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Old 03-29-2018, 04:38 PM   #1
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Midwest driving/camping & tornado concerns

I posted on another thread about how I'm planning a trip from FL to CO late May/early June. I've never driven this part of the country, and given the time of year we're going to be coming through (after memorial Day) , I don't know what I don't know about camping & tornado threats and a little concerned. Right now we'll be coming out of Chattanooga after memorial Day, and probably stop on the west side of St Louis for a couple of nights, then continue west on 70 and stop somewhere in mid-Kansas for a night or 2 before continuing on to Colorado. Coming from Florida, where we get Hurricane & Tropical Storm warnings (with PLENTY of notice)...this whole tornado thing is new to me. Florida gets tornadoes - but I've never seen one, they are infrequent, and mild in comparison to the midwest apparently. How "on alert" should I be during this trip. Is it simply to have a weather radio active, and know there there is a shelter close by? How much notice does a weather radio give you? I'm assuming most campgrounds would have an underground shelter? I know the chances are rare, and I may be overthinking it...but had to put it out there. Thank you!
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Old 03-29-2018, 04:48 PM   #2
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Being a native Californian I've never seen a live tornado. Few years back while driving through Nebraska there were warning over the radio. Problem was they were for counties. Driving on the interstate I had no idea what county I was in. Rain was coming down sideways and most folks pulled off to the shoulder. I tucked in behind a 18 wheeler & followed him. Never seen the clouds look like that before. Only way to describe them was ominus.

Oh and by the way we don't get any warning out here for earthquakes.
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Old 03-29-2018, 04:49 PM   #3
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Have lived in tornado country for years. Have been through 100s of warnings and have never seen one.

Most are small and touch down for 100 yards or so.

I don't worry about them, unless there is a warning, then I react cautiously.

Enjoy your trip. Do I dare go to Florida from June to October? Of course I do, but I pay attention to those warnings too.

Have never seen a campground with underground shelters. Most use the concrete restroom.
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Old 03-29-2018, 05:03 PM   #4
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I was raised in Tornado Alley. Seen several. Only recall taking cover twice. My advise is to get a weather alert radio like NOAA. And know where to seek shelter. Many parks only have concrete above ground rest rooms, which may be enough? Underground is preferred. There may be an underground shelter in a town. Some towns have a Siren system for warnings. Your much better off in a shelter than an RV.
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Old 03-29-2018, 05:16 PM   #5
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So you are worried about being in tornado country for 3 whole days?

Use your computer for weather forcasts, get the Raindar app for your phone, and press on.
You may have to wait a day in St. Louis to let a system pass through. Or not.

I live in north Texas, and the last time I had an alert on my phone was in.....Pensacola.
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Old 03-29-2018, 06:34 PM   #6
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So you are worried about being in tornado country for 3 whole days?
Only takes one ticket to win the lottery!
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Old 03-29-2018, 06:39 PM   #7
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And...this was us last summer camping in the Tampa area... of course that just happened to be the only time I saw a warning like this...when we're in our RV. A rare event...this was on the backside of a tropical storm...just bad timing... But it was unnerving being in an RV when this comes up on your phone. There was a concrete bathhouse a few sites down where we hung out for a bit...
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Old 03-29-2018, 07:40 PM   #8
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The lower 48 states cover about 3,000,000 square miles and the average tornado covers about 1/10 th of a square mile and the average RV covers about 250 square feet. The odds are really really small! This is a big country and there are many more risks that you will encounter that are much more likely.

I simply maintain awareness of the weather whenever I travel and plan accordingly.
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Old 03-29-2018, 09:55 PM   #9
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First, monitor the weather as you travel. Know what county you are in if the weather report calls for severe weather. At that point find a campground, if possible. When checking in, ask where the storm shelter would be. I'd say they would direct you to a concrete block restroom. It's unlikely you'll find an underground shelter. Do not stay in your RV. Seek some kind of shelter.

It seemed whenever we were traveling through Alabama we always encountered tornado watches/warnings. Luckily, we were never in one. However, we spent many hours in the campground restrooms. It's a common thing in that state and everyone seemed to have the drill down pat. The state park ranger would personally knock at the door requesting that we get to the bathroom. Folks would bring their lawn chair, water, snacks, weather radios, a deck of cards, their pets and it was instant party time in the restroom - male and female combined! I recall that two hours was usually the max.

Chances are you won't encounter a thing. Have a good trip!
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