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Photo by H.S. Cooper ©
Photo by H.S. Cooper ©
Photo by H.S. Cooper ©
A foggy Friday morning commute on the highway.
Trailer of hay bales on fire in Houston.
Okay, again… not the best title…but it was really, really hard to resist that one!
We saw this trailer yesterday while we were headed westbound on I-10 in downtown Houston. The trailer loaded with hay bales had actually passed us about thirty minutes prior to this.
Trailer fire on I-10 in downtown Houston yesterday.
A recent outbreak of severe storms across the U.S. has reminded us to re-check our storm supplies and start thinking about Hurricane Season. As Full-Time RVers, we are always concerned about severe weather. Although RVs can withstand moderate winds, they are not intended to be used for shelter in any type of severe storm.
All Campers should invest in a NOAA weather radio or weather alert radio. A good one can be purchased for around $30 and in case storm Watch or Warning is issued, you will have the latest information.
If you are staying in an area prone to severe weather or possible flooding (which caused much loss last summer season – especially to those tent camping) then you should find out where it is best to seek shelter or what evacuation route (i.e. flood, hurricanes) is closest. Make sure you know where to go and have a little family meeting. Even if you are just on a week vacation, discussing a plan with your family for just five minutes could end up saving your lives.
Ask the campground staff if they notify their campers about severe weather alerts and what they advise campers to do in stormy situations. Some campgrounds may recommend their restroom or recreation buildings for shelter. Many have concrete buildings that would be a solid structure to go to if there isn’t time, such as in the case of a tornado. But if you have time and know that severe weather will affect your area, make sure you seek an official shelter.
We actually stayed at a casino RV resort that had sirens to alert RV guests of a possible tornado and they would dispatch their casino shuttles to pick up everyone from the campground and take them to a secure area of the main casino building. The “plan” was actually printed on the back of the registration tag so that everyone had the information at check-in.
If there is a situation where you are told to evacuate – you must! If it is a volunteer evacuation or if you want to leave on your own accord with your RV, make sure you have: Fuel, Cash (if you can get quick access to it because ATMs do run out of money prior to disasters), Canned Foods, Water, Flashlights, Batteries, Weather Radio, Personal Information (i.e. insurance papers), Cell Phone (and extra batteries and the charger), Camera (in case you need to document anything afterward for insurance), Medicines Needed (and prescription information if they need refilled while you are away), First-Aid Kit, Laptop Computer and an Overnight Bag (with clothing and toiletries). The overnight bag may be needed if you find yourself stranded and are suddenly forced to leave your RV. If you have pets, a bag for them with Food, Treats, Toys and any Medicines.
If you are taking the rig, you will want to make sure your tank is filled with water, holding tanks emptied, propane tanks filled and RV and tow batteries charged. You might not arrive at your evacuation destination. We know too many RVers who have evacuated only to find themselves stuck only two or three hours from where they left. And most times, especially if it is a hurricane, you find yourself in a worse situation! So if you have adequate time, be prepared.
Storms bring out the best and the worst in people. After one hurricane, many of us gathered other folk’s belongings and secured it back on their property. We also shared food and supplies with other Campers in need. We helped cleaned up debris (as much as we could) and offered generator usage time for those who didn’t have generators.
We have also witnessed the worst in people. As soon as travel restrictions were lifted, scavengers were driving through the RV resort looking for aluminum scraps (especially off older RVs and park models). For those who weren’t able to return or were away for the summer, their belongings that were scattered were targets for scavengers to steal.
Although RVs are self-contained, they were not designed to be used for shelter in any type of severe storm. So take some time to make a plan for your family this camping season.
Since I first posted “Campground Living: Better than Reality TV” , I have received a number of requests for other reality TV-worthy “episodes” we’ve experienced at campgrounds. And yes, like Hollywood… I can offer a sequel!
We were in a campground in Texas where Tenters camped along the river and RVers had full hook-up sites above. Imagine our surprise when we heard all sorts of commotion coming from below. Further down in the tent area a Camper’s tent and all his gear had been thrown in the river. You could see some of it still floating (part of the tent, sleeping bags and coolers) as the river current was moving it too quickly to sink. He was running and shouting along the river, apparently hoping someone could save his gear. It turned out to be quite an ordeal, as the sheriff was called and began searching the campground for the culprits.
That reminds me of the RV resort we were staying at in Florida. A seasonal RVer with a fifth-wheel got his tow vehicle repossessed right before he was going to head northward. We moved on shortly after so I don’t know how that issue was resolved.
While staying at a campground in Virginia, we were surprised to see a travel trailer back in beside us with a mobile kennel of-sorts. Their pickup truck was filled with wire, dog cages (two with dogs) and a huge dog house. They unhooked the trailer and began erecting a fence with the dog house in the center. The caged dogs were placed inside, as well as the dogs already in the trailer and the one they had riding inside the pickup truck. They told us their dogs just loved going on vacation and being outdoors. That really surprised me considering they spent the weekend barking at everything they saw and heard outside! (I like dogs, but most campgrounds do have rules about leaving them outside for long periods, especially unattended or for constant barking.)
Several years ago I was riding my bike around at a campground in South Florida. After passing the pull-thru area I realized there were two tents set up beside a fifth-wheel. It is unusual to see tents in pull-thru sites but I didn’t think anymore of it until I made my next lap around and saw the little fences set up at the side of each tent. Inside the little fences were pot-bellied pigs. Again, I didn’t think much of it… okay, at first I was a little surprised… but pets like to travel too. 🙂 But the next day when I rode by and saw them dressed up… well, that had me wondering… did they pay the daily pet charge or extra person rate? 😉
I have to say that one of the most bizarre things we’ve seen happened at a family campground in Virginia. We didn’t know the folks who set up camp a few sites down from us were on a hunting trip. Imagine our surprise when we pulled up our dining room shades only to see a dead deer hanging from the tree on their campsite. Fortunately, that week’s free campground movie wasn’t “Bambi”.
Yes - that is exactly what you think it is! 😦
Honestly though, I’d miss seeing these things (well, not necessarily a freshly killed deer hanging from a tree) if we weren’t full-timing. Forget the TV, we just pull-up our window shade and see who or what pulls in beside us ~ now that’s entertainment! 😉
PLEASE NOTE: I originally posted this without the photo, but after receiving a few emails doubting a campground would allow that… well, I decided to go ahead and post the photo. I do apologize if it bothers you.
- We panned for gold right at this spot!
I have been working on updating TMN’s pages the last few days and must confess… it wasn’t until today when I planned to move the photo pages, that I realized just what a crazy camera person I am! I literally have tens of thousands of photos now!!!
While I sort through all these flash drives and re-capture some wonderful memories, please be patient. My “plan” is to have pages offering a sampling of some of the amazing parks and sites this beautiful country has to offer under each State in the Photos section. I will slowly work on uploading photos of states already listed, then add on those I do not.
For those who subscribe to posts, you will not be getting the new page updates via email. So you will have to make sure you stop by now-and-then! 🙂
PHOTO: Photo above is from… well, no, I’m not going to tell you! You’ll just have to stop back later and find out! 😉
Three Modern Nomads 