5/19 Chaser Convergence

[Travis Davis]

I was out during the storm yesterday too. I have been chasing for about 8 years now and I noticed a TON more chasers then I have seen in previous years.

I don't think it is the amout of chasers that bothers me but the fact that people were stopping with half their vehicle on the roadway, driving slow as hell, or pulling out in front of people who are traveling at highway speeds. I nearly saw three or four accidents yesterday due to people pulling off the grass onto the road with someone heading full speed toward them, causing the car to have to slam on the brakes.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

I'm thinking that the scariest or most dangerous Discovery channel job is no longer being a camera guy on a crab boat in the Bering Sea.

As a funny side note, some of the Storm Chaser cameramen shoot Deadliest Catch, too.

 

[Jeff Bartlett]

Anybody else on OK-33 observe the TIV vehicle going eastbound passing vehicles in a no passing zone on the westbound lane going uphill? If another vehicle had crested the hill from the opposite direction on that westbound lane, a tank traveling at 90mph colliding with a vehicle traveling at 60-70, would've made for an almost un-imaginable head-on collision. And not to mention the several other vehicles, including me that would've been involved. I'm curious if anybody caught this on video.

I did have the TIV behind me for quite a while (I guess I was going fast enough) but never witnessed any of this. I did, however, have the Dominator pull the same stunt back on 5-10 east of Medford near I-35. Apparently, if the Discovery Channel is taping you, it gives you more of a right to a storm and traffic laws no longer apply.

 

[Steve Worthington]

This is my post on Facebook that I made a few ago...I like to think of myself as a responsible and safe chaser. I have been chasing for a good many years. I admit the traffic was nightmarish yesterday. But I did stuff that I am not proud of and am openly admitting my "Dumbassessness" to all.

Ok... I admit it..Im an idiot...As a chaser for many years and a LEO(Formerly) I do know better and try to teach better...My vehicle does have a siren and it was used yesterday...If I offended anyone...I am apologizing to you. I am, at this point, reconsidering how I chase and actually, why I chase. I do, just like everyone else, have a love for ... See More storms and weather. But, in hindsight, can see that I need to make some changes to the way I chase and why. I did have somewhat of a official capacity, yesterday, but I will not broach that subject here. Just to say, before the bashing, that I deeply apologize to any and all due to my actions yesterday.

So if you want to bash me..I do deserve it and will take it. I am going to make some changes to the way I chase, especially in regards to yesterday. On hindsight, yesterday was not a fun chase for me, and I hope that I did not or will not bring any harmful or negative feedback upon the chase community or those that I call my chaser friends.

If it was you that was in the Black SUV????? We almost rear ended you because we couldn`t see with your damn light bar going. I kept yelling at you to turn the $%^&*#) thing off but you couldn`t hear us because of your toy siren. I was wishing I had a BB gun to fix the light bar. That`s just not me, but you almost wrecked us many times and I was pissed. You put our life in danger as well as everyone else on the road. I do have video and have no plan in turning it over but some day you may see it somewhere
Dont worry about apologizing to me, It`s my driver Stacy you need to apologize too!

 

[Tyler Allison]

LoL Wow looks as if he passed 4 or 5 cars going up hill in a NO passing lane.. thats insane.

Maybe I need to get my Wrangler outfitted quicker than I thought. I plan on stickering the 'hood bump' with "Storm Chaser Recovery Vehicle" for next year. Sounds like I'll be needed.

 

[Melanie Kern-Favilla]

It looks like we treat each other with the same kindness and courtesy on the road as we do here on ST. And that's not a good thing. Hmmph.

