A lesson plan on natural disaster preparedness for RVers and campers.

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📍- Anywhere in the world

It’s officially tornado season in Texas, hurricane season for the eastern coast is just around the corner, and California’s fire season starts in June. Coincidentally, as the days grow longer and temperatures continues to rise, it’s also peak camping season. 

I get it. Nobody wants to think about having to encounter a natural disaster when they’re enjoying a wilderness getaway in their motorhome. Unfortunately, extreme weather events can be unpredictable, and try as we might to avoid them, many of us will come face to face with a natural disaster when living in our RV. When this happens, you’ll be grateful that you know how to respond and that you have a few emergency preparedness essentials on hand.

Just a few weeks ago, our little full-time RV family had the frightening experience of watching a tornado touch down in a field behind our motorhome. Growing up in Pennsylvania, this type of extreme weather was foreign to us, and our ignorance toward knowing how to react led us to waste several minutes before we found shelter. We were lucky, emerging from that encounter with no injuries, and little damage to our rig besides a broken door actuator. Still, this scary moment was enough to motivate us to create a disaster preparedness plan for any future incidents that we may have with extreme weather and natural disasters. 

Discovery Detour is all about sharing this kind of knowledge, so if you’re looking for tips on how to prepare and react if you encounter a natural disaster in your motorhome, look no further than this blog. Keep reading to discover what to do in an RV during a natural disaster.

Before Disaster Strikes

Fill Your Tanks

Although easier said than done, it’s never a good idea to park your rig with an empty gas tank. Sure, it’s easy enough to get gas on your way out of town if you’re not in a hurry, but if severe weather is headed your way, the last thing you’re going to want to do is to search for a gas station when you need to prioritize distancing yourself from an approaching storm. You’re going to want a full tank to put miles between you and the severe weather quickly, and also some to spare so that you can run your generator if you end up in a place without electricity. In the winter months, you should also ensure that you have enough propane to keep your rig warm for several days.

Keep enough fresh water in your tank to sustain you and your family for several days. For our motorhome, we usually leave half of our fresh water tank full, even if we’re planning to stay at a place with city water. It costs us more on gas, but it’s a small price to pay for the knowledge that we could survive a few days off grid at a moment's notice.

Know your surroundings 

When you settle at a new location, take a few moments to orient yourself to your surroundings. Know if there are any large trees or nearby power lines that could become hazards during an earthquake or tornado.

Oftentimes, weather alerts are issued by county, so it’s important to figure out what county you are in when you first park your RV. Write this information down for reference and leave it somewhere that it is easily accessible.

Know what roads will lead you back to a highway and ask around for where the closest safe building is if you ever need to flee your motorhome. During our tornado scare, we found shelter in the RV park clubhouse but later found out that there was a bathroom with fewer windows which was actually closer to where we were parked. While it didn’t make a difference for us in that scenario, the seconds that we wasted going to the wrong safe building could have made the difference between keeping our family safe and leaving them in danger.

Have a Reliable Alert Source

There are a lot of weather stations and apps out there, some being more reliable than others. Do some research and figure out a few weather alert sources that you trust before the weather is headed your way and you’re panicking about conflicting information on the internet. The AccuWeather App (for Android or Apple) is a personal favorite because of its reliability and real-time weather radar that can help you track a storm, but NOAA Weather is also just as credible.

We recently purchased a Midland NOAA Weather Alert Radio which will notify us of any extreme weather warnings in our area as long as we set it to our current location. It gives us a bit of peace of mind to know that we will be aware of all alerts, even in the event that we lose our internet connection.

Stock up on Essentials

Just as important as having enough water on hand is ensuring that you have a few day’s worth of food in your RV as well. Particularly, it’s vital that you have non-perishables and canned goods because any loss of electricity could cause the food in your fridge to quickly spoil. 

It’s also a great idea to keep a first aid kit in your motorhome, and to potentially have a backup kit in a tow vehicle if you happen to travel with one. If you need to flee an area quickly, sometimes it’s better to drive away in your car and to let insurance handle any damage to your motorhome later. If this ever becomes the case for you, you will be happy to have a few essentials in your vehicle.

Other essential items that could come in handy include flashlights, fire extinguishers, bottled water, and warm blankets.

Types of Natural Disasters

Earthquakes

Earthquakes have no “season”, meaning they can occur at any time during the year. They are concentrated most frequently along the fault lines at the perimeter of the Pacific Ocean, making California, Oregon and Washington high risk areas for earthquakes in the United States. 

Luckily, since RVs are designed to absorb the shocks it receives while being driven down a highway, an earthquake is probably the natural disaster that your camper can withstand best. If you are inside your RV during an earthquake, stay away from heavy light fixtures and windows which are prone to shatter. Find protection by hiding beneath tables or standing under a doorway within your RV. Keep in mind that if there are any large telephone poles or trees near your camper, your RV is likely not strong enough to protect you from one in the event that it decides to fall. So, if that is the case, it may be safer to flee your RV and wait out the earthquake from outside if you can get far enough away from these types of hazards.

