What do you do if a tornado is coming?

[kbingel]

Ok....I'm heading west on I-40 next week.....(Michigan to AZ, then To TN) then heading back east thru tornado alley to pick up our trailer. After watching this week's sad news, I thought...I should have a plan if we hear that tornadoes are sighted while we are in the area. Since I do not live anywhere where we get tornadoes, my question is....where does one go? Obviously, a small FGTT, as much as we admire them, wouldn't be a safe place to hang. How would you find a shelter? Anyone know about this? Am I being paranoid? Ha ha.

Thanks, Karen

[carlkeigley]

Do not hide under an underpass..........
Seek lowest ground possible. Even if it's soggy.

And don't take off the red slippers.

I'm way north of I-40 but my cellar is here for you.

[brian m.]

Don't stop under an overpass and get out. Don't try and outrun. Do stay aware. Do seek out low lying area like a ditch outside your vehicle.

[kbingel]

Thanks Carl, for the advice and invite! I don't have red shoes.....should I get some?. Can one out run a tornado as in go in the opposite direction real fast? I've only seen the tornado movies. Not sure that gets me much in the way true knowledge!

[carlkeigley]

If you can't get to a shelter, you hunker down, face it head own
in the lowest lying area you can get to. The danger is debri flying
through the air. If you are lower than ground level you have a
better chance.

Getting under an overpass seems logical, but the laws of physics
is against you. It will suck you out and who knows what. The
power actually magnifies under the overpass. Kind of a venturi effect.

I pay close attention to the television weather or listen closely to the
weather on the radio. We have some great weather people here.

But I'm sure all the states have great guys and gals watching out
for us.

Basically, what Brian said.

[kbingel]

How would you find out if there was a shelter near by? I will probably have my phone up and running. Plus finding the weather channel on the radio. I'm sure if we hear there are possibilities of tornadoes, we will just stay put....but sometimes they do come up un expectantly right? Sorry, just not ever been around them so feel really stupid. Frankly, I thought the underpass was the perfect thing. So there you go! Thanks again!

Karen

[carlkeigley]

You might google towns along your path.
I'm sure if they have public storm shelters
it would be listed. Schools have safe rooms
now adays. You just show up and someone
will direct you.

You got it right. Just stay put if you know in advance
where probability is high.

As bad as we've been having it, statistics are actually
lower than in the past. Reporting instantly makes it
seem like there's more I guess. We become aware
without trying to be aware.

[Carol H]

Most cities have public shelters, often at schools, hospitals, community centres etc.

There is also a Red Cross tornado Warning App for your phone that will send you an alert if there is activity in the area you are traveling.... do a google as there may be better apps. Don't laugh - some of these apps are known to be way better than counting on the local radio station to issue a warning. We use such an app here on the West Coast for Tsunami warnings - I have family living on the water front on the West Coast on Vancouver Island and they will tell you the app will send them a warning often up to 10 min. before they hear anything on the local radio or the emergency sirens in the town go off telling them to get out of town.

[Kudzu Asheville]

Once when we lived in Iowa and were travelling across the state, we found ourselves driving through a rural county under a tornado warning, so we stopped at a McDonald's. The staff didn't know there was an active tornado warning and frankly didn't seem too alarmed when we alerted them, but they allowed those who wanted shelter to go in their giant walk-in fridge. Thankfully the tornado didn't end up touching down.

Don't be afraid to ask for shelter. Even in tornado-ridden areas (I grew up in Huntsville, Alabama which has experienced multiple devastating tornadoes) locals don't always take them seriously.

[carlkeigley]

You're right Leslie.

Just ask.
When the family is in the cellar, I'm still watching
the news or walking around watching the skies.
Guess some of us just get used to or familiar.

[Imo.]

All good advice. Listen to radio, stop at truck stop (one of our local ones have weather channel on all the time), "keep eyes on sky", be aware of local weather conditions, use your weather apps to watch for approaching storm systems. Some tourist centers when changing states have weather up dates (the one close to joplin does as I stopped in a couple of weeks ago when returning from Ok as storms were a possibility that day). Also be aware of weather conditions beyond where you are currently located.
You can't out run a tornado when pulling a trailer....you never know when , if, and where those boiling clouds are going to land. If staying in a camp ground ask about the weather forcast. We stayed in a commercial CG last year in kansas for a nite, potential storms were predicted for the area, the town's sirens went off, and everyone headed for the shelter at the CG, we watched the storms progress via several weather apps, after the system blew thru, everyone went back to their sites (no tornadoes landed where we were but several touched down in the area).

