As I said in my last post, tornado season is coming and I am preparing for that. One of the things I needed to think about was where I would go if I needed to bug out.
Having lived most of my life in Minnesota I know how to watch weather reports and analyze my risk. I have never yet been in the direct path of a tornado so I have always been able to stay at home or take shelter locally–such as in the bathroom building of a local campground since staying in a vehicle is NOT recommended. So, most likely I will simply be able to stay in our apartment. If the apartment appears to be in a direct path, I will simply take my bugout bag and move to a lower level, interior part of the building.
All of that should be fine for the time until a tornado actually hits. But, what then?
If our power is out and our building is not safe then it is likely the trees around us are also down making it impossible for me to drive away.
In that case I could put my pack on my back and start walking. Probably south. About 1/2 mile south of us is a Crown Plaza hotel. It probably has generators to provide emergency power. And rooms with beds to rent. I’m not sure their restaurant would be serving food but I have three days worth of food with me, right?
If that doesn’t work, about 1/2 mile south of the hotel is a small hospital with an emergency room. I’m sure it has generators but if I can walk that far I am not likely to qualify for a bed there. Still, it would be a place to shelter until I can arrange something more.
Once the trees are cleared from the roads, assuming our car survived the damage, I have lots of options. I can go the the extended stay motel about 5 miles north of here where we have lived before thus have cooking capabilities once again. Or I can go stay with friends or family about an hour northeast of here. Except most tornadoes in this area travel northeast so they might not be available to take me in. I know the friends have a generator but I don’t know if family does.
But, whatever happens, I will deal with it.
And the odds are I will not have to go any of those places since I have never had to do so before.
But, as a child I was a scout. Be prepared.
TTYL,
Linda
As long as you’re having fun planning and thinking about it, that’s fine. If you start worrying about it, that’s something else. The chance of your apartment being in the direct path of a tornado where you are is very, very slim.
Being prepared is a good thing. And like Jeri said, you probably will never need to use it. Kind of like insurance – we have it and hope it never gets used.
I am so thrilled that you have a plan for just about any kind of emergency. I just hope you never have to use any of them!
Isn’t that the pits, “If I can walk that far I probably won’t qualify for a bed.” 🙂
Cheers,
Peter
A retired photographer looks at life from behind an RV steering wheel.
Life Unscripted
I’ve lived in tornado country all m’life… sirens go off and clouds are over me and off in the distance one is on the street! thing about tornadoes … is … they don’t last long but the devastation can be well, devastating.
I respect nature and all the acts she does do … but I’m not afraid. interestingly. ICE is the biggie around here… power outages happen when we’ve had such a weird winter. Trees knocked down by high winds is also another fairly common todo … that’s why trees are kept trimmed especially by the power company. They are regulated to stay way away from the lines.
The preparedness is always have an extra water jug or two … flashlights and battery operated stuff ~ as you would have camping out. Some have generators. not much in the City because our stuff is turned on pretty quickly but the rural parts … the roads can really be difficult to maneuver.
Always go away from windows and into the interior … usually the bathtub and cover yourself with a mattress or such ….
Only once did I do the bathtub thing … a tornado had touched down on a CITY street about a mile from my house! sirens were going crazy … holy moly! As hilly as LIttle Rock is, we don’t usually get them in the City … they like open fields and such … suburbia
anyway … always be prepared ~ my Mother was terrified of storms … my Dad? just respectful … glad I took after him in that regard.
i was a campfire girl!
if you need to cook something i can make a stove out of a large juice can. LOL.
since i’m upstairs now i’ll more than likely be looking always to evacuate.
that’s what most of the complex did in the last one here.
i don’t think about them very much. til one is overhead. 😀
but…
I’ve got my bug out bag now. and all my important papers are always in order in an easy carry case.
that’s a biggy most people don’t think about!
xo dear rv braveheart! here’s to a nice calm spring for both of us!