather Alert
Snow Advisory
Snow and Blowing Snow Advisory
Storm Warning
Tornado Warning Update
Tornado Watch
Tropical Storm Watch
Tsunami Bulletin
Wind Chill Warning
Winter Storm Watch
Winter Weather Advisory

JP

[helmick]

Ron
Very good advice.

Ron

[cbgaloot]

Having lived many years in The heart of tornado ally in Oklahoma and Texas I have to say, Don't worry so much about it. But do pay attention when the weather is bad.

The only time I have been within damage range of a tornado was in Jacksonville FL. It happened so fast it was over before we knew it was a tornado. So the idea of running when you hear it coming is just a fantasy. Also tornadoes don't tend to travel in straight lines, they whip back and forth. It is also not unusual for smaller tornadoes to form unexpectedly around a big one. They just dropout of the sky.

Your best defense is a LOCAL tv station. The second a local news talk radio station. Either will generally have minute by minute storm info when tornadoes are possible. Forget TWC, they are usually a day late and a dollar short except when the storm covers several states.

Best bet, underground shelter!


Here's some good links
Tornado Safety Rules
http://www.co.hillsdale.mi.us/EMS/tornado.htm


Tornado Safety - Cars Versus Ditches: A Controversy, This weather specialist from the weather channel says he would stay in his car. He also talks about driving away 90 degrees to the tornaodoes path. Not like those Godzilla movies where every body runs the same direction as the monster. This may be doable with enough warning. Tornadoes sometime stay on the ground for hours traveling across several states.
http://www.weather.com/blog/weather/8_19417.html


American Red Cross Tornado Safety Checklist
http://www.stubbylink.com/8var42

NOAA tornado safety
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/ttl.pdf

[bob n pam]

Another idea if you are on the road in tornado country, and a tornado is a threat, is to find a grain elevator and ask if you can pull your rig inside.

[shotgunred10]

Last I heard, there were at least 10 people killed in MS Saturday. I keep hearing of more, but that was the last official thing I heard. I know there is at least one member down around Magee, MS where they had some rough weather, I hope they are all OK. Everything went around us here at our house, but lots of people weren't so lucky, so remember then in your prayers.

[richfaa]

A good weather radio as others have said.. We have one in the house and camper. Read up a bit on tornado's and learn to identify weather conditions that can spawn tornado's also learn about tornado characteristics, ie;..how they tend to travel on the ground. Having worked for the FAA we are both somewhat weather literate and having spent a lot of time in Oklahoma city we have experienced several tornado's. Stright line winds can cause just as much if not more damage. Our weather radio went off about 10 times yesterday and it is set up county specific. They are a must have in foul weather areas.

[stiles watson]

There is a type of fear that I call healthy respect. There is another type I call unreasonable fear where irrational behavior and panic ensue. I have a healthy respect for rattle snakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Listed in the posts above are lots of good ideas. The more you learn about tornadoes, the more you can turn irrational fear into a healthy respect and decisive defensive action should it be needed.

[sfretts]

This has been one of the most informative days since joining MOC. Lots of great information out there.

My DW and I used to tour the western US on our Goldwing, pulling a small tent trailer. One of our first trips met with near disaster in Eastern Montana with high winds and hail. As time went on, I researched and learned as much as I could about understanding weather. Eventually that lead to teaching classes all over the place on that subject. Of course being in bad weather on a bike vs your TV or Monty are different, there is several things you can do to mitigate your exposure.

When traveling, be aware of the clouds and what they are doing. In the plains staes as a general rule, weather (severe) moves in a NE direction. Other areas like the mountains you have no idea. We watched clouds and would adjust the route as needed. We have pictures of sitting in rest areas waiting out storms. A weather radio as stated before is critical, with a caution. We had the weather radio on the bike and would turn it on as the clouds threatened. Problem is, they always give watch and warnings by counties. We found ourselves in flash floods in eastern Nevada and could not tell as we didnot know what county we were in. A good atlas will help with that.

As for traveling, I go by the same rules now that we tow our Mountaineer. We have the internet on one of our cell phones and even have pulled up radar maps to make sure it was safe.

