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We recently camped with our tent trailer by Hell Roaring Canyon on the way to Island In the Sky near Moab. A terrific thunderstorm came across the mesa we were camped on and of course the question of safety came up! We have been told in the past that lightening deaths are the number one killer down in the canyon country. How safe are you in a tent trailer sitting on two rubber tires and then four steel legs at the corners of the trailer firmly attached to the ground. Overhead are a metal frame work supporting the roof of the trailer. We also observed very long thunders accompaning the lightning which we wondered if the canyon we were camped next to would have amplified and made them longer due to echoes.
Thank you,
Chuck F.
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As we all begin to spend more time outside it's definitely a great time to ask some of these safety questions. All thunderstorms are dangerous and to be a thunderstorm, the storm must have thunder, to have thunder you must have lightning.
Lightning is Utah's biggest weather killer. Since 1950, lightning has claimed the of 60 individuals in the Beehive state. This makes it more deadly than flash flooding although which is also dangerous.
Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles away from a thunderstorm, so even when you don't have your own doppler radar, it's wise to be able to tell how far away a thunderstorm is from you. To do this, you can use the rule of 5. The speed of sound is around 750 mph or to break it down, about an average of 5 seconds per mile.
So if lightning strikes, and you start counting, and you count to 10 before you hear the clap of thunder. Just divide the 10 seconds by 5 seconds per mile and you'll find out that the storm is 2 miles away from you. Thunderstorms can move as fast as a car! So that storm could be near you in about another minute or two. Some very fast storms have forward speeds of over 60 mph!!!! If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck is a good rule to use as well.
To answer your Q, your shelter set up in the trailer wouldn't be wise. I wouldn't risk it. If you are out and about at a campsite and have no other shelter (such as a lodge or building) the best bet would then be your car. Do not stand near a tree or just out in a field. But remember, the car isn't a good place for a tornadic storm, not as prevalent in Utah but still good to remember.
Dr. Chuck Doswell of Oklahoma University, a top storm researcher in the country has actually written a paper on some safety precautions you can take while you are outside camping. The link is over on the right of this page.
In this paper he offers some suggestions on places to go if you are completely stuck in the wilderness. Also he offers some good ideas on hiking early in the day during the summer months as t-storms tend to develop in the later part of the day. He adds information about other hazardous weather to watch out for and how to identify some dangerous clouds, an excellent read if you're doing any camping this summer.
As far as the sound of thunder lasting a while, the sound could definitely bounce around off of the canyon walls making it sound like a low rumble for a longer period of time. So yes, the canyons can impact how long you hear the thunder.
Anytime you have a thunderstorm present, whether you are in a city or out camping, it's dangerous either way. It's best to know which clouds produce thunderstorms and to always be aware of what forecast conditions will be with you on your trip or venture. A NOAA weather radio can also come in handy to get the latest weather information and will update you on watches and warnings.
Answered by KSL Meteorologist Dina Freedman
