How prepared are you?

[TravelTiger]

Ive been seeing more stories recently about weather-related incidents in RV parks. It has made me aware of the perils of violent weather while being in your trailer on a trip.

How are you prepared!? We have a weather radio, but keep pretty close tabs on the weather using our iPhone. (watching the forecast, checking the radar, etc.) I wonder if we need to do more.

What about you?

[archbarb]

I wish I could say we are prepared but facts are facts...we are'nt. Couple of years ago I won a fancy weather radio/tv/strobe/amfm thingy on The Weather Channel for hurricane preparedness and I don't know where I put the darn thing!! Last year we pulled into Red Top Mtn in NW GA and it looked like the sky was ready to explode...we set up, turned on the tv and about that time the tornado warning system in the neighborhood started blasting!!! We both really freaked, knowing we were vulnerable in the TT. So, we looked around and found some rocky overhangs that we could crawl under, if need be. We hung pretty close to the tv til it was all over and about 5 tornadoes touched down in the area. Would we have had time to crawl under the rocks? Dunno....I don't think we wanted to get dirty!!!!
Wrong answer!!!! Oh, well...we try but I guess we would've been dead (and dirty)
Barb

[Rockerga]

We do the best you can with preparedness but sometimes nothing is enough , or that is my approach. I have seen far too much distruction so I am a little anal about it.

I keep a weather radio, my own travel weather station. I ensure I know in what area of what county we are in. As we get close to where we are going I always look safe areas for "if this happens" where would I go.....?

[Mark]

Weather radio always, local tv if possible. If ANY doubt..I am not too proud to just leave the camper and get a hotel for the nite or at least go to a Walmart of something to hang out and let it blow over.

Getting caught off guard in a storm is one matter, but trying to be the camper cowboy and ride it out is stupid and asking for trouble..but that's my opinion.
:)

[irvin56]

in every town/area we travel throught.

If bad weather comes we throw everthing in and hunker down.
If really bad, I've hooked up and left in the past.
I won't hesitate to do it again.

If I'm traveling. Turn the other direction and FLOOR it

[Rockerga]

Originally Posted by Mark

Weather radio always, local tv if possible. If ANY doubt..I am not too proud to just leave the camper and get a hotel for the nite or at least go to a Walmart of something to hang out and let it blow over.

Getting caught off guard in a storm is one matter, but trying to be the camper cowboy and ride it out is stupid and asking for trouble..but that's my opinion.
:)

TOTALLY AGREE!!!!

[Hunter]

I guess, because we rarely get tornado's and to my knowledge, never get hurricanes, we are nonchalant about weather.

With the very strange weather lately, in both Canada & the States, now is the time to be more observant.

Unfortunately, most of our camping is far away from stores and other places of shelter, not sure what we would do if the weather suddenly turned severe.

Food for thought!

Thanks for the reminder.

[Honeymooners]

As for us when we camp we use the weather radio and i try to see what county and surronding counties that we are in. Also note the larger towns that are close. We recently last month went on a week camping trip to Parke county in Indiana and there was tornadoe warnings for our area. We kept a close listen and eye on the weather. Seems silly but I always keep in the trailer a compass to see which direction our trailer and campsite is directed. This will tell me which direction the wind is coming from and possible storm and even if the awning is up possible wind gust to watch for. We do alot of state and federal campsites where some have notices where to go incase of bad weather. We also rode and traveled crosscountry on a honda goldwing for quite a few years. When we were in goldwing road riders ass. (G.W.R.R.A.) We took yearly classes for saftey and medical and always carry a first aid kit. More than just bandages. Just like the motorcycle you never know when you might need or use that knowledge. It might not be yourself it might be a fellow camper that you help. Leonard & Sondra-The Honeymooners

[jbs12]

We carry a weather radio and always check it for the appropriate weather band where we're staying. However, for whatever reason, our most memorable weather seems to be when we're leaving Denver for our big annual trip. Last, year, it was a blizzard with 6" of snow on the ground, requiring 4WD just to get the trailer out of our yard, dodging folks sliding sideways to get on the freeway, before heading east, where it turned to rain and wind, and we hunkered down in Colby, KS, with visions of Wizard of Oz in our heads.

This year, heading NW, we dodged tornado warnings to get out of Denver up to Laramie, with ferocious headwinds, fog, driving rain, did I mention wind?, followed by freezing rain the next day (in June!).

Seriously, though, we do try to pay attention, but as someone mentioned, we're not often in a place where the weather can be bad, but have access to shelter. Prayer helps a lot!

This weekend, we were up at Camp Hale, outside of Leadville, where the daytime high hit 85, and the nightime low hit 31. Go figure.

John