We experimented with a vacation in our rig last year after leaving the spring rally. The night we left, I pulled into the KOA in Central Oregon above Bend. As I was setting up, the clouds threatened and radar confirmed severe weather headed our way. The folks at the camp ground came out to make sure we knew and had the following advice:
1. Put all chairs light objects away
2. Bring in awning, sat dish etc.
3. bring in the slides to reduce the 'sail effect'
4. Go to a designated location in the campground if warranted due to a tornado watch or warning. This could be the lodge or an outbuilding such as a concrete or sturdy bathroom etc.

Remeber the most severe winds in most storm cells is on the back side and this is where alot of torando's form. Be careful to not declare an all clear to soon.

Only other comment I would add is personal dealing with severe weather while traveling. I would opt for a ditch or low lying area and not go under a bridge. Remember, your trailer will not protect you in severe thunderstorms or tornados.

[sreigle]

I've not yet read any of the responses because I don't want any of them to change my reply. I grew up in "tornado alley" and spent most of my life there. I have yet to be in a tornado. I think I saw one off in the distance one time but am not sure. I have, however, seen the aftermath.

When you are in tornado alley there are sirens that are blown as soon as a spotter sees a tornado forming or when the weather people spot the right cloud formation on their weather radar. They tend to the cautious side so these siren soundings are most often a false alarm.

If you are in an rv park in this area, they will (or better) have a place for you to go should the sirens sound. It is worthwhile to ask that question when you check in if they don't tell you on their own.

We were once in a state park in Kansas when the sirens went off. The rangers drove around with loudspeakers telling everyone to leave their rigs and go to the shower houses, which were made of concrete blocks.

The only concern I really would have about a tornado is the damage it would do to our rig and its contents. I'm not at all concerned about whether we'd have any kind of warning.

We also have a weather alert radio which sounds its own siren inside our rig when triggered by the National Weather Service. If you have any concerns about tornados and will be in tornado country, I'd highly recommend you purchase one of these radios. If I recall we got this one at a Radio Shack for around $35. That was a few years ago. Walmarts in some areas carry them, as well.

I don't want to belittle the potential damage of a tornado. But the odds of you ever being in one is extremely small. It could happen, of course, but, then, that 18-wheeler might cross the median and wipe us out, too. I'm trying to relate odds here.

Please don't let a concern for tornados keep you from visiting that part of the country. The storms there, the ones that seem to be threatening, can be quite beautiful to watch.

[pbahlin]

All great advice! One thing I haven't seen yet is anything about the where and when of tornado alley. I know Oklahoma is in the alley and I'm guessing Kansas is ( I did see The Wizard of Oz too many times). Where else is considered the alley and when is the most prominent tornado time of year.

[sfretts]

Here is a map of tornado alley. Spring time is the most common. What alot of people dont realize is when it calms in early summer, the danger increases in Cananda. I have been close to tornados and severe weather in Alberta in July.

Steve

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Amazing, they totally leave out lower Michigan and I can promise you that we have them, and we have our own band of tornado alley.

I have personally been in the severe storms that come with tornados many times,

1.) Berlin Ohio, $5000 hail damage to side of the rig, no block buildings in this campground.

2.) Detroit River, back many moons ago, confirmed tornado took roof off the curling area in Windsor, we had to be right under it, in a boat.

3.) At least 2 storms in our first home in Belleville MI, water gushed in the basement windows like a flipping fire hose. And ya, there was glass in those windows!

4.) At least 2 of them out here in our newer digs, one of which was a a confirmed tornado that totally destroyed a house not 1/4 mile as the crow flies from here. Sometime ask me about the owner of that house, how he ran to his barn to escape, what steps he took in said barn.

5.) About 30 years ago. Near here, bout 4 miles as a matter of fact, at the state campground, sat through a tornado, took down many trees, had to bring in the prisoners to cut away all the downed trees. Limb went through our boys pup tent, where they had been not 10 minutes before.

6.) One in Ohio, spent about 2 quality hours with many of the other campground guests, this is the place that did not want to reveal their emergency plan, cause it upset the guests, only to discover that the tornado was less than 5 miles away and headed OUR way. At least they had a block shower house!

And, that is not all of them. Dang, I am sure glad they didn't include Michigan in that map!

[WaltandLynne]

If you research it you will find that there has been a tornado touchdown in EVERY state. Certainly "Tornado Alley" feels the brunt of these storms but everyone everywhere needs to be informed.

Stay safe!