After the flash flood that hit the Albert Pike campground in AR last week, killing 20, I've been thinking much about the storm and dealing with storms while camping.
Albert Pike/ Little Missouri river is a beautiful area, great place to hike and we always enjoyed cooling off in tha falls area.
Cell phones don't really work there. First time we drove in, we questioned whether we were on the right road. Something like driving on a small dirt road through chicken farms till you hit the park land.
We often camped at nearby Shady Lake as the albert Pike camps were often full, strung up and down the river.
Loss of life could have been much greater if the campers weren't helping each other. waking them up, helping to higher ground etc. pulling each other out, The river, often 3 ft deep, raised another 20+ feet between 1 and 3 am.
The weather radio tower in the area has been down since hurricane ike.
My husband suggested some kind of float device attached to a siren that would go off if river started to flood for the campground. I think we depend too much on the rangers being responsible for weather related disasters. and not all camp in public campgrounds.
Don't picture myself camping next to a river in a narrow valley any time soon if a storm is rolling in.
One of the problems for the clean up crews is accounting for campers as the sign in spot was washed away. Important to let someone you know where you are camping and for how long.
Many years back went camping with my brothers, woke up in storm, something different about this one, felt silly waking everyone up to head to cinderblock bathroom. Few minutes later heard the tornado. when it calmed down our tent was still there but flooded, ranger came to check on us, let us know it took out a bridge and alternative way to leave.
Open to suggestions on dealing with weather related and other disasters while camping.
