Storms, Tornadoes, and Hurricanes (oh my)

[zoemorn]

I created a "Winter & RV" thread so that some advice from others who successfully live in their RV's even in the cold and snow could lend their experience - thought it prudent to ask the same question in regards to the fall/spring 'action.'

Here in Missouri, Tornadoes and severe T-storms are a challenge even for brick n sticks folks. And being only an hour away from Joplin, and first hand witnessing the devastation there from the recent 3/4 mile wide tornado that rolled over that poor city, I've GOT to ask how you full timers (or non full-timers for that matter, tornadoes dont discriminate right?) how you handle big storms. Seeing those storms nearly scared us right outta any thoughts of considering a full-time RV lifestyle.
A caveat: Obviously if you are full-time ON THE ROAD then yes you do have the advantage of monitoring weather daily and keeping an eye out and simply moving out once your comfort level has maxed out. And I suppose, even for the fulltimer that remains in a home base are, moving out of the way of a storm temporarily might be the best solution (and maybe i've answered my own questions). Thanks, you all are so helpful.

As to hurricanes, I'd think one would have enough forewarning to get out of dodge, but wouldnt mind hearing from some Floridians as to their experiences.
Didnt really ask about floods either, hopefully one would have some warning, but again, if someone has a story to tell with a word of wisdom to share, feel free.

[washbob]

As a full-timer, I make it a point to not position myself in the path of storms, but occasionally one cannot avoid it. All the campgrounds that I have been at have a semi-secure location (normally the bathrooms or laundry) that provides a little protection. I have a weather radio, plus I have detailed weather tracking software on my laptop and iPad to monitor storms. I look at the weather before I'm going to start my drive and if the weather looks iffy, then I will stay in place until it is safe to proceed. The weather channel is a good resource for watching future forecasts, I will adjust accordingly. Basically plan ahead, watch the weather, use common sense, keep your insurance current and enjoy life. If it's your time, there's nothing you can do about it.

[zoemorn]

Washbob, Whats the weather software you're using, is it free?

[washbob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoemorn Washbob, Whats the weather software you're using, is it free?

I'm using Radarscope and the data is provided by Allison House. They were not free.

[Wayne M]

Living on the Gulf Coast of Texas, we have our share of hurricanes. When Rita came about we decided to leave town in the automobile and shelter in a motel. We choose Lufkin, TX, as a shelter place. It is 150 miles from Texas City. I was having some contractor work done on the stick house and the soffits were down and it delayed me by about 3-4 hours. It took 15 1/2 hours to travel 150 miles. Trust me, that was stop/slow going. Guess what. Rita decided to travel up that way and Lufkin received the brunt of a Category 1 hurricane.

The second one we had to evacuate for was Ike. This time we traveled 80-90 miles north on I-45 to Willis and we were in the motorhome. This time we left in ample time and traffic was minimum to normal. Unfortunately, Ike traveled up I-45 and was a category 1 hurricane 1 mile from us. So we pulled in the slides, started the generator when power was lost, ran on generator for 4 days, then headed West for a campground with power. It was 17 days before our house had electricity. Thanks to my sister-in-law and a good neighbor, they cleaned out the freezer and refrigerator.

So, plan ahead of the route you are going to take, the distance you are going to travel, and what the traffic conditions are going to be like at varying stages of pre-storm so you can get out of Dodge before it is to late. If you are expecting long power outages, and that is very difficult to forecast, you may want to clear out your freezer refrigerator, or give it to a church or charity that will be assisting after the storm. If you have never experienced stop and stop traffic, or rotten food, you will be in for a "treat."

Edited: As an after thought, if you live nears us, ask where we are going, then go the opposite directions and you'll most likely be safe.

[Barbaraok]

We figured out quite quickly that going up the west coast in the spring was the way to do it. May have rain when we get to Oregon and Washington, but not the severe weather that is common in the central and eastern states. We save those for the summer and fall.

Barb

[maggieboomer]

I have lived in the Gulf Coast all my life and been thru many Hurricanes. We never evacuated but were already out of town during Rita. We stayed away because we had no electricity.
I now am living in the Hill Country of Texas at an rv park "The Farm" anyone who might be traveling during such an event is welcome to come here for a stay as long as we have sites. www.thefarmcc.com

[GaryKD]

I have lived in South Eastern Florida for over 20 years. Fortunately, hurricanes provide plenty of warning. My single source of storm information is the Weather Channel. We have in motion sat TV. The wife can also get the Weather Channel on her iPAD. When at the sticks and bricks we take their 5 day projection and go left of the projection if the storm is coming from the Atlantic. If the storm is coming from the Gulf, we go to the right of the storm. This is because hurricanes will follow the same general path (I'm talking about South Eastern Florida). Sometimes this means heading for the Florida Keys to stay safe!

When on the road, the in motion Sat TV, wife's iPAD and the Weather Channel provide the information I need to make any needed adjustments in our route.

[zoemorn]

Thanks for the tips.

MaggieBoomer, I think the url you meant to post is The Farm Country Club - Parties, Catering, Weddings in the Texas Hill Country www.farmcc.com
The link you posted failed, i guess they didnt want the word "the" in their domain name of their website.

Looks like a pretty place!

[okmunky]

Living in tornado alley most of my life has trained me to be "weather aware". When the sky looks ripe for serious weather I tune into a weather source, be it TV, radio or internet.

I've always heard that if you spot a tornado while driving, you should drive 90 degrees away from it. Example: Tornado to the west, drive north or south. Now that I am fulltiming, I think I'd try running from bad weather for at least a while. It's taken a long time to get this rig set-up and I'd hate to have to start over. BUT, if that little voice told me to get out, I'd take Sena and find the closest safe spot. Insurance will cover enough of my loses. We are what matters.

I did discover wb, weather band, on the radio