Wildfires, flash floods, hurricanes, and hazardous chemical spills. All are valid reasons for a campground evacuation order. When receiving such an order, it’s important to respond quickly and appropriately. It just may save your life—or the lives of those who are RVing with you.
Even routine-looking situations can turn dangerous fast. A small fire can spread in minutes, a sudden storm can flood low-lying areas, and chemical hazards can appear without warning. Being prepared and following evacuation instructions promptly keeps everyone safer and can prevent panic in stressful situations.
While no one likes to have their camping trip cut short, I think it’s safe to say that no RVing experience is worth risking your life!
How about you?
Have you ever been evacuated from a campground?
Vote in our poll and then add your comments. Tell us about why you were evacuated, and what your experience was like. We’re glad you’re okay!
MORE POLLS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
- Do you believe there should be ‘No Campfire’ zones in campgrounds?
- When replacing a headlight, do you routinely replace the other one at the same time?
- How good a decision did you make buying your present RV?
- Do you change the oil in your RV or tow vehicle yourself?
- Have you ever been a work camper?
RVDT2751
We were in Gulfport, MS, and a hurricane was coming our way. We moved out of the path for a few days. It missed us, but we didn’t want to stay. Better safe than sorry.
We were escorted out of the park in our RV by the police through a wildfire. It was surreal- kind of like watching it on TV. We were taken to a place lower on the mountain where the fire had already passed by. Stayed up most of the night watching it blaze.
Last fall we had to leave a RV park on the East Coast of Florida, we moved to the West Coast then another hurricane Milton came we moved again up to the panhandle of Florida for 3 days then back to our RV Park on the West Coast, Thanks for wheels we can move when we have to.
Nice with hurricanes, you have some idea of the path. Thank you Weather Service.
Not always. Not too many years ago a storm came in around Port Charlotte on the West Coast and people evacuated inland to Orlando area and the storm took a right angel turn right into the Orlando area. As soon as you think we have Mother Nature figured out ……… Just a year ago Helene and Milton had us all fooled. It ain’t over ’till it’s over.
Only one time 25+ years ago central Pennsylvania, but once was enough. At about 10:40pm we heard a knock on the door and it was someone from the campground advising that the stream has risen some and we should think about moving our camper to a higher location. Strangely enough she was standing in about 4 inches of water (the stream rose about 5 feet) while telling us this. That was the fastest I’ve ever hooked up a trailer in my life. Help my SIL hook his and there was NO where available in a “higher location” that didn’t already contain a camper. Even the campgrounds side roads were full, so at 11PM with a kids and grandkids and sleepy wife’s we started the several hour trek homeward.
Once in Yellowstone National Park during a heavy rain in N.E. park.
We had to evacuate Ocean Lakes Family Campground several years because of a hurricane. Good thing we did because the campground did have flooding.
We were camping in Yosemite Nat’l Park. My siblings and I my parents’ cremains in a peaceful place (yes – the Park Service approved of that spot and we had the proper paperwork) that my mother loved. We had lunch at the Ahwahnee after our private service. When we got back to our campsite, we were told by Ranger Ben (a personal friend of ours) that the park was being evacuated due to the wildfire. It took us about 45 minutes to pack up and move out. People look at me in wonder when I tell them we are the only ones I personally know that was “kicked out” of Yosemite and don’t explain why.
In KY, for a tornado warning, close to 20 years ago. The small campground was deep in a ravine. Everyone had to get in their cars and leave. We drove out to the entrance of the park and waited in a cleared parking lot. If you went out on the road then you would have the chance of trees falling on you. So everyone sat in their cars in this exposed area. We remember thinking ‘Well, we hope this is a good idea.’
The poll answer is “no”. But the Texas RV park should have evacuated the portion of the park that was in the creek flood plain. This was in 2024. Texas has a long history of flash floods. Our site was high above the creek. No way would I park in a known flood plain.
The creek had been dry for months. A downpour happened at the right (wrong) spot upstream. The creek went from dry to over its banks in 10 minutes with a wall of water, and kept going up another 3 feet. No RVs were lost, but the water was nearly up to the bellies of most. Worse, there was no escape because the runoff from the adjacent highway washed out the road down to the flood plain sites.
We live in a world where we must be weather aware. I’d like to think I would not put myself in that situation.
Dams break, wild fires shift directions with no notice, and mother nature changes at a moments notice. Being “weather aware” isn’t the only answer.
Once for a forest fire 30-yrs ago somewhere out west. And for a flood caused by heavy, heavy rain in West Memphis, TN. We were planning to leave the park that morning anyway…just not that early.
Several years ago my wife and I and granddaughter were awakened about 0500 in the Legion campground in Detroit Lakes, Mn, for a tornado warning. The sky was a sickening green color with dangerous looking clouds. (I used to teach aviation weather to student pilots). Most of the park was herded down to the basement of the Legion – I/we opted to use a concrete above ground restroom facility. (The Legion building is not very large vs the size of the residents and Rvers sent to the basement!). Several tornadoes were reported in the area – fortunately, none in the city or campground.
We were told to leave a Washington State Park campground because they had water “problems” and had to close the public rest rooms! Other than that we’ve self-evacuated campgrounds in Georgia, Mississipi and Texas due to threatening tornados. Not fun, except for the retelling of our stories of each. But not here… 🙂
1976 Estes Park Colorado.
…dam broke.
While we’ve never been evacuated, we have been stranded inside one 3 times. Twice when the roads in all directions were under water and once when there were trees down across the roads. We also have sheltered in storm shelters twice.
My son (11 years old at the time) was camped in Oklahoma for the Red Earth Powwow, and had to bug out due to a tornado. It actually hit the campground, and did quite a lot of damage
When camping, I follow the weather to the extreme. I have been in a tornado, camped during flooding, and a lightning storm not knowing if I was going to be struck. Safety is knowledge.
We were evacuated from our home in Central WA because of a forest fire and had to pack up the motorhome and leave. We went to an rv park about two hours north of our home. The next day the park manager came around and told everyone we had to leave because of a fire coming down the mountain about 2 miles from the park. We ended up going back to our home about 2 weeks later and luckily a borade plane had stopped the fire about 300 yards from our house.