Hunters Become The Hunted
For many years, it has been regularly discussed that with the increasing number of chasers on the road and around a storm, the odds were that eventually somebody was going to get caught by one. There have been several close calls, but yesterday, a couple of chasers took a direct hit. Their official account is at:
http://stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=12087
A picture of their vehicle is there with the semi tipped over on it. It is indeed quite fortunate that they escaped with their lives and with no injury. I wonder if that tipped semi might have actually saved them from being tossed and rolled? It looks like they are snuggled in there pretty good. Very very scary indeed. Despite my private personal issues with those involved, I am glad they are ok. I really am. I wouldn't wish that kind of encounter upon anybody. At least they lived to tell the tale and one they'll surely recall even when they are drawing retirement and their hair is gray (if it isn't already today!) . I wonder if they threw a whisky bottle at it? LOL!! For those humorless folks out there, that is a joke in reference to "Twister". Chill out.
This should serve as a very sombering reminder to all of us who love to encounter the most violent storms on earth: This is a deadly dangerous game of tag we play with mother nature . Despite running live radar data, which remember is sometimes 5-6 minutes old, and having alot of experience under your belt, it's no guarantee that something like this won't happen. I think with all of the available radar data on the road now, it allows us to get closer to the storms than ever before with increased levels of safety. It also cuts down on the margin of error if a storm decides to do something wierd.
So, the raging debate in the past has always been "how close is too close" to intentionally drive into the storm environment of a raging tornadic supercell? That's a trick question really. Just like amber light bars, decals and what you say or do on your video, it's truly nobody else's business to dictate, control, coerce or intimidate somebody else into complying with what one group deems as "the law"...something far beyond opinion. [start Dragnet theme music] Enter the Stormchaser Police! LOL!!
It's a free country and if somebody wants to drive right into the throat of a tornado and video it, they have the right to do so free from the vicious bullshit that rages from within a segment of the "stormchasing community". That includes "intentional" or "accidental" encounters. If they want to sell their video or make personal interviews ("Storm Stories" for example) and profit from it, then they have just as much right to do so. They have the right NOT to as well. Neither is right or wrong. But, I do hope we do get to see video from this event someday on Storm Stories....even "edited" for content. ;-)
The paranoia that we are going to get special legislation enacted against us as a result is ludicrous in my opinion. Even more amusing is the paranoia that the public is going to perceive us as [insert label here]. Well, guess what....they already do! LOL!! Just the public perception of us driving TOWARDS a severe storm already makes us [insert label here]. So scratch that reasoning too.
In the meantime, I'm sure my post will generate alot of comment and discussion (or maybe it won't)...especially from those that feel the need or obligation to rush in and "defend" their homies [flash gang sign here]. Nobody has been maligned or called out here despite any illusionary cryptic hidden messages you might conjure up if you tilt your head just right, cover one eye and read backwards. Save the conspiracy theories for MoveOn.org and Dan Rather.
I'm not going to let this break out into an all out name-calling melee or comparing/ranking everybody's chase statistics in order to be allowed an opinion on this subject. Read my disclaimer at the top of my blog. I already know everybody has seen more tornadoes than me in 2007 and that I'm a [insert derogative here] and I'm a bad chaser....blah blah blah. So save your keyboard and bandwidth...it ain't getting posted. But if it makes you feel better.... LOL!! The "blog posse" and "stormchasing gestapo" aren't allowed here, so go "terrorize" some other boards. ;-)
OK, I've rambled enough about this. We've got a couple of very active severe weather days ahead of us which I'm excited about...except that is on a workday for me. :-(
http://stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=12087
A picture of their vehicle is there with the semi tipped over on it. It is indeed quite fortunate that they escaped with their lives and with no injury. I wonder if that tipped semi might have actually saved them from being tossed and rolled? It looks like they are snuggled in there pretty good. Very very scary indeed. Despite my private personal issues with those involved, I am glad they are ok. I really am. I wouldn't wish that kind of encounter upon anybody. At least they lived to tell the tale and one they'll surely recall even when they are drawing retirement and their hair is gray (if it isn't already today!) . I wonder if they threw a whisky bottle at it? LOL!! For those humorless folks out there, that is a joke in reference to "Twister". Chill out.
This should serve as a very sombering reminder to all of us who love to encounter the most violent storms on earth: This is a deadly dangerous game of tag we play with mother nature . Despite running live radar data, which remember is sometimes 5-6 minutes old, and having alot of experience under your belt, it's no guarantee that something like this won't happen. I think with all of the available radar data on the road now, it allows us to get closer to the storms than ever before with increased levels of safety. It also cuts down on the margin of error if a storm decides to do something wierd.
