What would you do in a bad storm?

[BudtheDiplomat]

What would you do in a bad storm, tornado, hurricane if you had no choice but to remain in the area?

Another thread made me think about general security. Personal security and safety, of course, is paramount, but also the safety of your coach adds to your safety and survivability.

In 2008, Hurricane Ike came inland at Galveston/Houston, Texas. It was an incredibly powerful storm, and I feel like I was safer because of my actions and preparations.

So, I wanted to know, what has happened to you? How did you handle the situation?

[SRT]

If I had time, I would head in a direction that is safer. Otherwise hunker down as safely as possible - higher ground in a concrete bathroom.

[GOLDWINGER2]

Find a safe spot, hunker down and pray.
J

[Luckiest Dreamer]

Went thru a couple of heavy winds around 100 MPH and nearby tornados. When that happens there is no way to protect your RV. Is is time to abandon it and head for a storm shelter, In our case the RV park had 2 available and they included a basement that was full of other RV'rs. Got wet going to them but sure felt safer! AS it turned out we were as a few of the RV's sustained some damage.

[easdsa]

I guess I'd decide based on what's coming. Hurricanes generally give plenty of warning, and I'd head out. A tornado is a different story. Have a go-bag packed at all times with the important stuff, and when the weather people stay to head for shelter, take the go-bag and go to the shelter.

Since you said "if you had no choice but to remain in the area" I'd take the go-bag and head to the shelter. The coach and stuff can be replaced - you can't.

[Wayne M]

I live in the Texas City, TX, Galveston County.

Hurricanes, we leave at least 72 hours prior to land strike. It does not matter what the category is. We put the shutters on the windows and leave.

If we are on the road we will be either traveling or in a CG. For all occurrences of immediate threat we will seek permanent structure shelter when at the CG. If I were traveling with an imminent threat of a Tornado I would try to find a safe place to park. Preferably near a ditch to get out and take cover in. It's a hard call with Tornado's.

Just inclement rain, pull over and park safely.

[scenic route]

Last summer, we were in a campground thirty miles from Tuscaloosa and experienced some high wind and rain. We got some water past the slide seals. Now if we get caught in a storm we bring in the slides, the jacks are already down...that's about all you can do for the MH.

We got caught in one heck of a thunderstorm while on the road in N. Texas. The MH got real unstable so we pulled off the road and lowered the jacks until it past...an hour later. Pretty scary stuff!

The past two summers that we've had the MH, we've been out of state during the hurricane season and will be gone next summer as well. After that, we'll leave if there's a thread of a storm.

[dsbike]

Last summer my DW was just north of Baltimore when they had a tornado warning. She grabbed her roll aboard suitcase, threw in some clothes, her laptop & internet card, a few bottles of water & her keys & purse. Most everyone in the CG went to the bath house. She shows up & the ladies room is packed so she goes into the mens room & everyone looks at her with her suitcase & starts laughing. Then they ask her what she has in it. She explains & then asks the other people in there what they are going to do if the tornado takes out there RV? They stop laughing & one guy speaks up, I have my beer!!! Needless to say the tornado did not hit the campground but they watched it cross the bay about a 1/4 mile away. Be prepared, & take shelter the best you can.

[firedoc]

We packed up and left Liberty Harbor RV Park 12 hours before Irene hit there. Even though we still had 3 days paid for. They WOULD NOT even entertain the idea of a refund. Will not go there again. We drove to Ohio, sat it out and went back up to Niagara Falls and continued our trip.

[whem2fish]

my worst and scariest time was 2 or 3 years ago at corpus cristy texas when we got there they had got 10 inches rain that day the water was 8 to 12 inches over the curbs i didnt know the park any way the next night a big storm came in with 9 inches of rain jacks down didnt help every 30 min. or so we turned on the weather radio. the toad was already packed

[Ed S]

If on the road with a major storm moving in I will try to find a place to pull over and have the rear of the rig facing the direction of the wind/storm or try to out run it (done that before). If parked, pull slides in and wait it out, just the threat of tornados up north here. Snow storms? just dont drive in them, I will delay my trip a day rather than drive on snow covered roads.

