Hurricane Idalia - MyRadar (The blue dot is us.)
Last week we were fortunate to weather our third named storm since setting up camp in Florida. Last year both Nicole and Ian passed directly over our place. For those storms we left our RV behind and rode the storm out with friends that live in more traditional homes – ones made of cinder block and wood, rather than fiberglass and aluminum. For Idalia the track stayed to the north and west, so we decided to ride it out in the RV. Fortunately, the winds and rain were very mild and the storm was pretty uneventful for us. Folks up toward the pan-handle were not so lucky. Several people have asked how we prepare for hurricanes, so here you go!
The most important steps are to closely monitor the situation and be prepared. One advantage to having a home on wheels is you can usually pick up and move if you don’t like where you are. The challenge here is knowing far enough in advance to make sure if you decide to bug out, that you don’t choose to bug out in the wrong direction, moving closer to harm’s way. This was the problem with Hurricane Ian – the path kept changing by the hour, and ended up way off of the predictions. With Ian we went from out-of-harm’s-way to directly-in-the-path in less than four hours. Not really enough time to make a meaningful move. So, our general strategy has been to hunker down, but be prepared to move fast if necessary. Fortunately, the preparations for both options are very similar.
Our RV in "turtle mode."
Batten Down the Hatches
Wind is by far the biggest storm threat at our location near the center of the state. Anything that can catch the wind needs to be taken in, or down. (We often refer to this as putting the RV in "turtle mode" - everything tucked in tight.) These are the same preparations you have to make before heading down the highway at 75 mph.
· Slides in.
· Awning in and secure.
· External window shades/insulation removed and stowed.
· Vents closed.
· Remove the ladders and any other crap that we have temporarily attached to the coach.
(And if you are wondering, yes, we have a checklist!)
Ready to Roll. Well, almost. We usually put in the steps and pull back the curtains first.
Ready to Roll
All of the above are the same things you would do if you were going head out on the road. Other preparations to ready for a hasty departure include:
· Full tank of fuel.
· Fire up the engine and confirm all system are working properly.
· Secure all the loose items in the coach.
· Check tire inflation pressures.
· Empty black and gray water tanks.
· Top off fresh water tank.
· Stow sewer and water hoses.
After these preparations there are only two things we need to do if we decided to bug out. Disconnect from shore power and raise the “landing gear.” (We leave our leveling jacks down to prevent wind gusts from rocking the coach side-to-side.) In this configuration we can be ready to roll in just a few minutes if necessary.
The four leveling jacks (aka "landing gear") can support the full weight of the 16 ton coach - and keep things from rocking.
We have used this same approach when staying at campgrounds along rivers that are prone to flooding. Just like trailer parks seem to be popular in areas prone to tornadoes, RV parks often seem to be located on the banks of flood-prone rivers – perhaps because that’s the only thing they can be zoned for? We paid extra at a premium RV resort in Oregon to be “out of the flood zone,” and left a campground in Ohio after one night as the water threatened to spill over the banks of the Muskingum River.
Interestingly enough, although these precautions weren’t need for Idalia, just a few days later we had an unrelated thunderstorm roll through that clobbered our area. We lost power for a while and had to fire up the generator. We also had a boil water notice due to local flooding and switched over to our onboard water supply. I guess that is Florida for you. Always be prepared for the unexpected!
Hopefully, Idalia will be our only visitor this season. The end of November, and hurricane season, currently seems very far away!
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