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08-14-2019, 02:19 PM
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#21
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Moderator
2017 26' Flying Cloud
Alamo Heights
, Texas
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,522
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdalrymple
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For those of us who live in "tornado alley", being alerted to a entire county seems a bit much some times. The storm could be across the county, 30-50 miles away and no threat.
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Jeff,
You'd be surprised how much difference this makes in ones attitude. I grew up in NE Texas and tornadoes were something one dealt with and moved on. David F grew up where rain was noteworthy and tornadoes never really happened and I don't think he'll ever get the hang of the "miss is as good as a mile" attitude. Early this summer in the midwest I was in the vicinity of a few severe storms... some tornadoes and one straight-line wind event. As it happened, each of those storms found me when David F was back in TX for work (I was working from the road for about 6 weeks) and I know each of those events worried him much more than me, though I wasn't ignoring them, I was watching the radar after my radio alerted, or had been watching anyway because of forecasts. When the Dayton tornado was tracking through about 5 miles south of me I had Eddie's leash at hand ready to dash for the concrete bath house that was at least more likely to stay put than the Airstream...
__________________
— David
Zero Gravitas — 2017 Flying Cloud 26U | WBCCI# 15566
He has all of the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire. — Sir Winston Churchill
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08-14-2019, 02:22 PM
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#22
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Rivet Master
2017 26' Flying Cloud
Tampa
, Florida
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 7,653
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The frustrating thing about weather warnings while traveling is you don't know everything around.
I recall the alerts going like this: "A tornado has been spotted moving NE on a line 25 miles NW of Smithville and heading towards Jonesville. If you're in that area, make preparations." I'm thinking, "Where the heck is that?"
However, I'm thinking of getting this one. Talk me out of it? Good to have in the truck too!
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08-14-2019, 02:36 PM
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#23
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Rivet Master
2017 26' Flying Cloud
Tampa
, Florida
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 7,653
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Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Charlie hitting Florida.
I remember it well. It was heading straight for my house in Tampa, CAT 4.
I boarded up windows and put my evacuation plan in effect, "Go to Disney World!". So at 5 am, I was in the motorhome heading for Orlando. The first campground I tried had lots of spaces, all wooded, because everyone left. Seems the storm turned towards Orlando!
So, on the road again to Daytona, where I knew a good campground. Two hours later, the sheriff drove through telling us to go to the shelter!
I didn't drive all this way to be slammed, so I packed up and chose between 'west' or 'south'??? I chose west, and followed hwy 40 across the state to Bushnell, and stopped at a small nice campground on the west coast. It turned out the clubhouse was the county shelter, so if needed, I could run there. They parked us all together so the wind and rain was minimal. Not a bad night.
The next day I returned home to find I had a lot of leaves but no tree limbs down, and I had no damage at home. I don't think we even lost power.
Certainly an eye opener, and you just make a decision and go with it. West turned out to be the right decision, because South a lot of roads were washed away!
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08-14-2019, 02:37 PM
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#24
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Moderator
2017 26' Flying Cloud
Alamo Heights
, Texas
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,522
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mollysdad
The frustrating thing about weather warnings while traveling is you don't know everything around.
I recall the alerts going like this: "A tornado has been spotted moving NE on a line 25 miles NW of Smithville and heading towards Jonesville. If you're in that area, make preparations." I'm thinking, "Where the heck is that?"
However, I'm thinking of getting this one. Talk me out of it? Good to have in the truck too!
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I was planning to get that one. I couldn't resist my innate nerd impulses and got a C.Crane "CC Skywave" to have FM and shortwave and such. In terms of hours it's actually used, it's mostly weather radio stuff but it's nice to have a portable radio too. My desk radio had given up the ghost some time ago and I just wanted something for news, weather, playing w/ shortwave occasionally. If I plug in headphones the audio quality is good enough for music on FM, but the small single speaker is not really for music. It actually receives aviation frequencies as well. Nerdiness, like I said.
__________________
— David
Zero Gravitas — 2017 Flying Cloud 26U | WBCCI# 15566
He has all of the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire. — Sir Winston Churchill
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08-14-2019, 04:13 PM
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#25
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Master of Universe
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Grand Junction
, Colorado
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 12,711
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We've had a weather radio for 15 years or so. One time we were in western Kansas and I turned it on and found a large tornado was headed for where we would be in about 15 minutes. I could track the tornado because I had a "map". I would not have been able to do that with a navigation system. Maps are available in something else you may not know about—a book store. You used to get them for free in gas stations. I found the NOAA alerts to be quite useful in giving the location and then using the map index to find the town. The alerts would give times and where the storm was and how fast it was moving so I could compute where it was going. As soon as I figured out the tornado was going to pass near Olathe, Kansas I told my wife who was driving, to speed up. I guess others figured it our too because pretty soon everyone was driving about 85 to beat the storm. We did, but Olathe got a lot of rain and sone flooding. An elephant escaped from a traveling circus in the turmoil.
If you can get cell service, of course, more info is available including radar. The radio we have can be cranked or use batteries. Since we don't often use the radio, the batteries die and we forget about them, so cranking is helpful. The radio came from LL Bean, but we don't buy from them anymore since I had credit card dispute with their affinity card and the bank (Barclay's) that actually had the card was very nasty. They were wrong and I got my money back 18 months later. LL Bean was no help either.
The weather stations have limited distance coverage and a radio with good "sensitivity" works best—that term means it can get better reception from far away or is clearer when the transmitter is closer. But probably any fairly cheap weather radio works fine.
That particular trip in June, 2018, featured tornados and severe thunderstorms all along I-70 from western Ohio to eastern Colorado. We did not have the trailer with us and tried to cover ground really fast and a three day trip segment was done in two.