Just be aware of the weather you are heading into, the weather in back of you. The chances of getting into tornadic weather is there but very slim. Also, slow down when traveling as our spring storms bring lots of rain and some flooding.
HOPE WE ARE NOT FREAKING YOU OUT....JUST BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS.

[Roger C H]

A tornado generally moves from Southwest to Northeast. If you are in your car and spot a tornado, drive Northwest or Southeast.

If in a home, lay in the bathtub, small closet, or the basement, however a person was killed in a basement recently so that isn't foolproof. Like an earlier poster said, your biggest threat is debris flying through the air.

We had a tornado touch down about 1/2 mile from our house when we lived in Wisconsin.

Since we moved, a microburst hit our old neighborhood and a former neighbor had his attached garage lifted up, a ski blown through the gap and then the roof trapped the ski. A guess some of our former trees were damaged.

[kbingel]

Thanks all....it is reassuring to have some ideas in case such a situation arises. Planned on staying at nation forest campgrounds but might go commercial in the worst areas of tornadoes, esp if the weather is iffy, since they will have shelters. Along with all the other common sense ideas. Are places like Walmart a good place to find shelter? Karen

[reeves99]

And have good insurance on your trailer. Make sure it's covered for all the hazards you might encounter on your trip
P

[Huck]

This is my perception as a non-expert. Many of the storms that generate tornadoes form in the deep south a day or 2 before you get tornadoes in GA, NC, SC, MO, KS, etc. So pay a lot of attention to storms forming in TX and Gulf of Mexico this time of year.

If there is a big storm brewing in TX on Monday, you probably don't want to be in OK, KS, MO, etc in the following day or 2.



Just checked local weather and this map was on the home page of The Weather Channel. Even though I'm in VA, this storm is like an arrow pointing right at NC and VA.

[Imo.]

Stores like wal-mart are like metal storage sheds, avoid.

more schools are getting FEMA financed storm shelters. School kids during the day get priority, at nite I'm waiting to see if school personnel will open them after school hours.

not all camp grounds have storm shelters, including commercial ones. Just ask where nearest one is. On the plains you can see forever, in in forest and hilly areas not so much so again I stress the use of weather stations on your I-phone, tablet, whatever you carry.....the GPS will target it into regional area. Missed many ice storms this past jan. as I worked my way north back to Mo. from big bend by using accuweather or wonder weather.

[keekers]

If you need a stop in Colorado, just send me a PM.

[monB]

A few years ago I was heading to a dog show a few states away, taking a lot of secondary roads. During the long trip tornado warnings/watches came up, I saw people parked and huddled under overpasses, the radio is reporting tornados on the ground in _______ and I had NO freaking idea *WHERE* that town was! Also reports of tornadoes moving NE out of such and such town or county and I had no idea WHERE anything was! Was it behind, beside or in front of me? VERY frustrating!


Spent the next 30 minutes with my ears between my shoulder blades, head on spincycle, and eyes glued to the sky.

Definately a trip to remember!

Not too long after that, I was passing through eastern TN when warnings of sighted tornadoes came up and it was MUCH easier this time to find out what was going on where. I think it was because I was on an interstate.

Mon

[Kevin A]

While I've still never actually seen a tornado, we've had them go very near to us. While living in Wisconsin, a tornado or associated straight line winds came up from Pepin, WI over Durand, WI during early night and flattened our tall pine trees in the back yard. It did sound like a train! It also deposited millions of mosquitoes in our town from the Mississippi River.

While camping at the KOA in Moline, IL, a tornado warning was issued while I was in our UHaul VT around 9 p.m.. The campground sent around a truck blaring "We don't have a shelter... stay in your trailers." The tornado was spotted about a mile SW of me and it jumped the campground according to the Doppler Radar report. The VT rocked a little bit, but no damage. In hindsight, getting out of the trailer and hiding down the river bank might have been safer so things would have blown over.

We were also alerted to a huge storm in South Dakota near Mitchell two years ago in May. We pulled off I-90 into a truck stop and they had us all get away from the windows, but not below ground. The storms went around, but we saw the damage when we started up again.

Bottom line... keep the radio on to a station where you can get storm updates. Also, check your smartphone for radar updates if storms are possible. I check about once an hour to see where the lines of storms are going. Don't be afraid of traveling... just be aware!

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by carlkeigley

Getting under an overpass seems logical, but the laws of physics
is against you. It will suck you out and who knows what. The
power actually magnifies under the overpass. Kind of a venturi effect.

Good info to know!
Thanks.