2/26/09 REPORTS: AR/OK/MO/IA

[Brian Emfinger]

Nice chase...saw nice wall cloud north of Mansfield, AR then I got blasted by bad rfd. Here are a few pics...


Wall Cloud is at bottom middle descending from the large meso...

Report is done here

 

[Randall Cooper]

Gotta make this quick, as I am still driving home with 2 hours to go.

Started the day off badly, I got 50 miles away from home with a target of Butler, MO, when I realized I forgot my video camera and camera at home. I had to turn around to go back home and grab them, so ya I was really ticked, lol. wound up leaving home the second time around 11:30 AM, still targeting between Harrisonville and Butler. I got to Harrisonville and looked things over, decided to jump on highway 2 and head east. than I headed north and ended up in Holden. I paused there a long time just thinkin I might as well call it a day. but wait, whats this i see? Clearing with towers goin up to my NW. There maybe hope for this yet! I quickly headed east toward Warrensburg, got there and paused again. Aquick look at things and i was jettin south towards Clinton. I got to Highway 2 again, and decided to go east, I was now right in between 2 Severe Warned cells, one to my north and one to my south. Luckily, i loved the west to east motions today! i drove right in between them for about 10 or 15 miles on Highway 2. Than I came to US 65, i had a decision to make, North or South? I looked at radar and started noticing a sort of tail end charlie on the southern part of this forming line, i figured that was my only hope for today, sure enough it went Tstorm warned right when i made the decision to go for it. I zoomed south once again on 65 trying to beat it. I got to Buffalo, MO when it was already getting dark, approximately 6:30 PM, and i pulled in a parking lot facing my truck north at the cell so the stream would see it, and right as i parked, boom, first tornado warning of the day! by this time i could see it to the north of Buffalo, I and a few of my viewers watching my stream saw a funnel cloud! I got in the truck to head east toward Lebanon, MO. I drove east on Highway 32 for about 5 to 10 miles east of Buffalo, and to the north of me, Yes, I saw my first tornado, thanks to the constant lightning, it was down briefly maybe for about 20 to 30 seconds before it went back up, but there was still a lowering. Sadly, the rain started to play a part, and it came down so hard i could not see it anymore. Comtinued to Lebanon, got some gas and am now heading home. Now I know alot of you want to see video or pics, but sadly I only got video of the funnel in Buffalo, and not the tornado, because I was on the phone and driving at the same time the tornado touched down, but I am very excited that I did bag my first tornado ever, not to mention i was the only chaser within miles of the first, and potentially only tornado warning of the day! Not bad for a rookie, i if i do say so myself lol. will get the video up later! 2 hours til home! lol.

 

[Jared Farrer]

I ended up chasing the southern section along the dryline. I was on the two tail end storms. Chased a cell just east of Boswell, OK then got cored by the thing twice. Hail got vicious for about ten minutes. I'd say quarters to near golfballs. I did get a wind direction change. Couldnt see much due to alot of scudish material and low stratus cloud matter. Plus being in the jungle doesnt help either. But that cell and the Paris, TX cell went pretty insane with lightning for a while.

Post some picks later! Tired!

 

[Randall Cooper]

Got some stills from my video in Buffalo, Mo. I and a few other chasers think I captured the tornado. I already emailed these into the NWS in Springfield to see what they think.