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Last night tornado watches spread across Indiana, lighting up phones and weather apps across the state.
Radar showing a tornado emergency near Knox, Indiana during the storm system moving across northern Indiana.
Image source: Live Storm Chasers (Facebook).
Our town was under a watch, not a warning, and the only siren we heard was part of a scheduled drill. But nearby communities were under emergency warnings, and as the thunder rolled across the sky, my heart kept turning toward them in prayer.
Families gathering their kids.
Watching the radar.
Waiting for the storm to pass.
Storms have a way of reminding us how connected we all are.
Standing in our home listening to the thunder, I realized something else too.
I was incredibly grateful for something simple:
a basement.
After spending years living in a fifth wheel during our full-time RV travels, where the safest shelter was often a campground bathroom, having solid walls and a place below ground felt like a gift I didn’t take for granted.
But the storm also brought back memories from our years living on the road.
Storms During Full-Time RV Life
Waiting out a Thunderstorm in Pensacola, Florida.
Living full-time in an RV changes the way you experience weather.
When your home has wheels, storms feel closer.
During our travels we encountered tornado watches in Florida, tornado warnings in Alabama and Arkansas, monsoons in Arizona, hurricane alerts in California, and powerful winds across the plains.
Weather wasn’t just something we watched on the news.
It was something we constantly prepared for.
If you’ve followed our journey for a while, you might remember some of those stories.
One of the first times I realized how vulnerable RV life during severe weather could be was during a tornado warning while driving through the Florida panhandle. I shared that experience in How to Survive Extreme Weather in an RV.
There were other moments too—like the tornado warning that sent us scrambling while camping near Lake Martin in Alabama, which I wrote about in Alabama Lake Life in Dadeville.
And then there was the unforgettable storm in Arkansas when sirens sounded and we sheltered in campground bathrooms. That story is in West Arkansas: From Hot Springs to Little Rock.
Looking back, all of those moments were part of the same journey that began when we first stepped out in faith and traded our comfortable life for full-time RV living—something I wrote about in Trading Possessions for Freedom.
At the time, those storms felt terrifying.
But now they feel like reminders.
Reminders of how often God protected us and how many times storms passed just miles away.
Grateful for Shelter
Last night as thunder rolled across the Indiana sky, I stood quietly for a moment and listened.
Thunder has always done something to me.
It reminds me of God’s power in a way that leaves me in awe. The deep rumble across the sky has a way of making everything else feel small for a moment.
And yet, instead of fear, what I mostly felt was gratitude.
Grateful for a basement.
Grateful for safety.
Grateful for the many times storms passed us by during our RV travels across the country.
And grateful that even though our town was only under a watch, we could pray for the communities nearby who were under warnings.
Storms have a way of reminding us how much we depend on God—and how connected we are to the people around us.
Would I Choose RV Life Again?
End of the Alaska Highway
People sometimes ask if storms or severe weather during RV travel ever made me regret our years living on the road.
The honest answer is no.
Storms were sometimes scary. Living in a trailer means you feel the wind, hail, and thunder in a very real way.
But fear never defined those years.
If anything, those experiences strengthened my faith and reminded me how often God protected us.
And if I’m being honest, my heart still longs for that life sometimes... a lot of times.
The travel.
The constant change of scenery.
The friendships formed in campgrounds and around campfires.
The way strangers quickly become neighbors.
Those years of full-time RV living were full of adventure, community, and moments that shaped our family in ways I will always be grateful for.
Fear would never stop me from doing it again.
A Quiet Reminder
Rainstorm in North Dakota
Storms will always come.
Whether we are living in a house, traveling in a fifth wheel, or simply walking through ordinary seasons of life, we cannot control the wind or the rain.
But we can remember who does.
Sometimes thunder doesn’t just remind us of danger.
Sometimes it reminds us of the power and presence of our God who holds the storm.
Scripture Reflection
Amboy, California
“The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders.”
— Psalm 29:3
A Short Prayer
Lord,
Thank You for being the One who holds every storm.
When thunder reminds us how small we are, help us also remember how great and powerful You are.
Protect the families facing storms literally and symbolically, and fill our hearts with trust, peace, and gratitude for the shelter You provide—both seen and unseen.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Have you ever experienced a storm while traveling or living on the road?
I'd love to hear your story in the comments.
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