2011-05-21 REPORTS: KS/OK/TX

[Skip Talbot]

Jennifer Brindley and I get up close and personal with a tornado near White Cloud, KS just before the storm crossed the MO river. The tornado crossed the road about 600 feet from where we initially spotted it coming over the tops of the trees to our left before we turned around to give it a wider berth:

Watch video >

Full log coming soon hopefully, but I've got quite the back log now so it might be awhile.

 

[Brandon Clement]

Decided not to venture too far away from our hotel in OKC and played the dryline along I-40. Basically just decided to move right down the interstate until the dryline passed and would just go down to the next exit until storms fired. When the cells started going up we dropped south. Got to the southern storm on the south side of Ada and saw a couple brief tornadoes before it became obvious the northern cell was going to become the dominant cell. Shot up to the NW side of Ada in between two incredibly structured cells. The northern cell's wall was tightening up and rapidly rotating and became nearly stationary as it produced several brief tornadoes before producing a nice stovepipe. I was hoping to get really close to the tornado and had a great vantage point in a field just to the east side but it seemed like it took an hour to move a couple miles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv5qYSl8kKs&feature=related

Sorry about the shaky footage, have another video from the camcorder on the tripod, just haven't got it loaded yet.

 

[JoelHamburger]

My fiance and I witnessed the entire evolution of the cell which dropped the tornado on Reading KS.

Initially targeted Ponca City with the hope that we could get an isolated cell to fire off the dryline later in the day when the wind profiles would improve. Had a lunch on the resevoir and then watched some towers try and go up towards the northwest. It seemed that we were on the very southern edge of the convergence so we headed up north as on of the towers broke the cap. By the time the cell (and us) reached El Dorado returns began to show.

We crossed north of the cell and witnessed the mythical double rainbow near Cedar Point KS

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By the time we reached Emporia the storm began to take on a beautiful sculpted appearance. It was still just severe warned at this point I believe



During this whole time we had not seen any other chasers at all. Around 10 minutes after the previous picture was taken the COD group pulled in behind us and the storm picked up and dropped the tornado which strengthened and moved off to the NE. I believe it was Paul Sirvatka who called in the report and the sirens sounded shortly thereafter. We then followed the storm and watched the meso and backlit tornado as it hit Reading. We were saddened to hear about the devastation and the loss of life in Reading but I believe that the report by the COD team was instrumental in giving the town as much warning as they had.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I intercepted the Stratford/Ada cell and observed a total of 4 tornadoes including a stovepipe and nice Cone. Unfortunately I forgot to hit record on my camera, and only caught the last brief tornado.
http://www.benholcomb.com/Chase-Accounts/20110521

Watch video >

 

[Adam Lucio]

I should have gotten on the storms to the south, they were far less HP but regardless we pulled out some prizes on this chase with a brief, HP tornado and some golfball size hail.

http://www.chicagoillinoisstormchaser.com/052111.php

Here is a video still from Jon, who was chasing with us this day. Ugh, MO...

 

[Josh Durkee]

We initially set a target of Emporia, KS but ended up on the Topeka supercell for the evening.

Here is a sped up vid showing the Topeka storm at three different times:

Watch video >

 

[Jason Young]

Well this a day that caught me off guard . Was taking the day off and watching TV with my kids when I heard the hail begin . Went to the front yard and watched the first Tornado to the west side of Sulphur , after the Tornado lifted I loaded the family up ( felt better having them with me ) and headed west to Hickory . Watched a beautiful Tornado touch down . But wife got upset and headed back to town . 2 - Tornado's + 15 mile's drove + happy dad and kids + forgot camera at home =1 pissed off wife ! Still feel like a moron for letting this sneak up on me , but nice letting the kids see there first Tornado !