r/vandwellers 6d ago

Tips & Tricks Is it scary during storms/tornadoes?

I've always worried about tornadoes

11 Upvotes

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19

u/POODERQUASTE 6d ago

i mean..when there are tornado warnings you just drive away?

14

u/drdiggg 6d ago

Where to? On a trip across the US, I was in Kansas City in the middle of tornado warnings and had no idea what to do. The local radio was talking about how a tornado touched down in "this" area/neighborhood, then "that" one. It may have been obvious for a local, but I had no clue where these places were and whether or not I was in danger.

4

u/ACanadianNoob 6d ago

I guess in a pinch you can look up sheltered concrete parking garages and pay for a night of parking there.

10

u/AcMav 6d ago

You should be looking for Tornado Shelters if you're in a situation like this. Generally its advised against seeking shelter in your vehicle under bridges or in open structures like that as they act as wind tunnels, amplifying the effects. You're at high risk in an above ground non-permanent shelter, it's definitely worth taking the time to identify a local shelter. Lots of RV parks in Tornado prone areas have Tornado Shelters if you want to stay close to your van. Be safe out there

1

u/Fun_Health8583 4d ago

You know what’s the funniest part? When the tornado sirens go or the radio says one touched down, Kansans all go outside to look. Not like rubber-necking or anything - just that’s the best way to assess your potential danger. Whatever comes across the radio is what was happening 5 or 10 minutes ago, and that’s just not very relevant to what’s going on now. You’re looking for areas where the clouds are starting to spiral a bit, and then if you see that, you’re looking to see what direction it’s moving, and then if it looks like it’s moving your way… “Dang it, Maw, looks like we’d better head down to the basement.”

1

u/drdiggg 3d ago

Yet another thing I didn't know, which added to my anxiety. I was a real fish out of water in that situation.

-1

u/aidsy 5d ago

Did you consider looking at a map?

2

u/Fun_Health8583 4d ago

…I don’t think you understand how quickly things are going when this happens.