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2013-05-31 EVENT: KS, OK, MO, IL

Using deaths only as a measure and calling storm chasing one of the safest hobbies there is based solely on that is awful selective and may be misleading. Does anybody have any numbers on non-fatal injuries?

How about property damage, in dollar values? You know - broken windows, hail dents, paint? The occasional blown tires?

I mean, it's not like those three deaths over the weekend are actually the only bad thing that's ever happened on a chase. Add non-fatal injuries and we have to add four TWC folks the same day. And that's just for starters. Didn't a chase tour van get rolled last year?
 
But you could do this with anything....how many runners are killed on their way to the course etc.

The news is asking if chasing is too dangerous....and I just believe that in comparison...it is as safe
 
ericjkelly said:
But you could do this with anything....how many runners are killed on their way to the course etc.

The news is asking if chasing is too dangerous....and I just believe that in comparison...it is as safe
Click to expand...

Flying in a commercial jet is much safer than simply driving a car. So by getting into your car and driving you're already doing something dangerous/unsafe. Now put yourself in the middle of hundreds of others in a relatively confined area all distracted by watching the sky, their smartphone, radar images, and radio broadcasts, all while pursuing something that on it's own is dangerous. That doesn't sound very safe to me.
 
Chuck Robertson said:
So it appears there may have been a 4th, and separate storm chaser killed by this same tornado. Though he was apparently quite amateur, according to this article, he was actually chasing this tornado.

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-storms-a...to-of-tornado-that-killed-him/article/3841315
Click to expand...

I'm sure this has already been brought up, but I can't help but wonder how many other amateur chasers have also been killed and just not identified as such. I doubt it's some huge number, but I would not be surprised to find that there have been several.

That said, I think simply being in your vehicle is probably more dangerous than the act of chasing in most instances.
 
chrisbray said:
Side note....After looking at the tweet that showed the number of chasers who were essentially inside the main circulation on radar....I have to seriously question what people are trying to do out there. We are lucky more chasers weren't killed. I can't imagine ever putting myself in a position like that....was this a combination of convergence, sudden tornado path change, poor positioning and limited road options?
Click to expand...



We were one of those dots at one point on the second storm, I would never put myself or my team in the situation many seem to have chose to the NE of the first tornado. After following the El Reno tornado safely on the southern flank of the meso we ran out of road options south and ran into traffic and trees down trying to get to Hwy 4 to get south of the second storm as it approached the metro. Without a visual on the storm structure we actually bailed west for a short time to avoid intecepting the second TVS. I believe a lot of chasers who found themselves under the meso of the second storm were in the same boat. And looking back the only way we could have avoided it was to anticipate the storm evolution better from the start. Due to the storm evolution and local geography (Canadian River) there were very few options that were as safe as I would have preferred.
 
Supposedly it grew from approximately 1 mile wide to 2.6 miles wide in 30 seconds. I think it's really becoming clear why so many of us safety-oriented chasers were caught off guard and forced to run for our lives. Simply extraordinary circumstances.
 
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