Tornado question

[pappy19]

If you were camped in a campground and word of a tornado was close, and no real shelter was available, would you stick it out in your AS or get in your TV and buckle up?

[Boondocker]

There is always a ditch of some sort, go there.

[sepezlover]

If you have enough warning, get in the car and drive to a safe building. Otherwise, stay in the car.

Here's from a study done by Kent State University regarding mobile homes, which are tied down to the ground better than our Airstreams are:

"While conducting the first study in Georgia and Alabama in 1994, we were surprised by the common occurrence of cars or pickup trucks that remained upright with little damage near mobile homes that were destroyed and the mobile home occupants killed. After careful thought, it did not seem so surprising. After all, a modern car has a low center of gravity, a streamlined form, a protective interior, and is designed to encounter strong winds and protect occupants in case of a roll-over and other crashes. Our preliminary estimates showed that a door-handle-height wind speed of about 120 mph is required to tip a car, compared to perhaps 80 mph to tip a mobile home…

"A reasonable option for those in mobile homes without nearby shelter seemed to be to drive to one… rural mobile home residents with no nearby shelter may be safer getting into their vehicles and driving to a shelter when a tornado threatens, rather than running outside to lie down in the storm…

"For nearly half of the Americans who die from tornadoes, the last view they have of this world is the disintegrating interior of their mobile home."

The article is at http://my.execpc.com/~bkopp/ditch.html

[Melody Ranch]

I always watch the forecasts. Hail is a major concern. Tornados...always.
If it looks grim and dangerous...I move, and move out early. Just get out of the path. If you get caught....Rodney is giving the best advice unless a shelter is available. You see the danger of staying in a vehicle of any kind every year around here.

YouTube - Tornado tosses cars 40 ft into the air

[toastie]

YouTube - Tornado damage video#2- 4/10/09

[blmitch5]

Being from Kansas (Tornado) alley, I opt for ditch, under a bridge or low lying ground. They sell weather alert radios and I'd gave one with me. If you have advance warning get to a shelter.

[Boondocker]

Anything that air can get under is a bad place to be in a tornado.

[3 Dog Nite]

Funny you should ask. We fulltime in our MH & had a small tornado touch down right here in Cleveland. Only 10 miles away. Our bus has a lot of windows. Our solution is to crack open the "Reserved for Tornado" bottle of wine & watch the lightning in the sky.

We do have a realty plan should we actually see a funnel. We each grab a dog & go lay down in a 2' ditch about 30' from our front door. It's at a base of a wooded hill.

Ricky

[xrvr]

A 1994 study is way out of date now with new standards for mh. That said, I would still get out of it! zz

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by pappy19

If you were camped in a campground and word of a tornado was close, and no real shelter was available, would you stick it out in your AS or get in your TV and buckle up?

What any tornado will or will not do, is totally unpredictable.

I would head out ASAP in the opposite direction, as fast as my feet would carry me to my vehicle, so that I could even go faster, the "OTHER" way.

The trailer, and it's contents, can be replaced, but life cannot.

Andy

[FLYNCLD]

My advice...RUN AWAY!!

[au_ee]

Definitely get out of the trailer. Even a car or truck isn't safe. Not only do you have to be concerned about the vehicle or trailer being destroyed by the force of the tornado but if you are in a wooded area it is very possible a tree will topple over onto the vehicle you're in. This can occur even if the tornado doesn't have a direct hit. I would get in my vehicle and go to the safest location possible or drive in a direction that is 45deg. from the path of the tornado.

[sepezlover]

As that Kent State study said, "However, when the tornado siren starts blowing or the Weather Channel screen turns red, few are willing to gather the family and leave their mobile home to run outside into a severe thunderstorm with heavy rain, lightning, hail, and flying debris to lie down in a water-filled ditch to await a tornado."

Maybe we can gather a petition to Jackson Center and request a tornado basement shelter option for new Airstreams?

[Gene]

A lot of people get under a bridge, but they can become a wind tunnel sending you flying. If it takes 120 mph to tip a car, that's comforting if the tornado is nice enough to be below 120 mph (enhanced Fujita scale of 2 and up). Of course it may send something through the car windows anyway.

We have a weather radio and it has proved very useful crossing Kansas. When we heard of a tornado that was going to cross the interstate, Barb increased her speed to 80+ (no trailer then) and we beat the tornado. But you can't always do that or find the road that goes away from it's path. That was a trip where there were tornado watches and warnings from eastern Indiana to eastern Colorado. We drove fast and long hours to get through there—several tornados were 10 miles or so from us.

