Storm season prep for North Texas RVers

← Back to the journal

Spring in North Texas brings genuinely severe weather — high wind, hail, and the occasional tornado. If you're living in an RV, the honest starting point is this: an RV is not a safe place to be during a tornado, and no amount of tie-downs changes that.

So storm prep comes in two parts. Protecting the rig, and having a plan for yourself that doesn't involve staying in it.

Know where you're going before the sirens

This is the part that matters most, and it takes ten minutes to sort out on a calm day.

• Find out what shelter your park has and where it is. Walk the route so you know it in the dark.
• If there's no on-site shelter, identify the nearest public one — many area cities designate a community center, school, or municipal building.
• A sturdy permanent building is the goal. An interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows.
• Know how long it takes to get there. If it's a drive, you need to leave on a watch, not a warning.

Decide where you're going in April, not at 2am in May with the sirens going.

Get real warnings, not just the sirens

Outdoor sirens are designed to be heard outdoors. Inside a rig with rain on the roof and the AC running, you may not hear them at all.

• Turn on Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone and don't silence them overnight.
• A NOAA weather radio with a battery backup is cheap and works when cell service doesn't.
• Learn the difference: a watch means conditions are favorable — start moving. A warning means it's happening now.

Protecting the rig

Most storm damage around here isn't from tornadoes. It's from straight-line wind and hail, and a lot of it is preventable.

• Retract the awning. Every time, if there's any chance of weather. An extended awning in a gust is the most common storm damage there is, and it usually takes part of the side wall with it.
• Bring in the outdoor furniture. Chairs, mats, grills, anything light. A folding chair at 60 mph is a projectile aimed at someone else's rig.
• Bring in the slides if serious wind is forecast.
• Check your tie-downs and stabilizers. They won't save you from a tornado, but they help in high wind.
• Consider where you park. Under a large tree is shade in July and a liability in May.

Hail

Hail is the expensive one, and there's not much you can do in the moment. What helps is beforehand:

• Check that your RV insurance actually covers hail and comprehensive damage — many full-timers find out it doesn't at the worst moment.
• Photograph the roof and exterior now, so you have a before.
• If covered parking is available anywhere nearby, know about it in advance.

A go-bag by the door

Kept packed from March through June, so leaving takes thirty seconds:

• Phone charger and a power bank
• Flashlight and spare batteries
• Shoes — sturdy ones, near the door
• Medications, ID, insurance documents
• Water and something to eat
• Leash, carrier, and a copy of vaccination records if you have pets

After it passes

Don't rush back. Downed lines are the real danger once the wind stops. When you do return, walk the rig and photograph everything before you move or clean anything — insurance claims go much better with timestamped photos from the same day.

None of this takes long, and most of it is one-time setup. Get it done at the start of the season and the rest of spring is just weather.