Best advice for Storms

[suecanada]

What is the best way to handle a sudden tornado while riding? Or is there such a beast?? Dumb question... because you'd see it coming and go the other way?? Is there ever a situation in tornado alley that would require some special knowledge to be safer? Lay the bike in a ditch, lay down yourself? How about a sudden lightning storm? Have just your feet touching the ground while crouching?? Stay away from metal bike??

From Canadian who only knows snow storms!! Contemplating a ride out west.

Sue

[EGRG]

One of related dangers of strong storms that spawn tornadoes is hail and lightning. Large hail is deadly, cover would be essential. So its difficult. In lightning storms never seek the cover of trees.
Best cover in highways are overpasses.
Now weather radars are very accurate so I use radar apps on the smartphone that give you the direction and intensity of the storm. Many times its best to stop at a gas station for a few minutes to let the storm pass.

[montmil]

Make yourself as flat and as small as possible in that ditch, if that's all that's available. Keep your helmet and riding gear on for additional protection from hail... if there is not a building nearby for shelter. Stay away from tall people aka: lightning rods.

I must disagree regarding highway over-passes as tornado shelters. The National Weather Service advises that these locations experience extreme and often deadly wind conditions should a twister pass close in. Hail and heavy rain, you'd be pretty safe. Climb up the slope and hang onto the steel structure. You know, where the homeless guy is sleeping.

Tornado? If possible, ride the other way and quickly. Take shelter in the first available large, solid structure you can find... school, police station, brick out house, etc. Forget the bike 'cause if you and Toto get swept away, well, you won't be needing that bike anyway.

We have a saying in Texas:
"If the good Lord wanted you to live in a trailer house, He would not have invented tornadoes."   

[tvrla]

Reminds me of a joke:

How are a Texas tornado and a Tennessee divorce similar?

Someone's gonna lose a trailer.

[montmil]

Reminds me of a joke:

How are a Texas tornado and a Tennessee divorce similar?

Someone's gonna lose a trailer.

 [smiley=ROTFLMAO.gif]

[k_enn]

Tornados with or without shelter - think of the Limbo --- "how low can you go."  Go to a basement if possible, if outside get down in a ditch.

Lightening storms - think non-tree shelter if possible.  Overpasses will work.  If no shelter, you next best bet is try to avoid being grounded.  Keep substantial non-conductive material between you and the ground.  I just don't know if motorcycles tires are enough - car tires usually are on a car.  If you must stand on the ground, think of two things.  Be low, and keep your contact with the ground to as close a space as possible.  Being low helps in that the lightning will generally prefer a higher target.  You don't want to have your points of contact with the ground very far apart.  Keep your contact points close.  Just a short distance in the contact with the ground (couple of feet, or even laying down) can result in a high risk of a lightening injury because there can be a great difference in the electrical potential between the two contact spots which can result in the electricity from a ground strike passing though the body rather than the ground.    In other words, keep your two feet close together and squat down like you are doing a knee bend (shades of grade school gym class).  

[suecanada]

Thanks Guys!! Your advice will be followed. So if you ever hear of a storm being at the root of my demise, please be assured I followed your advice and this one time and one time only...it didn't work.

Honestly it is one more weapon in my touring arsenal of knowledge and I thank you for the measure of confidence such knowledge provides.