__________________
Gene
The Airstream is sold; a 2016 Nash 24M replaced it.
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08-14-2019, 04:31 PM
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#26
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Rivet Master
2020 25' Flying Cloud
Atlanta
, Georgia
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 533
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"A tornado just blew past my window"
Quote:
Originally Posted by DKB_SATX
I was watching the radar .
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I'm a weather junkie, so when there's severe weather, I'm always watching several different weather sites. Back in 2011, I was watching a band of severe thunderstorms heading east. I had discovered that any severe weather that touches base at Tuscaloosa AL heads right up I-20 for Atlanta. So as I'm watching this system move through Tuscaloosa, it looked to me like there was some rotation in the system. I got on the phone to my younger son--who was a Sophomore at the University of Alabama--and I said: "Keep an eye on the weather. You've got very severe weather in your area." He said: "I know. A tornado just blew by my window." I was pissed. "Listen," I said, "severe weather is serious and you need to pay attention and not joke about it." He yelled over me: "No! I'm serious! A tornado just blew past my window and it's destroying the law school!" When I went to pick him up--the University shut down--the area west of campus looked like it had been carpet bombed. Ever since, when I hear a tornado siren, I grab the dogs immediately and head for the shelter we constructed in our basement.
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08-14-2019, 04:47 PM
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#27
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Rivet Master
2007 22' International CCD
Corona
, California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
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Yup. We designed our house in Huntsville, AL with a full tornado shelter in the basement. I had both weather radios and ham radio connections to the weather service during bad weather. Spent many evenings in the shelter until the bad weather passed.
The weird thing in that area is a very fatalistic attitude toward tornados. The local seem to believe it’s no big deal that the weather is bad and the warning sirens are going off. Very strange when taking shelter in a sturdy building can save your life...
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
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08-14-2019, 04:49 PM
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#28
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Rivet Master
2020 25' Flying Cloud
Atlanta
, Georgia
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 533
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The Road Not Taken
Mollysdad said: "... I'm thinking, "Where the heck is that?""
So one time I was driving alone during the afternoon from Memphis back to our then-home in Dallas. The weather was getting worse and worse as I was driving through Arkansas, the ceiling lower and lower, and then I started seeing those little "puffs" that signify microbursts. I was just starting to think that I should get off the highway and find shelter, so I was looking for the next exit as it's getting darker and darker around me with lower and lower clouds. I'm starting to really sweat and I turned on the radio as they were issuing a weather bulletin saying "--a tornado has been reported on the ground in Dalby Springs." I literally yelled out loud, "But where the XXXX is 'Dalby Springs?'" At that instant I saw the next exit sign and got ready to exit.
It said: "FM561 W / Dalby Springs."
The road not taken.
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08-14-2019, 09:23 PM
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#29
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Rivet Master
2015 30' FB FC Bunk
Ayer
, Massachusetts
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,114
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Belbein
Mollysdad said: "... I'm thinking, "Where the heck is that?""
So one time I was driving alone during the afternoon from Memphis back to our then-home in Dallas. The weather was getting worse and worse as I was driving through Arkansas, the ceiling lower and lower, and then I started seeing those little "puffs" that signify microbursts. I was just starting to think that I should get off the highway and find shelter, so I was looking for the next exit as it's getting darker and darker around me with lower and lower clouds. I'm starting to really sweat and I turned on the radio as they were issuing a weather bulletin saying "--a tornado has been reported on the ground in Dalby Springs." I literally yelled out loud, "But where the XXXX is 'Dalby Springs?'" At that instant I saw the next exit sign and got ready to exit.
It said: "FM561 W / Dalby Springs."
The road not taken.
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Exactly what happened to me and why I started this thread. El Reno, OK 5/26 was caught in the storm. Scariest thing that has happened to me in a long time, didn’t think I would die but was convinced I was going to lose my trailer. A truck pulled over on the highway and came over to me. I was pulled over I couldn’t see anything, the windshield was pure white and it was nighttime. He said follow me, we took a road with another truck I believe it was Rt 66 to a town called Weatherbe? Everyone stayed in that Walmart.
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08-19-2019, 10:47 PM
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#30
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Streamline64
Vintage Kin Owner
Grass Valley
, California
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 11
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NO on the CC Radios
Ditto, mollysdad --
I also spent almost $200 on the C Crane 'CC Radio' which was a Sangean relabeled -- mine had the same fading out display-- which in that radio, everything depends upon! Apparently it was very badly or cheaply built
internally, was a known issue and was never corrected. Crane phased it out, and didn't bother to issue a fix for an expensive radio that was suddenly worthless without a digital display.
Anyway my recommendation for Airforum readers out there is do NOT buy a C Crane radio, since they have proved they will not back up what they sell.
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08-20-2019, 05:36 PM
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#31
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2 Rivet Member
2016 27' Flying Cloud
Hardinsburg
, Indiana
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 50
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Ted S, the town referred to was Weatherford, OK. My mom used to live there. Still have family in Elk City and Hydro. My sis lost one house to an EF4 in Cordell, OK several years ago. My experience with weather radioes is they're great in or near urban areas. I've yet to find one that works inside the AS in more remote, rural areas. Phone app has been alright providing I remember to allow the app to track my location. Still looking for one that will pull a signal inside the alumatube when the transmitter is several miles off.
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08-20-2019, 06:39 PM
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#32
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Rivet Master
2010 25' FB Flying Cloud
Davenport
, Iowa
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,148
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I would like to have, but don't need. Our son lives in Texas and has an app that tends to give our location most of the time. "Can run, but not hide". He also has the weather tied to our location and will call and give warnings. He does better than the broadcasters. Missed his calling.
mj
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