Storms, Sirens & Socks

It's been a few years since we had to take shelter in a campground toilet with other campers...  Last time we were in a tornado warned campground at East Harbor State Park when we had the teardrop camper.  I think it was around 10 or 11pm when the sirens went off, and the only nearby structure was the campground bathroom.  I remember there were a lot of people in that little area, and it wasn't entirely pleasant.  It was deja vu when the sirens went off again that night around 2am and we all did it again...

The Game room

This time it was much more pleasant as we had an entire room to play in.  The adjacent county was tornado warned and we heard the sirens going off.  We checked radar, and sure enough it looked like the center of a storm was headed our way.  We played the game called "How Fast Can You Take Down Your Awning" and we headed off to the game room which is in the basement of the general store.

There was quite a light show in the sky, and the rain came down in buckets.  But we also got to meet some fun people.  John and Sherie were already there along with a couple from Idaho and their dog, Angus.  They were fun to chat with, and the 120lb dog (who was only 10 months old) was a sweet heart.  Shortly after, David, Elizabeth, and Gracie (the dog) arrived.  I was excited to meet them because we had connected on RVillage and had planned on meeting up at some point.  Granted, meeting people in a tornado shelter situation isn't ideal, but it was fun nonetheless.

It was kinda funny because between all the smartphones, iPads, and laptops we made the game room look like a state of the art weather center.  I'm not sure if anyone in the local area was having with their cellular connection, but I think we were taking all the bandwidth on several carriers reloading radar images.  Sorry about that...

Then came the flood.  The area in front of the game room doors have a big drain right there, but the

amount of water coming down the little hill was too much for it.  Eventually a large puddle formed.  Then it became a water hazard.  A small creek began to come into the game room from the doors which later gave way to a small river.  We had to all move to a different area of the room as a pond formed.

By the time the warning had cleared we were all ready to get out of our little water logged game room - some of us actually had plans to sleep at some point that night.  But upon opening the doors we discovered that leaving would be difficult - there was a huge puddle that would eat our shoes if we stepped into it.  Eventually, several of us just took off our shoes and walked through it in our socks.  That was fun.

I have to admit though, despite the wet socks that are still drying, it was one of the highlights of our camping trip.  I really enjoyed meeting the other folks there, trading travel and camping stories, and getting to know them (and their pets!)  Everyone was very friendly and it could easily have been a potluck or something.  (Food makes everything better, right?)

To those we met I wish you safe travels!  To those reading this, know where to go in an emergency in a campground.  And always travel with an extra pair of socks!