[Ansteorra] Semi-OT question... advice sought on vehicles suitible for Ansteorra camping events...

[Chris Zakes]

At 07:17 PM 3/13/2007, you wrote:

>gail young wrote:
> > Weelll..for most events, a pickup with a camper is fine.  I can remember a
> > couple of events in Ravensfort, however, that a 4x4 was the only thing
> > pulling people out.<G>  Mundanely that's Huntsville.  If you plan to go to
> > Steppes Warlord (held in Canton every year), you should get something that
> > can outrun a tornado and convert to a boat.  Other than that, you should be
> > fine with whatever...LOL. gwyneth


>OK.. that sounds like there has to be a story there...
>
>Haraldr

The site used for Steppes Warlord is about 60 miles east of Dallas 
(i.e. on the south end of Tornado Alley.) The event is held on 
Memorial Day weekend (a common time for severe weather in this part 
of the world.) The site itself has a (usually) dry streambed running 
through it.

There have been at least two Warlords where parts of the camping area 
ended up with waist-deep water. There was one seven or eight years 
ago that had a near-tornado (50+ mph straight-line winds and the 
tornado sirens were going off) which destroyed most of the pavilions 
around the listfield--the only ones that survived were the 
period-style canvas ones, all the Easy-ups and garage-type pavilions 
were toast (including one that did a lovely impression of a striped 
Viking sail on a nearby electric pole.)

And about thirty years ago, at the old Warlord site northwest of 
Dallas they had a tornado go *over* the listfield.

'God rest ye frantic autocrat, let nothing you dismay
The herald's lost his voice and he can't even cry "Oyez"
The list field's under water, a tornado's on the way
And sing ye in chorus, 'never again, never again!'"

         -Tivar Moondragon