Thunderstorms Can Hammer Your RV
April is the Time of year when many RVs are on the road moving from the southern United States northward. 
This is also the time of year that lines of thunderstorms string from Canada to Texas and back. As an Air Force Navigator I threaded the EC-135 “Looking Glass” through many lines of thunderstorms in the Midwest. A thunderstorm will tear up an aircraft by wind shear and hail damage. Air Force regulations restricted us from flying within thirty miles of a thunder cell as “painted” on our radar. The reason was because hail generated inside the cell can be thrown 25 miles away from the center of the storm. That explains why you can be driving down a dry road on a bright and sunny afternoon and suddenly be pelted with hail. The damage looks like someone took a ball-pean hammer to your vehicle. Hail can range in size from a pea to a softball and can ruin you day. So what can you do to avoid damage from thunder storms? 
The first thing you need to do is look at your watch. Most thunderstorms build during the day and begin their fireworks in the late afternoon. So, if you get a good weather report and know where the thunderstorms have a high probability of forming, make sure you avoid the area (especially in the late afternoon). If you are unfortunate enough to be caught in a hail storm you should pull off the road and wait it out. 
This will help minimize the damage because the velocity of the hail will be reduced by the speed you were traveling. It’s even better if you can pull off under an overpass or a gas station awning. You should also be aware that thunderstorms generate intense winds including spawning tornadoes. I shouldn’t need to say this, but if you see or hear a tornado nearby, take shelter immediately. If you are RVing through the Midwest you need to ask your RV park manager for the location of the nearest storm shelter. Many Midwest RV parks have shelters inside the park. 
You should also inquire as to how RVers will be alerted to take shelter. Sometimes the manager will come knocking or sound an alarm from the office such as a siren or bell. A good weather radio and a great insurance company are two essentials when traveling through the Midwest during thunderstorm season. Helping you play safe on the RV road - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing
This is also the time of year that lines of thunderstorms string from Canada to Texas and back. As an Air Force Navigator I threaded the EC-135 “Looking Glass” through many lines of thunderstorms in the Midwest. A thunderstorm will tear up an aircraft by wind shear and hail damage. Air Force regulations restricted us from flying within thirty miles of a thunder cell as “painted” on our radar. The reason was because hail generated inside the cell can be thrown 25 miles away from the center of the storm. That explains why you can be driving down a dry road on a bright and sunny afternoon and suddenly be pelted with hail. The damage looks like someone took a ball-pean hammer to your vehicle. Hail can range in size from a pea to a softball and can ruin you day. So what can you do to avoid damage from thunder storms? 
The first thing you need to do is look at your watch. Most thunderstorms build during the day and begin their fireworks in the late afternoon. So, if you get a good weather report and know where the thunderstorms have a high probability of forming, make sure you avoid the area (especially in the late afternoon). If you are unfortunate enough to be caught in a hail storm you should pull off the road and wait it out. 
This will help minimize the damage because the velocity of the hail will be reduced by the speed you were traveling. It’s even better if you can pull off under an overpass or a gas station awning. You should also be aware that thunderstorms generate intense winds including spawning tornadoes. I shouldn’t need to say this, but if you see or hear a tornado nearby, take shelter immediately. If you are RVing through the Midwest you need to ask your RV park manager for the location of the nearest storm shelter. Many Midwest RV parks have shelters inside the park. 
You should also inquire as to how RVers will be alerted to take shelter. Sometimes the manager will come knocking or sound an alarm from the office such as a siren or bell. A good weather radio and a great insurance company are two essentials when traveling through the Midwest during thunderstorm season. Helping you play safe on the RV road - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing
posted by Jim Twamley at
4/20/2008 09:34:00 PM
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