What Should Full-Time RVers Do During Severe Weather in North Texas?
While enjoying the flexibility that full-time RVing provides, severe weather may require more preparation than what one undertakes in a conventional house. North Texas is known for its tornadoes, damaging winds, hail, lightning, flash flooding, extreme heat, and occasional winter freezes. An RV should never be considered a storm shelter.
The safest course of action is to prepare before storms develop, know exactly where to go, and arrive with enough time.
How Should RVers Prepare Before Severe Weather?
Start by learning the procedures of the RV park to understand emergency operations. Asking where the nearest approved storm shelter or substantial building is, how long it may take, and whether pets are welcome goes a long way. If the park does not have an acceptable shelter, find alternatives well before inclement weather arrives. The National Weather Service suggests a four-part camping preparedness approach of plan, practice, monitor, and act. Campers need to know where the appropriate shelter is and how to receive warnings.
Know the Park’s Emergency Plan
Save the park office number, local emergency contacts, and shelter address book in every adult’s personal phone. Walk or drive the evacuation route before a storm is brewing so you don’t have to find it when it’s dark, raining hard, or hailstones the falling. Discuss responsibilities with everyone in the RV. Who will collect the medications, and who will care for the pets? Always have shoes, keys, identification, a weather radio, and needed emergency supplies in one easily accessed location.
Where Should RVers Shelter During a Tornado Warning?
Do not wait! Leave your RV to seek shelter in a sturdy building. A basement or a safe, small interior room or closet on the lowest floor, away from windows, is the best first choice. Storage sheds, tents, RVs, or mobile homes are not tornado shelters. Never take a vehicle to an outdoor shelter. Tornadoes strike quickly, leaving too little time to reach safety. Highway overpasses are never a good option. Low, narrow ditches are a last resort because you’re likely to be exposed to projectiles and hazards like hail, lightning, wind, or even flooding.
“Severe weather safety for full-time RVers begins long before a warning is issued. Every guest should know where sturdy shelter is located, keep multiple weather alerts active, prepare pets and emergency supplies, and leave the RV early enough to reach safety.”–Kristen, Management
Understand Watches and Warnings
A tornado watch means that tornadoes are possible, so residents should be prepared to act if one develops. A tornado warning signifies that a tornado is expected or has been sighted nearby. Shelters should take shelter immediately! Do not depend solely on outdoor sirens as warnings. Keeping Wireless Emergency Alerts enabled, using the trusted weather application, listening to local broadcasts, and having a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio is much more effective. Having multiple alert options is vital, as cell towers or home power may not work in an emergency.
What Belongs in an RV Emergency Kit?
Keep drinking water, shelf-stable food, medications, flashlights, batteries, phone chargers, a battery bank, first-aid supplies, a weather radio, sturdy shoes and work gloves, and important documents in a ready-to-carry form. Make sure to include carriers, leashes, food, water, and vaccination and identification records for the family pets, as well. It should be light enough to grab and go quickly, since precious seconds lost searching when the danger warning is issued could cost more than valuables.
Protecting the RV Before a Storm
If inclement weather is forecast but still approaching, retract awnings and slide toppers, secure outdoor items, disconnect loose hoses or attachments, and stow anything that could be windborne. Make sure all the windows, vents, and exterior compartments are closed. Do not waste time outside in an effort to save the RV when thunder, winds, or the warning begin. The damage can always be repaired or claimed for insurance, but life has to come first.
How Should RVers Handle Flooding and Lightning?
Never try to drive through a waterlogged road or around a barrier. You may not realize the water depth, that the pavement is damaged, or that conditions are more dangerous in the dark. Per the instructions of the National Weather Service, it’s safest to simply turn around and head somewhere else. If an evacuation is suggested for the area at any point, get away from low spots. Don’t stay until the water has already completely surrounded the RV.
If there is lightning, move into a substantial building as soon as you hear thunder. Open shelters, porches, isolated trees, or outdoor gathering areas are not safe. Per the suggestions of the National Weather Service, one should continue waiting another thirty minutes after seeing lightning before going out again.
After the Storm Passes
Wait to exit the shelter until you’re told the situation is safe. Stay aware of downed power lines, broken branches, sharp objects, broken utility connections, standing water, and possible gas leaks. Don’t run the risk of touching any electrical equipment or standing in the water. Photograph any damage it is safe for you to witness, report any damage to the management, and call the appropriate insurer. If the RV has been through a serious wind, hail, water, electrical, or structural ordeal, it needs to be tested before you put anything back or return to it. Contact management at Southern Belle Ranch & RV Park if you want to learn more about severe weather preparation in a long-term RV park.
What Do Full-Time RVers Ask About Severe Weather?
Q: Is an RV Safe During a Severe Thunderstorm?
A: An RV may offer shelter from standard rain, but it isn’t safe during a tornado or wind event. If there are tornadoes, extreme winds, and/or big hail called in the warnings, it’s time to get the hell out of the rig and into a sturdy building. Prepare ahead of time so as not to have to drive around after the dangerous conditions have already presented.
Q: Should I move my RV when Severe Weather is forecast?
A: It is always a good idea to move it well before the storm arrives if the route and place are safe. If the warning has been sounded or the strong winds, hail, or flooding begins at the destination, towing can be more dangerous than staying put. It’s vital to watch the forecast well in advance and never make a last-minute move or relocation attempt without enough time to arrive safely.
Q: What should I do if severe weather happens overnight?
A: Have the alerts set loud enough to awaken you, make the phone calls beforehand in order to charge up the phones, and have the shoes, keys, medications, pet supplies, and ID beside the exit to the outdoors. Practice the shelter route before drifting off. The NOAA Weather Radio provides an extra warning if cellular service is not up, for emergency power or electricity failures.
Q: How should RVers prepare for extreme heat and power outages?
A: Always know where air-conditioned shelter is if the loss of air from a hot RV is inevitable. According to the National Weather Service, it’s best to locate a cooling facility or stay with someone who has reliable AC. Have water on hand and keep an eye on temps within the motor coach at all times, and never expose children or the animals to an RV or car that doesn’t have AC.