Site Suggestion: Add "storm Shelter Available"

On one short trip, I've fallen in love with this site. Thank you so much for making it available!

I do have one request: along with information on amenities, I would love to know if a campground has a storm shelter available. Being a midwesterner, this is a huge concern for me during storms. It could easily be the decision-maker between campgrounds for me.

Thank you!
KC

 

Welcome to a great site! We have traveled to many campgrounds but I have never seen, or heard, of one with a storm shelter. Most areas of the country really don't have that great a need of one.

 

We have only come across one campground that had a storm shelter. Prairie Oasis RV Park and Campground, Henderson, NE.

Did have at the city park in Orange City, IA. a police officer came out knocking on doors, said there was a bad storm coming through if we wanted he would give us a ride to the storm shelter at the town hall.

Was at The Evergreen Inn and RV Park near Pratt, KS. May 4, 2007 when 30 miles away Greenburg, KS was flatted by a EF5 tornado. Had ambulances going by all night long and into the morning.

Understand the need for a storm shelter at an RV park.

 

When traveling in storm country we would ask what county are we in and do you have a storm shelter and where is it in the park? Many times you would see running across the television the counties under severe storm warnings and we would look at each other and say, which one are we in? So it became one of the questions we would ask when checking in.

 

Raccoon Valley RV Park in Heiskell, TN, and Turkey Creek RV Park in Hollister, MO both advised us at check-in where the storm shelter was located. Both parks are owned by the Escapees RV Club.

 

We were usually in the tornado alley area in the spring and fall each year and where to go in the case of a bad storm or tornado was a concern. Ever straight line 80mph or up winds should be a concern. When we checked into a campground/rv park we would ask what to do in case of a storm. In 11 years full timing we have never seen a storm shelter. So, when you get settled in go look for what would be best.

 

Interesting topic and with a daughter in Ohio I can understand for sure. The closest thing we ever came across is one weekend while in Maine we were to have a lot of rain and severe thunder storms. The campground left the rec room door open all night in case anyone needed shelter. Would not be good in a tornado but it was nice if anyone needed it.

 

I'd never given it much thought till I drove through Moore, OK and saw all the destruction. It was still on my mind when I reserved a park in Arkansas the next day. The owner said "Yes, we have one and you are welcome to use it". Sure enough there was a storm shelter, and it was the first and last time I have ever seen one in an RV park.

As we travel to many areas, and often are not even aware of what county we are in, I installed a phone ap a couple of years ago that would alert me using GPS technology if there was ever a tornado, or hurricane warning in the county that I am currently in. It works even if your phone is off. I forgot all about it, and a couple months ago a loud warning tone went off on my cell phone. There was a message on the screen generated by the ap that the national weather service had issued a flash flood warning in the county I was in. There was indeed a lot of flooding that followed in the surrounding area, but the park I was in had a good drainage system, and stayed dry.

 

There is a campground in Cave City Ky, Singing Hills CG, the owner made sure to tell you about going to shower house in a storm and which side was for smokers and pet owners. They also list county they are in and surrounding counties on their maps.

 

Hi, we are Mitchell KOA, in Mitchell South Dakota, and this spring we installed six above ground, tornado shelters, they hold around 20 people and are rated to EF-4.

 

Hi journey jim and welcome to the forum. Just wanted to make you were aware that this thread was originally started and responded to back in August of 2014, making it almost 5 years old. If you look down at the bottom left corner of both the first and last post you will see a date when it was made and by whom. The original OP of this thread may not even still be on board so your response my go on 'blind eyes'. Anyway, again welcome to the forum, hope to see some posts from you as you travel down the road, as well as some reviews in the reviews section, on your stays at the parks and campgrounds you stay at. Great group of guys and gals who have a wealth of knowledge and info, etc. when needed so don't be shy about asking anything as someone is sure to respond.............

Safe and happy travels, BankShot.................(aka Terry)

 

Thanks for posting journey jim. Being from Canada, and usually only traveling into the States during the cold months (and that means from November until April incase some folks think its always cold up here and we all live in igloos), I had no idea that SD was part of Tornado Alley! Good to know since I have passed through North and South Dakota and will do so again.

Darrell