[TXiceman]

If you are living in the RV....it has wheels and it is time to leave. If you are living at a land based home, I would secure the house, hook up the RV and LEAVE. No sense in endangering you life and possibly you only place to live after a storm.

Ken

[bluepill]

Originally Posted by firedoc

We packed up and left Liberty Harbor RV Park 12 hours before Irene hit there. Even though we still had 3 days paid for. They WOULD NOT even entertain the idea of a refund. Will not go there again. We drove to Ohio, sat it out and went back up to Niagara Falls and continued our trip.

This past August I was camping in the NY Catskill Mountains on Saturday when Irene was headed in. The campground was right next to the Delaware River, so I left just before the rain started at 4PM. My home is on the other side (East) of the Hudson River, and it wasn't until I got on the road that the radio mentioned that the state was considering closing the Hudson crossing bridges for safety.

As it turns out, they never did. It did teach me a lesson. Sometimes roads and/or bridges are closed to larger vehicles even if they are left open to smaller ones.

[BudtheDiplomat]

There are some professions which can't just evacuate; policemen, firemen, doctors, hospital personnel, emergency power and gas personnel, some of the workers in the petro-chem plants to name a few. And, of course, there are patients in hospitals and nursing homes who have no choice.

Some of the above people are designated 'Essential Personnel' and are ordered to remain thru a man-made or natural disasters. I am one of those people.

Prior to Hurricane Ike, I prepared our motorhome and packed for 3 adults and an infant (daughter and grandchild). The motorhome is my evacuation plan. Twenty-four hours before the storm was to hit, I was informed that I am 'Essential Personnel,' and must remain. I also had to assign personnel to remain within two other area hospitals.

My wife doesn't, has never, and still refuses to drive the motorhome. I sent my wife, daughter and granddaughter in a car to stay with family members out of state.

I figured my motorhome would be safer with me than in the storage area (which is low-lying and can flood). I live closer to the ocean, and figured anything at my home would be a total loss. If the storm surge had actually been what was predicted, my home would have been completely under water to the second floor.

I stayed at my home with the motorhome until about 4pm on that Friday as the storm approached which was really pushing it.

Figuring that hurricane winds rotate counter-clockwise, and that I had to be at the hospital, I parked the motorhome on the West side (lee side) of the 3 story Surgical Arts Building, as close to the building as I could get. I was about 200 feet from the back door of the hospital, directly across the street.

I had the rear of the coach pointed North and pulled down along the building far enough that the dome satellite antenna could get a signal without being blocked by the building.

Never having been in this situation, I decided to lower the coach almost fully, but not completely. I left about 45psi in the bags. Then I lowered the jacks so that they raised the coach about an inch from the "de-aired" state. I felt that might make the most secure platform.

By 7pm the winds were about 70, gusting to 90, and the rain was so heavy (and sideways) that I couldn't see the back of the hospital. The coach was very stable and felt secure. I was in near constant communication with the personnel in the hospital and knew that my wife and family were safe.

By midnight, the road between my coach and the hospital had filled to about 5 feet with water, up to the top steps of the back door of the hospital. I was high and dry where I was parked. Winds howling. Monsoon was, um, monsooning.

At midnight thirty, the hospital lost power and due to the rain shorting out the batteries, their backup generator wouldn't work. They had no food, no power, no ac, toilets wouldn't flush. My gen set was working perfectly. A portion of the hospital roof collapsed, fortunately no one was hurt. I didn't have a drop of water inside the coach. In fact, I had pizza, beer, shower, TV all of the comforts! All of my DirecTV channels worked, but I was glued to the news.

Although I invited people from the hospital, it was too dangerous for them to try to go the 200 feet from the hospital to my coach. Also, the hospital administrator had initiated a 'lockdown' and no one was allowed to leave once inside.

My original post was to see if someone had a better idea than what I did (other than evacuation, of course) about lowering the coach not quite all of the way, using the jacks as 'stabilizers' instead of levelers.

Also, I wanted to hear your events, to see if other people had stories as involved!