Hurricane Preparedness for RVers
If you RV on the East Coast, through the southern Gulf States to Texas, you’re already aware that Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico hurricanes and tropical storms are a fact of life from June 1 through November 30 and the height of the hurricane season occurs from late August through early October.
Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Hurricane Wilma was a category 5 hurricane and one of the costliest storms in history. Hurricane Wilma's highest sustained winds was at 185 mph. Lowest pressure point measured at 882 mbar. (Credit: hurricane-facts.com)
Although less common, they do occur on the Pacific Coast in southern California and Baja California, Mexico.
Any day now, as we enter the peak of the hurricane season, you’ll turn on the TV and see a meteorologist pointing to a radar blob in the Gulf of Mexico make two basic meteorological points:
- There is no need to panic
- We could all be killed
You may wish to follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:
- Step 1: Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least seven days
- Step 2: Load these supplies into your recreational vehicle
- Step 3: Drive to Wyoming and stay there until after Thanksgiving
While you may deem this plan to be somewhat overkill, it begs the question: What should RVers do?
Above all else, use common sense and remain calm.
Planning and preparation is the key—and that’s where you should start NOW. As an RVer you are already several steps ahead in preparation for a hurricane.
Hurricanes Warrant Evacuation
Twelve to 18 named tropical storms with winds of at least 39 miles (63 kilometers) an hour could form in the Atlantic Basin, which includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) head Jane Lubchenco (May 19, 2011). Credit: catastrophemonitor.com)
A major problem is most everyone—yes, including many RVers—thinks they can ride out a hurricane or that it’s not going to be all that severe, or more commonly, like thousands of others, wait until the last minute then find themselves stalled in a heavy traffic along with all the unprepared, last minute evacuees watching as their half-empty fuel gauge sucks out the last drops of fuel.
Evacuation is the key to safely surviving a hurricane and your RV gives you a great advantage. But, don’t wait too long. As soon as you know a hurricane is on its way, load up your RV and head inland.
Hurricanes and tropical storms often stall once they make landfall generating torrential downpours, flash floods, hail, lightening, and/or tornados. Between 1970 and 1999, 59 percent of deaths from hurricanes were caused by freshwater flooding.
Since the path of the storm may change requiring you to alter your evacuation route, stay informed as you travel. The most useful item to stay informed of current weather information is a NOAA Weather radio. Make sure you have fresh batteries in the radio and carry plenty of spares.
Snowbirds and full time RVers will already have many of the supplies needed to live for up to a week. Part time RVers should check the contents of their rigs in preparation for the hurricane season.
Lay in supplies as though you are going off to boondock somewhere for a week. Take plenty of extra water.
Keep your fuel tank and propane tank topped off because there will be long lines at gas stations when the evacuation rush is on.
Be aware that severe weather can begin many hours before the eye of the hurricane lands and winds, water surges, and storm conditions can be severe and worsen.
Flooding over access road 523 to Surfside beach, caused by Hurricane Ike forming in the Gulf of Mexico, is seen near Surfside Beach, Texas, September 12, 2008. (Credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria)
Even if you’re among the first to evacuate you may find full RV parks and campgrounds.
Replenish your first aid kit and check on prescription medications.
Ensure you have clothes and supplies for everyone on board including the family pet. Keep cell phones and two way radios fully charged.
Keep everyone in your family, or group, informed of plans.
By the time a hurricane is named you should be following its location and be pretty well prepared.
You don’t fool around with either hurricanes or tornadoes! Only advantage—if there is one—of hurricanes is you have far more warning and better tracking than you do with tornado.
Note: This is the first of a two-part series on Hurricanes and the RVer
Part 2: Hurricane Primer
Worth Pondering…
Anyone who says they’re not afraid at the time of a hurricane is either a fool or a liar, or a little bit of both.
—Anderson Cooper
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If you enjoy these articles and want to read more on RV travels and lifestyle, visit my website: Vogel Talks RVing.
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Would Colorado be good enough to weather it out? I dunno, we did have an earthquake here this year. Might not be safe?
As an RVer you immediatly have several advantages above the rest of an evacuating population. Why not stack the odds in your favor by obtaining an amateur radio license and adding an amateur radio to your rig. Ham radio will allow you to talk directly to other area hams who can provide valuable insite with local directions, customs and RV campsites.
It’s cold in Wyoming in November. RV’s don’t stand a chance. Been there. Done that. With all the heat on the wind drove the ice right thru the wall to form on the inside, Brrr !! Really good advice. Inlaws, many years ago were in Florida when a small hurricane hit. “we will never do that again”. Dom\n’t try it. Run like hell.et outa there. I hope everyone reads and understands what you are trying to tell them. Thanks.
Please excuse all the errors in the last memo. I forgot to proofread.
Howdy Rex,
Good advice to listen to… Oklahoma or Kansas would be better than Wyoming!!
I worked a job in Wyoming once and it started snowing the middle of September..
Smooth roads, clear skies & balmy breezes!!!!!!
At this point with all the fires in East and Central Texas, every time we hear about a tropical storm developing or a hurricane, we are praying, dancing a jig, doing anything to make it come this way. Unfortunately, we keep getting passed over.
If you come to Texas, please remember because we have not had rain and we are in an extreme drought, there is a BURN BAN in most counties, so you might as well say the whole state. There are only 4 out of 254 counties not under burn ban. We appreciate you coming to visit, it is getting cooler, but please no charcoal fires, fire rings, etc. Next month will be the State Fair of Texas in Dallas with the Texas vs. OU football game the 2nd weekend. There are a lot of things to do.
If you make it to Wyoming take a right go to South Dakota, find an abandoned farm and hole up in the barn. If that dont work winterize the coach and hole up in a good motel. Winters in SD are cruel but the folks are nice, the prices reasonable except during Sturgis week and you cant beat the scenery.
Having survived (sort of) Irene my wife and I watched as 100 ft. pine trees started falling onto our roof (the real house) and yard and it looked as though the direction of wind would take another tree onto the RV parked in our driveway. In a moment of panic my wife ordered me to drive the RV onto the front lawn where it would be shielded by the house and distance. Well, with lots of rain and a soggy lawn the idea might have sounded good but the result was an RV sunk deep into the lawn, with only about 3 inches of clearance to the tailpipe etc. The result, a need to call a tow truck the next day and after about an hour of attempting this and that finally he got the RV back onto the driveway. My advice if you have trees and live in hurricane areas, consider moving it until the storm passes, at the very least avoid driving it onto the front lawn. Although I must confess that without power for a few days, it provided a different way to boondock!
We are full-timers and camp a lot on the southeast coast where hurricanes are not far from our mind. What we have done the last couple of times, including for Irene, is to leave at least 24-36 hours ahead of possible landfall or tropical storm winds and make sure we are inland of the Inland Waterway bridges. The bridges are choke points and also dangerous once the winds increase. If you do that, even if evacuation is ordered from the coast, you are in the position of having choices of directions to go. We spent the night before Irene in a great parking lot about 30 miles inland. If Irene had come any closer, we could have gone southwest, west, or northwest from the small town we were in.
Remember, 45-50 mile per hour winds refer to sustained winds. Gusts are much higher and can really rock the house.
Stay safe, evacuate.
Say what you want about desert. But we don’t have to shovel heat, or worry about tornado’s, hurricanes, or tsunami’s. As long as you stay out of low lying washes, you are protected from the occasional flash flood.
My neighbor who retired to Florida from the snow belt then finally to the desert can attest to the above.