I'd try to get away if possible, but a ditch or a culvert seems safest if no storm cellar is available. You get dirty, but are more likely to not be hurt.

Gene

[pappy19]

Some great posts and info, appreciate it. Seems to me that one should try and know what the weather is forecasted, but sometimes that's a crap shoot. That being said, I am thinking I will pull into a site and unhook my TV, just in case. I would feel safer in my TV buckled up and maybe moving away from the tornado during daylight. If it's at night, who knows, you could move into it's path. Like was said, leaving the AS and laying down in some snake infested ditch sure isn't in the cards for the wifer, so the TV is the choice for safety.

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

I'd try to get away if possible, but a ditch or a culvert seems safest if no storm cellar is available. You get dirty, but are more likely to not be hurt.

Gene

Plus, if the camper survives you still have a shower, if it doesn't being a tad muddy is going to be pretty far down the list of problems.

[Boondocker]

These guys know a bit about weather

Source> Tornado Safety (Online Tornado FAQ)


In a mobile home:Get out! Even if your home is tied down, you are probably safer outside, even if the only alternative is to seek shelter out in the open. Most tornadoes can destroy even tied-down mobile homes; and it is best not to play the low odds that yours will make it. If your community has a tornado shelter, go there fast. If there is a sturdy permanent building within easy running distance, seek shelter there. Otherwise, lie flat on low ground away from your home, protecting your head. If possible, use open ground away from trees and cars, which can be blown onto you.


In a car or truck: Vehicles are extremely dangerous in a tornado. If the tornado is visible, far away, and the traffic is light, you may be able to drive out of its path by moving at right angles to the tornado. Otherwise, park the car as quickly and safely as possible -- out of the traffic lanes. [It is safer to get the car out of mud later if necessary than to cause a crash.] Get out and seek shelter in a sturdy building. If in the open country, run to low ground away from any cars (which may roll over on you). Lie flat and face-down, protecting the back of your head with your arms. Avoid seeking shelter under bridges, which can create deadly traffic hazards while offering little protection against flying debris.


In the open outdoors: If possible, seek shelter in a sturdy building. If not, lie flat and face-down on low ground, protecting the back of your head with your arms. Get as far away from trees and cars as you can; they may be blown onto you in a tornado.

Underlining is mine.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by pappy19

Seems to me that one should try and know what the weather is forecasted, but sometimes that's a crap shoot. Like was said, leaving the AS and laying down in some snake infested ditch sure isn't in the cards for the wifer, so the TV is the choice for safety.

When we've been spending the night in tornado country, we have access to radar in a couple of ways: (1) on the computer or smart phone, you can get weather and radar from the gov't website, (2) on TV the Weather Channel will focus on tornado info or a local TV station will. If you have HD TV, some local stations have a side channel with constant weather and radar, and (3) a weather radio will give you locations, and how fast and what direction tornados are moving.

You could get in the ditch and after the tornado passes, go find your wife and truck and administer first aid and call for an ambulance.

Gene

[Lily&Me]

We also live in tornado alley, central Illinois.

Our weather folks always say never to seek shelter under a bridge, because the rotating winds can pull you out and make you airborne. If you are caught on the highway, the safest place is a ditch as described above.

A few years ago, a small community north of us was devastated by a tornado, and many people killed who had sought shelter from their mobile homes in the sturdiest shelter around---a brick building in town. The building collapsed on them.

A rural business about 20 miles west of us had the foresight to stormproof their entire building, with I believe cement walls. All employees survived a direct hit a number of years ago because of it.

My young children and I survived a tornado about 30 years ago that came so quickly out of a thunderstorm, in the middle of the night, that sirens were not sounded. Huge trees fell and came through our kitchen window. We escaped without a scratch, although by the time we were awake and sheltered it was over.

Sometimes it's the luck of the draw, and just not your time to go.

Maggie

[slowmover]

Generally one will not be caught unawares assuming a tested weather radio tuned for the county one is in and those surrounding. Certain times of year, and certain kinds of weather narrow things down. Having identified proper shelter beforehand is also good. Assume there will be no power afterwards and one will b cold & wet. Hail tends to surround these events in spring as well. Hat, gloves & boots as the top layer. Knapsacks with provisions.

I've run away, I've chased them. But even being on the edge is deeply impressive.