Because of the risk of propane or other gas leaks, do not light matches, do not light candles, and do not turn on any electrical equipment which could cause a spark from loose electrical wiring. Only use battery operated flashlights or phones for light until you can verify that there are no gas leaks within your RV.

Hurricanes

Hurricane season is from June to November and hits the United States along the eastern coastline, anywhere from Texas to Maine.

If you are in a hurricane prone area, monitor your chosen weather station closely so that you are aware of any impending hurricanes before they reach you. In the event that your area is expected to receive a hurricane, do not attempt to continue camping in that area. Either drive to a new location out of the high impact zone, or seek shelter away from your RV. Putting your RV in an indoor storage facility is the safest option, but if that is not available to you, try parking it away from large trees or power lines, off of sand, away from hillsides, and at high ground if at all possible. If you know what direction the wind will be coming from, face your RV in that direction to help prevent tipping.

Roll in all slides and ensure that they are properly sealed. Draw the blinds to prevent glass from any shattered windows from entering your rig. Close your propane valve and shut off any appliances that run on propane. If you happen to have an RV cover, put that on your rig as securely as possible.

In the event that you find yourself in your RV when the storm hits, seek nearby shelter if at all possible. Never drive through water that is deeper than your ankles because even a relatively shallow amount of flowing water can stall a vehicle or cause you to lose control of your RV.

Tornadoes

Peak tornado season for states that lie along the tornado belt, such as Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, is from May to Early June. In addition, the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest face an increased risk of tornadoes in June and July.

While meteorologists can predict if tornadoes are likely to happen several days in advance, they often form extremely quickly with the right conditions. Like hurricanes, if you are in a location which is prone to tornadoes, monitor your weather services closely and know if there is a tornado watch issued in the upcoming days. If there is, it is safest to vacate the area entirely.

Otherwise, consider securing your RV as best as possible. Roll in your slides, turn off electronics and propane valves, draw your blinds, park your RV in the direction that the strongest wind will be coming from, and cover your RV if you own an RV cover. You can even purchase RV anchors which will help secure your RV from lifting off the ground or tipping due to strong wind gusts.

If you find yourself in your RV during the tornado watch, know what county you are in and keep your cell phones and any weather alert radios close by which will alert you to any tornado warnings in your county. Tornado warnings should be taken very seriously and you should immediately take action to find the closest shelter if you ever receive one on your phone.

Blizzards

Blizzards are common in the Upper Midwest and Great Planes, but can occur anywhere in the northern United States during winter, most commonly concentrated in the months of December through February.

If you know a blizzard is coming your way, make sure you have plenty of propane to keep your RV warm for at least a week. Fill your fresh water tank in case any of the water lines freeze. Stock up on food, particularly canned goods in the event that you lose power, and buy a shovel in the event that you may have to dig yourselves out of your rig.

As you wait out the blizzard, be aware that snow and ice can quickly cover your RV vents and prevent proper ventilation. Frequently check on your vents throughout the storm to ensure that this isn’t happening. If it is, shovel snow away from the vents, sprinkle salt on any ice to help it melt, or manually chip away at it to allow your vents to function properly again.

This may go without saying, but do not attempt to drive your RV on untreated snowy or icy roads. Black ice can be nearly invisible to the naked eye but can easily cause you to lose control of you RV if you drive over it.

Fires

Wildfires are most likely to occur between May and October, with increased risk during a dry summer season. The dry climate in California, Texas and North Carolina puts these states at higher risk of wildfires than other states.

Before a fire is at your front door, make sure that you have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in your rig. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors every year and ensure that every person in your home knows how to operate a fire extinguisher in the case of an emergency.

When it comes to fires, the best remedy is prevention. Be sure that your heating and electrical systems are properly maintained and to always follow the instructions on your high powered appliances, making sure to not overload your electrical systems. 

Be aware of any fire risks issued in your area and avoid having campfires if there are any. Don’t park your RV on top of tall grass, because heat from your engine and tailpipe could cause dry grass to ignite.

Aside from monitoring your weather apps for warnings of wildfires and fire bans, you should also watch for smoke which is often the first indicator of a nearby fire. Try to determine where the fire is and flee the area before it gets too close to you.

Floods

While floods can occur any time of year, flash floods are particularly likely during the heavy spring rains which commonly occur from April to June.

As the name suggests, flash floods can happen very quickly, making it vital that you monitor your weather stations ahead of time and are aware of any flash flood risks far in advance. If there is a danger of flash floods in your area, move away from any water body if at all possible. Stock up on propane and gasoline which can power your generator in the event that you lose power because outages can last even after the flood has dissipated.

If you anticipate the possibility of a flash flood, pack a go bag, and leave it by your front door. Pack things such as food, a change of clothes, emergency documents, cell phone chargers, mediation, and anything else that you wouldn’t be able to survive a few days without. This will help you evacuate your RV quickly in the event that you decide to do so.

Remember, never play, walk, or drive through flooded streets. The water could be contaminated, and since you often can’t see through flood water, you could hurt yourself on sharp objects that lie beneath the surface.

Have any more safety tips to add that weren’t mentioned in this blog? Be sure to comment them down below so that we can help future travelers stay safe together!

Thank you for joining us at Discovery Detour, where the destination is always unknown.