What to do

[rahangman]

Realizing every instance would be different, but wondering what the POG can come up with for guidance when driving through Tornado Country. We are soon to travel from Arkansas to Denver with a couple Grandkids accompanying us and of course, short of going in a 2000 mile Arc around Tornado Alley, we will be in the "Thick of It" routing. We carry a really good NOAA portable radion from Radio Shack that gives one the Local situation and is very good. What about finding shelter or actual "avoidance" if spotted. Can't just sit at home till August, the Grandkids will wear us out!

[Lawrence M.]

I am in the same boat, considering OKC in the next 5 or 6 days!

[GDeen]

Look up the NWS severe weather outlook for the day(s) upcoming. Granted, it can be a broad brush but it should give you an idea of the highest risk areas and the timing. Then keep your satellite or laptop tuned to a weather radar as you are rolling. Weather Underground has an excellent radar link online that allows you to focus on a specific area, follow storm tracks, and follow severe or tornado warnings as they are posted.

Don't get too hooked up overnight - be ready to roll! Having the ability to move a few miles will keep you out of the path of a tornado. Hail is another issue and much harder to dodge.

[phorner]

We faced the same situation a couple of years ago, and the anxiety isn't pleasant. You don't want to be paranoid but it is realistic to have some concerns.

We kept our weather alert radios (yes, we used two considering the second as a backup) tuned to current local weather broadcasts as best we could. We also stayed places that offered storm shelter protection if at all possible.

In fact, once, with the weather radio broadcasting new warnings every 20 to 30 minutes, we gave up and spent our night in the casino where we were camping (in their campground) until the weather cleared in the early morning hours.

We also found a real nasty hail storm, luckily with our Jeep instead of the bus. Hail damage isn't pretty. If/when you start to see the "fingers" start to descend from the sky don't hesitate and take cover. Unfortunately for us, the area under the overpass was full of vehicles and we essentially just had to park on the shoulder and take it. Plenty of damage but no injuries.... cars can be fixed.

All you can really do is try to be as aware of your weather as possible, be prepared to move and/or take cover quickly, and make the best of it.

Caution and common sense go a long way but nothing can guarantee "event-free" travels through tornado alley this time of year.

[flyu2there]

Having flown through, around, and in this area for 35 plus years there are several things to consider. First and foremost, if it is really a concern do not go, save yourself worry, heartburn, fretting, perhaps even a ruined trip....even if the weather is splendid would it really be worth the aggravation? The second alternative is to do an end run....go North or South of the areas that may be "hot" during your transit. This time of the year there is not much activity near the Canadian Border or the Gulf of Mexico....although this changes to a degree with the seasons. Should you really want to go and you are not impacted by my previous, leave at "O" dark thirty and complete your travels by say two in the afternoon. Thunderstorms, vertical development in clouds, need to have sunshine in their recipe (even if it is unseen from your position at the time).......no sunshine and a big piece of the recipe turns up missing. I have looked at a bunch of thunderstorms in my day and my best guess is less than 1% paint on the radar with the "hook" or the signature of a tornado. Mind you there are still plenty of dangerous thunderstorms out there able to spit hail that the size of a golf ball which could create havoc to a bus even at 62.5 mph, but are certainly not tornado parents.
While the NWS is a good resource, they tend to fail.....just ask the folks in Joplin. Yes, there is a certain amount of risk driving through thunderstorm alley this time of year but does it bother UPS, FeDex, Warner, Old Dominion, and 1500 other independent truck drivers...don't think so!
A couple of grand will buy you a Garmin 496 with XM weather, one can see what's ahead although in the real world, a bus can never out run or out guess a thunderstorm, much less a tornado.
that's my 2 Cents,

[truk4u]

Fly Dude,

Can you say TRW++++

This of course is for the old bold pilots that had to get weather the hard way!

[Jerry Winchester]

Most of the weather alert radios have a code you enter for the area you are in. When severe weather is predicted or announced, the alarm goes off and then you can listen to the warning. We quit using ours when we moved from Oklahoma to Houston. If you die in a hurricane, you're a moron. If you die in a tornado, you might just be unlucky.

It is also not unusual for parks in tornado prone areas to have a storm shelter or access to one. Like someone previously mentioned, if you keep up with the weather and the outlook for severe storms, you can generally adjust where you are by a few miles and miss the storm. Your bus might not fare well, but you most likely won't get nicked up.

Also bear in mind the fact that I have seen two tornados and neither of them were associated with a rain storm. It looked like it would rain any minute, but the sun was out behind them and they just appeared, so don't make the mistake of thinking being dry is being safe.

[garyde]

I understand the gulf stream will be rising in the next few days which will reduce the threat of tornados in the lower states.

[rahangman]

Good info from all and I thank you. I was once in a Tornado, 1965 and have lived through 2 Hurricanes. Hurricanes win if one is required. This said, we have a portable/rechargeable NOAA radio from Radio Shack well worth the money. Got it after traveling through Missouri and hearing "Tornado on the ground in ___ County" and having no idea what county we were in. As Mr Winchester says, this one has an option that automatically seeks the closest reporting NOAA station and we think it has been very accurate. We will go, as you say, bad weather happens all the time and we do not intend to let it keep us from traveling, only to be sure we are aware and able to do what we must to protect ourselves. Thanks again. Colorado here we come, right back where we started from. Oh, and Truk, thanks but I don't care to fly anymore, just my choice.

[GDeen]

This is what I worry about the most this time of year in the bus.....


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