How to survive a tornado when day hiking with children

Photo courtesy of NOAA.

Sometime weather can change quite dramatically within a few minutes, and if day hiking, this can catch you by surprise, especially if you are deep into the trail. With spring’s arrival, one such weather phenomena that can strike with deadly force is a tornado.

Should you see bad weather approaching, skip the hike and head for home. If already on the hike, forget reaching the destination and instead return to your vehicle.

But what if you are driving for home or still heading for the vehicle and you spot a tornado?

You generally can tell which direction the tornado is heading so that you don’t drive toward it. Always go in the opposite direction of it at a right angle – that is, if it’s moving to your left, you should go to the right. Don’t turn around and try to outrun it. That just keeps you in the line of danger, and the tornado probably is moving faster than you will be able to.

If a tornado appears to be standing still, that means you’re in its path. If driving, get out of your vehicle and seek cover.

If still on the hiking trail, regardless of which way the tornado is going, always seek cover.

When outdoors, the best way to protect yourself from a tornado includes:
g Lay in a depression – Rather than hike to the lowest elevation, look for dips, ditches, and ravines you can lay face down in. If a building can be reached within a few seconds, enter it and go into it basement, a bathtub that’s firmly affixed to the floor, or an interior closet. In the absence of this, crouching behind a large boulder on the side protecting you from the wind is better than being out in the open.
g Cover your eyes and head – Don’t try to watch or take pictures of the tornado. That only exposes you and the most vulnerable parts of your body. Instead, lock your fingers around your head. If you have some kind of padding, place it over your head.
g Lock arms – This increases the “weight” of you individually, decreasing the chances of you being blown away or turned over.
g Stay together – If you separate, you can’t control any children should they panic and make bad decisions. You also face the anxiety of searching for one another once the storm passes.

Some shelter actually is quite dangerous to be in during a tornado:
g Highway or bridge underpasses – These areas act as wind tunnels. There also is the chance of them collapsing on you.
g Tents – Tornadoes easily will knock down these makeshift structures, which provide little protection against wind-blown objects. Should the tornado pick up a tent, you’ll go with it.
g Vehicles – Tornadic winds can tip over and pick up a vehicle. Flying debris can shatter the glass, spraying it across those inside.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

Warning signs of an approaching tornado during a day hike

Photo courtesy of NOAA

With spring’s arrival, wind storms and tornadoes become more frequent. Unfortunately what may have started as an exceptionally warm spring morning that was perfect for a day hike can quickly turn into a dangerous afternoon of violent storms.

Knowing how to identify the signs of an impending tornado will help you determine if you should either immediately quit the hike or head for cover. Even if a tornado never appears, similar conditions can lead to high winds that also are dangerous.

When on a day hike, look for these tornado warning signs:
g Bad clouds – Two types of clouds suggest a tornado: a supercell and a wall cloud. A supercell is a type of a thunderhead that looks like cauliflower as opposed to an anvil; the winds inside a supercell can reach up to 170 mph. A wall cloud looks like a dense wall with clearly defined edges.
g Green sky – Often the color of the sky will turn a sickly green hue before a tornado strikes.
g Conical-shaped clouds – If a needle-like cloud descends from a cloud’s base, this suggests that air is moving as if around a funnel. You should immediately seek cover.
g Your ears pop – If you haven’t changed altitude, this indicates a sudden drop in air pressure, which usually accompanies a twister.
g Roaring sound – Should you hear what sounds like a waterfall or a lot of wings flapping all at once but there’s no waterfall or birds around, a tornado may be heading your direction.

Related article:
g What to do if a tornado occurs during a day hike

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

What to do if a tornado occurs during hike

Photo courtesy NOAA.

Tornadoes form quickly, usually in areas about to experience severe thunderstorms. By leaving an area to avoid a thunderstorm - something you always should do when hiking with kids - you should be able to avoid a tornado.

If one is approaching you, seek shelter in a ravine or a cave. If on flat ground, find the lowest depression or ditch possible.

And never make this mistake, as Josh S., of San Antonio, Texas, advises: “Don’t seek shelter beneath concrete bridges of highway underpasses. The underpass can act as a wind tunnel during a tornado. Debris will fly right at you at super-high speeds”

Related articles:
g If lost, reassure kids by getting them involved in signaling for help
g Staying the night outdoors because you're lost? Set your priorities
g What to do when lost with children on a hike
g When you have no food but are lost overnight

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.