Tornado Season in the Great Plains

[RollingOm]

Hello All!  I have a question for those who have traveled through the great plains during the months of June through August.  I've been planning to spend a few weeks in Montana this June, and then explore the Great Plains in July, and maybe August, but I've been having second thoughts when I read that June through August is tornado season in the great plains. I was specifically planning to go to North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. I'm from Southern California, and have absolutely no idea what to do during a tornado, other than wish to disappear   I don't want to be blown away if I'm caught up driving on the road, or camping at a campground, and I don't know where the shelters are.  Should I risk it and hope not to run into any tornado, or should I wait for September/October? Thanks for your input!
RollingOm

 

[Queen]

I live in tornado country and don't really get concerned about them much, pay attention to the weather and learn what a tornado sky looks like (greenish yellow with lots of rolling clouds). If in doubt stop at a convenience store and ask about the weather, the workers will be locals and if something is brewing they'll know.

Here's some tips from the weather channel about what to do when you're driving:

https://weather.com/safety/tornado/news/what-to-do-see-tornado-while-driving

 

[tx2sturgis]

Wait....you're from Southern California, with violent crime, road rage, and earthquakes, and you're worried about a few spinning clouds?

Huh?

Ok....I'm being serious now....I've lived in Tornado Alley for most of my 59 years and I've only seen a handful of tornadoes, even including the ones I've actually chased. 

Sure, damage can happen, but normally, with advance warnings of super-cell activity that spawn the large tornadoes....the only people who are killed are either unaware, or unable, or unwilling, to get out of harm's way. 

Those things don't usually come out of nowhere, with no warning.

 

[sreesekelley]

I stayed overnight in a city campground in some small town in Nebraska and there were tornado sirens. There was also a brick bath house which was my choice of shelter. it rained really hard with lots of lightening and there was a class A 2 sites down from our tent. other than losing some sleep nothing happened. We were tent camping and the wind did try to blow the tent away. The class A weathered the storm fine.

You can get a weather app for your phone for severe weather alerts. Unless you are driving I wouldn't worry too much because there always seems to be plenty of structures you can shelter in. I worried more about lightening personally.

 

[highdesertranger]

NOAA weather radio is your friend. highdesertranger

 

[Doubleone]

I'm from California also and all this weather and tornado stuff was new to me too...  Here's the deal. You can activate weather alerts on your cell phone and weather app and they will push tornado watch and tornado warnings to your phone 24/7.   A tornado watch means weather conditions are favorable for a tornado and just be aware, monitor the weather, and think about a plan to shelter.  A tornado warning is much more serious, it means observers are seeing something live or on the radar that is actually about to happen or already happening.  I've only experienced one tornado warning and we had 50+mph straight line winds that you had to struggle to walk in  Fortunately, I parked my class C facing straight into the wind so it wasn't too big a deal, but I'd hate to think if we were parked perpendicular it would have likely tipped.  We were parked on a farm right next to a storm cellar door and watching the skys closely for about an hour till it passed.  The next morning we found big trees uprooted and broken, a couple of barns destroyed, and entire fields of corn pushed down to the side, in the next town about 20 miles away.   I also closely watch radar on cell phone app MyRadar.  If you see blue or green you get rain, yellow heavy rain, red is a gully-washer.  We also got a severe thunderstorm warning last year and I saw a large cell of purple on the radar for the first time.  I just happened to be chatting with a local deputy and I asked him what purple meant because I'd never seen it before... he said it was large hail and to get inside before it hits.  Fortunately, it went around us.  Weather is no joke in the mid-west...

 

[John61CT]

No service is accurate at the micro level on the ground at your specific location.

When you get a general warning for your area, sure, get closer to an available underground shelter.

But you have to keep a watch out on the skies yourself, learn to spot the signs. Personal instrumentation measuring your local temperature, wind speed, air pressure etc may also help.

 

[RollingOm]

I live in tornado country and don't really get concerned about them much, pay attention to the weather and learn what a tornado sky looks like (greenish yellow with lots of rolling clouds).  If in doubt stop at a convenience store and ask about the weather, the workers will be locals and if something is brewing they'll know.

 Thank you Queen, excellent tips! I'll make sure to check the link  :shy:

 

[RollingOm]

Wait....you're from Southern California, with violent crime, road rage, and earthquakes, and you're worried about a few spinning clouds?

Huh?

He he he Tx2, maybe I'm feeding on some exaggerated fears. I heard someone from Southern California say once that they would take an earthquake versus a tornado anytime. I'm feeling more confident now, and I will prepare just in case. Thanks!

 

[RollingOm]

You can get a weather app for your phone for severe weather alerts.  Unless you are driving I wouldn't worry too much because there always seems to be plenty of structures you can shelter in.  I worried more about lightening personally.

 
I will be doing lots of driving across the Dakotas and Nebraska. Since I will be sleeping inside my truck (Snugtop) I was wondering weather lightening would be an issue with the radio antenna on top of the roof. Maybe I'm worrying too much......... 

RollingOm

 

[RollingOm]

I'm from California also and all this weather and tornado stuff was new to me too...  Here's the deal. You can activate weather alerts on your cell phone and weather app and they will push tornado watch and tornado warnings to your phone 24/7.   Weather is no joke in the mid-west...

Thanks Doubleone and Highdesert!  I will set up those apps on my phone. Yes, I want to be prepared for those high winds if they happen to come my way. I've been looking forward to driving through the Great Plains, eventhough maybe it will just be lots of plains  :shy:
RollingOm

 

[closeanuf]

Worry is like a rocking chair.  It gives you something to do , but you don't get anywhere.

 

[Neal]

I'm with Closeanuf. You'll drive yourself nuts worrying about it.