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.
