tornados

[dabalso]

Tornado – serious question.
Just spent some time looking for what to do when riding and a tornado suddenly comes up.

You have checked the forecast and there is nothing to indicate a tornado is possible but there it is.

What do you do?

At least 5 miles from the last town. No buildings in site. On your trike with your partner, and your trailer.

Any ideas appreciated.

David B :xzqxz:

 

[Nana]

Yikes! Sounds as tho you have experience that gives you good reason for this question!
I will be interested to hear any suggestions also, as tornados come thru our area too.

 

[slick rick]

Never experienced that, but living in Ala it can happen anytime. Lost two family members in the one that came through and destroyed Tuscaloosa a couple years ago. I think if it were me I would get in deepest roadside ditch I could find, lay face down and hope for the best.

 

[Rod69]

I'll go with slick rick on the ditch thing. Thats what they say for cars so why not Trikes.
:Agree:

 

[werewolf]

Start looking for a culvert
a small round one is worst,
a big square concrete is best
You are gonna get wet, but
its better than being above ground level.

 

[msocko3]

I'd go with all of the above plus stick your head between your legs and kiss your $#$% goodbye.

 

[dabalso]

Thanks for the answers... having lived thru a tornado coming within 900 feet of my house a few years ago, I got to thinking about our vacation this year in June- Mo, SD, Wy, Co, and Ok. Was watching the weather and realized that out trike offers little protection. most of the places we want to see don't have overpasses, are in wooded areas, few buildings, etc. We were just wondering if any of you had been there, done that.

guess we will be figuring a way to listen to the weather alerts on the radio while we are riding.
Again thanks.
David Britton, Clinton, AR

 

[Rosy]

I have heard, DO NOT-DO NOT go under an over pass to seek shelter, they say the tornado will suck you out of the under pass. You are correct, find and ditch and lay flat as possible. The trike is replaceable, you are not!
Here is a story:
Golfing in Detroit a few years ago and the warning came out on the GPS unit on the golf cart to get off the course because there was a tornado in sight. We did, one guy was traveling down the fairway we he looked and the tornado was coming so he jumped off the cart and jumped in the ditch. The tornado came buy and picked up the cart in threw it in the ditch where he was laying a few feet away. Close, but he wasn't hurt.
We have spent a lot of time in the southest corner of our cellar in Topeka, KN, when my Dad was stationed at Forbes AFB. We had blankets, food, radio, flashlights, and bedding there.
We have tornados here in NH. Lots of damage, no one was killed.

Regards,

Rosy & Janice
From NH

 

[Konrad]

... having lived thru a tornado coming within 900 feet of my house a few years ago, I got to thinking about our vacation this year in June- Mo, SD, Wy, Co, and Ok. Was watching the weather and realized that out trike offers little protection. most of the places we want to see don't have overpasses, are in wooded areas, few buildings, etc. We were just wondering if any of you had been there, done that.
David Britton, Clinton, AR

SD - June, 2012. I was on my trike and had left the badlands about 10 miles back, headed east. Flat road, no ditches, no shelter, and fortunately no traffic. The winds started throwing me from one side of the road to the other - literally! Then the winds seemed to come together directly underneath the trike and tried to rip my helmet off - straight up! The trike left the ground and I found out what "weightless" felt like and couldn't see anything but had a feeling of spinning. The trike was then set down with a small bump and I felt the traction coming back and I was out of it. I finally stopped and managed to get off the trike and promptly sat down, crumpled actually, in the middle of the road. I looked back and saw a whirling dust cloud going off across the prairie. Seemed like forever but the whole incident was really no more than a few seconds. Damages: $4,000 worth of hearing aids were sucked right out of a buttoned shirt pocket.

Afterthoughts: Had I been on a two-wheeler, I seriously doubt I would be abled to write this today! In South Dakota, out on the prairie, there is ZERO shelter! Be careful. And wear your helmet!

 

[slick rick]

Thank you dabalso,,, I never have given this a serious thought on a bike. Now if a person is riding in a tornado prone state it is something to take seriously.We get hit here ,the ones that hit Tuscaloosa Al a few years ago not only hit there but they covered a third of the state.The damage wiped out small towns ,destroyed forest that will never be the same in my life time, lives were lost , one of my favorite rides was changed completely. If a person has never seen the devastation they cause may not take it seriously but trust they are.So again thanks for bringing this to my attn.