RVs Are an Excellent Addition to Your Escape Plan
My RV has weathered hurricanes, tropical storms, and flash floods.
The past week has been hectic.
Not only was I prepping to use that buddy pass to Spain that my friend gave me, but I also had to secure the RV for a hurricane. This is hard enough when it’s empty. It’s even more challenging when it has to remain hospitable for my adventure kitty.
Shadow spent the storm inside. He was under the watchful eye of my friend, who had clear instructions on how to shut up and then re-open the RV.
My RV survived its second hurricane.
I saw the storm in the news on Wednesday night (August 16th) and left Mexico on Thursday morning (August 17th). That gave me limited time to prepare the RV for Hurricane Hilary, rated at Category 4 at the time.
I received several messages and calls from family and friends asking about my disaster plans:
Would I move the RV?
What about Shadow?
What about Samson (my FJ Cruiser)?
Would my insurance policy cover potential damage?
Even though the hurricane had reached Category 4, it was expected to hit Baja at Category 1 or a tropical storm. The cold Pacific Ocean has its benefits. Cold bodies of water weaken storms.
We have weathered a storm of that strength in the RV before (Hurricane Kay), so I wasn’t too concerned. I felt pretty sure we could handle that and a few feet of water.
Naturally, my travel plans interrupted my hurricane preparation.
But the great thing about having an RV is that it provides an excellent evacuation plan if you leave early. You can move your valuables with you and then stay in the RV as an emergency shelter while you rebuild.
RVs cannot weather Category 4 hurricanes, and my flight through Canada wasn’t until Friday. So, if the storm had been scheduled to hit Baja at a higher strength, I would have packed it up and moved it.
You can also escape wildfires.
Storms aren’t the only natural disasters you can outrun in an RV. You can also escape wildfires. Again, the trick is to leave early. If you wait until the last minute, being tethered to a large unit is the last thing you might want to do, especially if you’re towing.
These days, it feels like half of North America is on fire. On my stopover in Canada, I listened to people in the airport debate where to send their bags because their airport in Kelowna had shut down due to fires.
A few weeks ago, I also shared the story of the Californians who had left their burning community with their RV after mandatory evacuations. Once this lifted, they started the long trek back to California. I met them when they stopped for a hike in Nevada.
Most people wouldn’t be as calm as they were, not knowing if their house had burned to the ground. I asked them about this. They shrugged. “Well, we got out with the dogs and we have the RV. We’ll see when we get there.”
How do you prep an RV for a serious storm?
In the end, Hilary left my area in Baja mostly unscathed. The RV has sustained no damage. Shadow is doing well and likely napped through the ordeal.
But how do you prep an RV for a hurricane or tropical storm — especially with people or pets inside? Why did I feel so confident my RV would be safe even if the area experienced flash flooding?
I’ll explain this and more in the next post, which will be out this week. Forgive the tardiness. The storm has gone, and I have now arrived in Barcelona. But jet lag is whooping my butt!