Tornados and the severe thunderstorms

ive never actually seen a tornado, but i did see a truck that id make a very large wager was picked up by one. the truck in question was turned upside down, and it was maybe 6 feet tall. you watch the weather reports for the areas you are going into, pray at least occasionally, and then assume that you wont be a victim of a freak thing like that.

 

storms pop out of nowhere. if theres a tornado park ur truck get in sleeper and hold on. If its just serve weather well keep going slow down or pull over.. not much u can really do about the weather drivers cant shut down just cuz its storming outside. we run sun/snow/ice/rain/wind....

 

I just got weather radio with alert status. it's battery operated. I will leave it on alert, when the weather gets bad and I'm going to sleep.

I've seen a few. it ain't pretty. about a 10 on the "pucker factor".

when your in the sleeper, attached the web cage part.

 

I was always told that in the event that a tornado impact is inevitable, trucks should line up bumper to bumper with actual contact. The theory was it would in some ways lock them together and reduce the effects of wind.

Not sure if thats a certified method, just what the father in law said. Nothing like lightning coming in over the CB though

 

Hm. Seems like the sleeper of a truck would bear quite a similarity to...a mobile home. And you know how those fare during tornadoes...

 

You've got the right idea. If you park your truck you want to get out of it as fast and as safe as possible and seek shelter in a secured building.

You're not the brightest bulb in the bunch if you actually keep going regardless of the weather. That load ain't worth your life or the life of someone else.

 

It sounds to me like your family has had an uncommon percentage of encounters with property destroying weather.. I would bet an insurance agent's statistics would bear this out. But it does explain your concerns.
During a normal year over the road you're more likely to be faced with black ice, heavy winds, severe snow,severe fog, or interstate closures than tornadoes or winds high enough to cause damage.
The only time you would be in danger that you couldn't manipulate would be if a tornado dropped down so close that you had no choice but to hunker down.
Tornadoes generally move in a North Easterly direction.. along the clashing stormfront walls that give them their power. Driving in a due North or Due South direction.. or NW or South Easterly direction allows you to manipulate your position relative to the Tornado's standard path. While there are exceptions to the rule.. the groundspeed of a tornado is normally 10-40 mph .. slower than your truck.
It always baffles me when I see video of people who are 4 miles from a huge tornado.. and they just choose to sit there and film it while it creeps closer to them and their families when their car is right there. If you've noticed, you're not reading about Storm Chaser guys dying each year too often. Reason being they are manipulating their positions to the tornado with their cars.. its effective.

 

hurricanes are different than tornados

you cant predict a tornado, so you may as well keep going because you could stop and it could slap you anyway

hurricanes you should be home with the wife

 

If you're between towns with no secured building, lay face down in the ditch with hands covering your head, away from your truck or trees so they don't fall on you.

The wind will affect high profile things most, like trees, trucks, buildings. If you are just a little below the average land surface, like in a ditch the worst of the wind will go over you and not pick you up. Covering your head is to protect from flying debries and trash.

Kansas boy