Culture Shock and Violent Storms So the best story (for the non-science minded) is of a couple travelling in the US in a 'caravan' type vehicle and crossing over Nevada state lines and subsequently into California. It is a story of violent storms, wild weather, sandstorms and extreme 'heat' (temperatures were in excess of 300 Fahrenheit). One of the travelers in the vehicle was driving when it got caught in one of these violent storms which lasted many hours (I think it was over 15 hours and it's been over 24 hours now). The vehicle (the one they were using) got caught up in the storm and began to roll. The people in the vehicle were forced to lay on the floor of the vehicle, curled up and protected as best they could while this continued for a long time. At this time I would guess they were only about 4 hours into this. They were saved by the vehicle rolling across some sand and coming to a stop. The vehicle was stopped so far back that the passengers inside were not harmed, but even so, they were extremely close to harm. Once the vehicle came to a stop, people were crawling out of it and checking for injuries. It is assumed the vehicle rolled over due to the severe winds. So they were extremely lucky and managed to escape. But the story has some really good lessons to be learned about safety and preparedness in a storm. The following are my reflections. 1. Safety in the Storm: It is important to be prepared and able to deal with a situation that can lead to safety in a storm. My wife said "we've got life jackets for all of us". We had our emergency packs which is what the travelers had - a small suitcase-sized bag full of documents (passports, insurance, ID's, bank cards, phone numbers, etc.) (we also had some extra water bottles with us in the vehicle). I think we also had a tent which the passengers used to try and sleep in but which never got fully set up (too windy). We've also taken our vehicle when we travelled to Canada for a 3 week winter-camping trip and have an ice-pail so have been trained on how to deal with frozen/ice-damaged tires. But this is my first real life experience in a 'storm' so it was a totally new one for us. So for us this was our first life-threatening emergency and we hope it will not be our last. We've been talking through how best to handle these kinds of things. 2. A Good Response Plan: First of all, make sure everyone is accounted for when you stop to take a break, eat, etc. (my wife used her mobile phone to 'phone home' when we stopped). Also, it is best not to panic but be prepared to be calm when the danger threatens. Again, let the person in charge of the situation deal with what needs to be done at that time. 3. An Emergency Plan: You should always have an emergency plan with at least an emergency email address, phone number and 2 people that are supposed to be immediately available in case of an emergency. As I type this we have 4 people and one 'phone number' should we be in a bind - the cell phone plan my wife has is not very good. We are planning on acquiring a "real" phone number so that if we are going to be away for a prolonged period of time, we will be able to let family and friends know of our location. Since there are four of us we should have a 'go-bag' (or 'bug-out bag') with all the gear that each of us will need in case of an emergency (we use a list to remind us of that). We should all have a 'go-bag' packed and ready and if not we should make sure we get one (preferably one that is water proof and water-resistant). My wife suggested taking a camping-type tent because they are easy to set up and disassemble. (She also said that having a mobile device would have been great in this case, she thought it would have been nice to have an ability to communicate from afar when we were in the vehicle) 4. A Car that Can Survive and/or Escape a Storm: The vehicle they used (and we've got) is the Suzuki Grand Vitara. It's a 4x4 SUV which is pretty small and does not offer as much protection as a full-size van. The back end of the car flipped out as the vehicle was rolled by the force of the wind. I think it was a good thing it did flip over though as it would be pretty dangerous to be driving the car upside down. We should not have our faith in our vehicle shaken at all as I think we got lucky that the car came to a rest and was not turned over. 5. What Should We Do When Storms (or Disasters) Occur? It is good to have your basic supplies like food, water and clothing in place as well as a basic list of your emergency contacts (people to call) and how to reach them. Also make sure to have a plan for the people that have family/friends that live near the coast - when a storm/storm surge is imminent, you should make sure to gather important items and/or get away from the coastline immediately and watch for news that a storm/disaster has occurred. (I personally believe that it would be a good idea to have a list of emergency contacts with addresses and phone numbers, both at home and at work, for emergency use - that would certainly make things much easier if there is an emergency). Our first plan of action was to see if we could evacuate the state - move to another city that's more inland. So far it looks like it is not so bad (no major storm damage has been reported) but we are doing our best to get info and have plans in place just in case. Conclusion What did I learn from this event? There's a bunch of things to learn. But if you are in a vehicle when a storm or severe weather strikes, please keep in mind that weather can be fierce. To be able to drive safely and without concern you have to be 'prepared' - get some training and take some classes. Safety in the snow and ice should be a basic (everyone should) and you should be able to put your car in 4-wheel-drive (off-road vehicle) or take your car out of the driveway and move it around. A vehicle is a vehicle - it is just a container that you are living in - make sure it is not going to be filled with water or heavy stuff. I think we can help people that are not prepared. We can be the eyes, ears and nose for the people that have not had proper training or experience. We can be trained as the people in this group were: the instructors at the community college in the desert gave us a whole class on survival skills including basic auto/manual car/truck repair, how to handle dangerous situations (how to handle dangerous snakes, poisonous plants, etc.) and how to set up and stay in a 'survival camp'. They also had instructors who are retired emergency services personnel who gave us pointers on survival skills. And they had instructors who are the current emergency services people who gave us an opportunity to sit with them and do what they do for a real emergency. It was really an awesome experience to sit and talk to them about their experiences and give them tips and ideas that you have gathered from your own experiences and observations. This was my first time watching a storm/violent weather event in action and I have learned a few lessons which I will try to keep in mind when there is another major storm event. For my own family this whole experience has been a great reminder to keep your family safe from all threats - that could include everything from wild animals to bad roads. Note: These particular vehicles have always been a good friend of mine, so these are my personal notes and observations of my wife's vehicle.