A hurricane is one of the scariest weather events you can encounter. With the potential to do massive property damage – along with endangering the health of anyone in the area, hurricane warnings should be taken very seriously. If you live in an area prone to hurricanes during parts of the year, having a plan for those potential storms is an important step.

Below, we’ll walk through some strategies you can use to secure your camper when a storm is approaching. If you’d like to get ahead of the game, consider building a metal garage on your property with the help of American Steel Carports, Inc. Parking your camper inside of an enclosed structure will give it a better chance in a storm, and it will come along with plenty of other benefits, as well. Try our Build & Price tool to see what is possible or contact us to learn more.

Keeping Safe During a Hurricane

No matter how much you love your camper, there is never a situation where the condition of material possessions is more important than the health and safety of human beings. When a hurricane is coming in, your top priority should always be to make sure you and the people around you are in a safe position. If that means leaving the camper behind in a vulnerable position so you can evacuate in a timely manner, so be it. Always respect evacuation orders and guidance from local authorities to avoid danger. Hurricanes can be dangerous storms, and you never want to underestimate their power.

Being Prepared

Thanks to the capabilities of modern weather forecasting, you will typically have quite a bit of warning for a potential hurricane. Often, you’ll hear of the possibility of a hurricane a few days in advance, so you don’t have to be caught off-guard at the last moment if a storm is going to roll in.

When you first hear about the possibility of a hurricane, it will be just that – a possibility. You probably won’t need to evacuate just yet, but you do want to be ready. So, make sure your camper (or vehicle) is full of gas, and have your things organized so you can pick up and leave quickly, if necessary. Also, having a few basic supplies like tools, duct tape, and extra batteries will help you deal with any issues that might come up along the way.

The Camper Evacuation Process in a Hurricane

If you happen to be traveling in a motorhome when a hurricane approaches, you’ll need to evacuate in that same rig. That’s okay, but make it a point to allow yourself as much time as possible to make the journey. Navigating a motorhome or another type of large camper in thick traffic in the midst of an evacuation would be a harrowing experience. Leave as soon as you can to make the whole process less stressful.

Leaving Your Camper Behind

In some cases, you might have to leave your camper behind when you evacuate. This could happen if you are pulling a travel trailer and don’t have time to pack it up or are evacuating from your main home and leaving in a passenger vehicle rather than your RV. If you’ll be leaving the camper to ride out the storm on its own, here are a few tips to keep in mind –

• Make sure all of the doors and windows are closed and locked. There is going to be a lot of water that comes down as part of the storm, so you’ll want to give the RV the best possible chance of keeping that moisture out.
• If possible, park your RV inside to add another layer of defense between the storm and the camper. This is made easy by working with American Steel Carports, Inc. to add a durable, sturdy detached metal garage to your property.
• Also, think about using any anchoring points that are on your RV to tie it down to the ground. The winds that come with a hurricane can easily topple even a large rig, so tie-downs could make all the difference in trying to keep the camper right-side up.

With any luck, you and your camper will never have to go through a hurricane. It’s not a good plan to rely on luck alone, however, so you’ll want to prepare yourself and know what to do when a powerful storm pops up in the forecast. Get in touch with American Steel Carports, Inc. today to get started!