So, the raging debate in the past has always been "how close is too close" to intentionally drive into the storm environment of a raging tornadic supercell? That's a trick question really. Just like amber light bars, decals and what you say or do on your video, it's truly nobody else's business to dictate, control, coerce or intimidate somebody else into complying with what one group deems as "the law"...something far beyond opinion. [start Dragnet theme music] Enter the Stormchaser Police! LOL!!
It's a free country and if somebody wants to drive right into the throat of a tornado and video it, they have the right to do so free from the vicious bullshit that rages from within a segment of the "stormchasing community". That includes "intentional" or "accidental" encounters. If they want to sell their video or make personal interviews ("Storm Stories" for example) and profit from it, then they have just as much right to do so. They have the right NOT to as well. Neither is right or wrong. But, I do hope we do get to see video from this event someday on Storm Stories....even "edited" for content. ;-)
The paranoia that we are going to get special legislation enacted against us as a result is ludicrous in my opinion. Even more amusing is the paranoia that the public is going to perceive us as [insert label here]. Well, guess what....they already do! LOL!! Just the public perception of us driving TOWARDS a severe storm already makes us [insert label here]. So scratch that reasoning too.
In the meantime, I'm sure my post will generate alot of comment and discussion (or maybe it won't)...especially from those that feel the need or obligation to rush in and "defend" their homies [flash gang sign here]. Nobody has been maligned or called out here despite any illusionary cryptic hidden messages you might conjure up if you tilt your head just right, cover one eye and read backwards. Save the conspiracy theories for MoveOn.org and Dan Rather.
I'm not going to let this break out into an all out name-calling melee or comparing/ranking everybody's chase statistics in order to be allowed an opinion on this subject. Read my disclaimer at the top of my blog. I already know everybody has seen more tornadoes than me in 2007 and that I'm a [insert derogative here] and I'm a bad chaser....blah blah blah. So save your keyboard and bandwidth...it ain't getting posted. But if it makes you feel better.... LOL!! The "blog posse" and "stormchasing gestapo" aren't allowed here, so go "terrorize" some other boards. ;-)
OK, I've rambled enough about this. We've got a couple of very active severe weather days ahead of us which I'm excited about...except that is on a workday for me. :-(
Labels: Freight Train, Fun With Tornadoes, Mastercard Commercial, Soiled Undies, Yikes
posted by Steve Miller TX at 4/22/2007 01:00:00 PM
11 Comments:
Thanks for sharing that Steve. I'm glad they're OK. The picture tells a terror of a tale. Hope they brought a change of clothes. Very humbling...
It is indeed fortunate that they or nobody else got seriously injured or worse in Tulia. I've just seen some of the video and the debris field is horrific in that thing.
I saw some video from that one, too. Very fortunate that it wasn't worse.
Looking at Reed Timmers video it looks like that thing dropped out of nowhere right in town. Those guys are lucky to be ok and what a story they will have to share in the future. I have no doubt this could happen to any chaser at anytime around a storm not matter how many links they have to "chaser saftey" rules on their websights. I do wonder what the level of outrage would be with the Storm Chase Police if this had been some lesser known chasers or even worse the "Outlaw Chasers"! I imagine with the people involved with this that not much will be said about it except in the comments sections of a few blogs.
In RE to above poster...Nail, meet head.
That is the double/triple standard in the community. If a person is well liked/known, they can practically get by with the equivalent of murder in the chaser world with nary a care. On the other hand, if some don't like them, or they aren't well known, the exact same situation happens to them and the bashing commences. It's a tail or irony that one of the persons in that vehicle was bashing someone for something similar happening to them years ago. Perhaps in the future they will recall their experiences and be more lenient on other chasers mistakes.
A tour group that wasn't even chasing that storm intentionally came to the town and drove the tour van right up into the debris path 50 feet from a leaking natural gas pipe. All the occupants proceeded to fan out into the debris path taking pictures. Will there be any uproar? Nope. The tour director is very well liked and well known and part of the chaser inner circle.
Just another incident yesterday that should never have happened.
For the record, there was a very well defined and rotating wall cloud about 5 minutes prior to the tornado developing. It was VERY clear a tornado was imminent. There ARE some inconsistencies in their very well edited press release.
It's been Farked!
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2755990
Another picture...all the way from England.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/picture_gallery/picture_gallery/0,,70141-1261999-5,00.html
or try this one if that is too long:
http://tinyurl.com/2gp2jc
If the "Tulia incident" happened to me personally, I wouldn't even dare tell anyone about it. I'm a fairly unknown chaser and would probably be deemed a yahoo and raked over the coals for it.
Indeed, nothing negative will be said in the "stormchasing community" about these incidents.
I certainly hope that someday, the "stormchasing community" will be as forgiving and understanding of those not so highly esteemed.
Yeah, I know, but I can dream can't I? ;-)
not going to publicize it in any way huh?
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lub/climate/Local_interest_events/2007/20070421_tor/images/NWS_Survey022107/IMG_2866bg.jpg
I'm SURE there is a perfectly good explanation.....
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