[VAC] Storms - 1 of 3

["Terry Tyler" <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Fellow Airstreamers,

Yesterday (04/10/01 Tuesday) started off optimistically. As the day progressed, the weather
forecasts were put in the back of our minds (bad move, but we didn't know it at the time). We found
another Mom & Pop Campground, exited the Interstate about 2 pm, registered and settled in with three
point hookups ($8), laundromat, data port and a clear shot at our Dish Network satellite. 

With the laundry washed, dried and re-stowed in our Airstream, our email downloaded and the
satellite signal coming in strong, we were about to heat up supper and enjoy a leisure evening.
When excitedly, the campground owner knocked on our door. "Mr. Tyler Sir, there's a 100 mile wide
tornado path about 40 miles west of here and it's coming directly at us. We don't have any place for
you and your wife to take shelter except for a gully just below your campsite. You may want to
decide what you'll do." 

Rightly or wrongly, after a quick survey of the gully, I opted to top off our water tank, stow the
sewer hose, electric cord and satellite dish, retract the jacks, invite my honey to return to her
co-pilot's seat, start the truck's engine, drive out of the campground with our Airstream and get
back on the Interstate - heading directly east and away from the tornadoes, but in the same
direction they were going. The nice thing was they were traveling at 40 mph and we could clip along
at better than that. We weren't going to head into the tornado, that was for sure.

After six hours of steadily traveling east and chatting with truckers on the Interstate, we pulled
into a Speedway Truck Stop. Our weather radio with the sliding dial (not the preset channels),
confirmed we had outrun the tornadoes. The most we might get would be heavy rain (which we didn't
get). It was a quiet night's sleep. 

=========

This morning (04/11/01 Wednesday), the weather radio was telling us it would be calm all day long
(if we stayed at the truck stop). We rolled out early and by noon, it was obvious that hail storms
were on our tail and catching up. If the truckers hadn't been telling about the severe damage being
done behind us, we wouldn't have known the hail was hard ice instead of soft slush.  

After just coming off an experience of out running tornadoes, we weren't about to wait while hail
storms caught up to us. Instead of continuing in the same direction (west to east) as the storm was
going, we opted for a direct run north to a large body of water (warmer temps and less likelihood
of hail - we hoped). With a short stop for groceries, we rolled through Illinois and Indiana before
stopping in Ohio at the Grand Lake State Park near St. Mary's. The temperature was in the 60s. Maybe
that would be warm enough. 

As an aside, we later learned a blizzard came through Colorado Springs today and our son's family
was without power for 12 hours (Black Forest area at 8,000'). The snow drifts were 5' deep where our
Airstream had been parked last week. We were lucky ducks to be out of there.

More later,

Terry
mailto:tylerbears@airstream.net