 

[Jay McCoy]

In my 26 years of chasing yesterday was the scariest and worst day I have ever had with the driving. The convergences and sheer stupidity and aggressiveness of a number of "chasers" was unbelievable. I am totally shocked nobody, especially innocent civillians werent killed. The worst I saw was some black mustang with yellowish plates on hwy33 just west of Kingfisher come flying by me and a number of others at over 100mph. We were already doing at least 70 and the speed limit is 65 there and he pased us like we were parked. Not sure he was a chaser but I am betting on that. Also the traffic jam going through Guthrie as the rotation was directly overhead had me swearing and sweating. Red lights and stops signs and 400 cars while a tornadic circulation is closing in on you is a very bad thing!! I missed a number of tornados by taking alternate roads to try and avoid the masses but in the end I would rather miss the show than be a part of it. If a tornado had actually dropped down on hwy33 or in Guthrie we would have lots of chasers either killed or in the hospital right now. As usual there were tours that people were on the road or crossing but it wasnt too bad. better than normal actually. I only had to slow down rapidly a few times..lol

As for TWC commenting that chasers are the "fly in the ointment". What gives them precedent over others?? They are just another media source and just as much a part of the issue as anybody else. Many chasers know more than they do about severe wx and chasing. In fact having groups like Discovery ch and the TIV are obviously a major part of the problem judging by the video and reports posted about their driving. I saw the Discovery group do a couple of stupid things. Mostly pull out into traffic or stop in the road like everybody else had to yield to them but never saw them pass over a hill thankfully. Think we should send a link of Steves video and this thread to the execs at TDC. Let them know what their folks are doing and how dangerous they are acting. I know if they cause a wreck or fatality it will cost them millions in the lawsuits.

 

[Robert Rohloff]

And some chasers wonder why law enforcement has issues with chasers?
Thanks for posting that video, on May 10 and 19th I also witnessed driving like that.

I can assure you that if I was an on duty LEO and saw that type of driving at the minimum you would get a reckless driving charge. If you were driving the tour van I would seriously consider putting you in jail.

On a side note the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and a Hennesy officer put up a road block on Hwy 51 east of Hennesy. They stated that so many chasers were driving reckless that they were only allowing what they felt were research or media chasers by. I stopped and talked to them while uploading some video. The trooper was very nice stating they had more concern for the locals who were chasing. I was allowed thru to continue east bound.

 

[Zac Goode]

If it was you that was in the Black SUV????? We almost rear ended you because we couldn`t see with your damn light bar going. I kept yelling at you to turn the $%^&*#) thing off but you couldn`t hear us because of your toy siren. I was wishing I had a BB gun to fix the light bar. That`s just not me, but you almost wrecked us many times and I was pissed. You put our life in danger as well as everyone else on the road. I do have video and have no plan in turning it over but some day you may see it somewhere
Dont worry about apologizing to me, It`s my driver Stacy you need to apologize too!

That was not him in the tahoe. Mike has a yellow dakota.

 

[Tim Millspaugh]

I think we can all really appreciate Mike "manning up" in a really big way. That took a lot of humility to do that.
I doubt anyone will see Mike driving like that again because he like all of us sometimes learn things in life the hard way.
The bigger picture is the numbers of chasers and the number of chasers that know nothing about what they are doing, the strategy is to follow the official looking vehicles around because they know what they are doing.
Storm chasing has gotten extremely popular and I hate to think what it will be like in 5 years if this trend continues. But I will wager a bet that there will be fatality/s within the next 2 years directly related to storm chasing.
But it is a free country and how do you tell people they cant be out driving on the road?
Its gonna be one helluva mess!!!

 

[Joey Ketcham]

http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/web-series-recap_2010-05-20

 

[Steve Worthington]

That was not him in the tahoe. Mike has a yellow dakota.

Oh, OK thanks. I remember the yellow truck with all the lettering.

 

[Mike Moore]

http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/web-series-recap_2010-05-20

Nice article.

I don't see why they don't pay for some troopers to run escort duty. Organizers of bike runs do it all the time to clear traffic. They are on a government funded mission to improve tornado warning times, so I would assume they could make it happen.

I guess if that falls through they'll have to come up with a doppler on wings to combat the convergence.

 

[Michael Nicolaou]

Nice article.

I don't see why they don't pay for some troopers to run escort duty. Organizers of bike runs do it all the time to clear traffic. They are on a government funded mission to improve tornado warning times, so I would assume they could make it happen.

mmmmm...Storm Troopers.....

I really think this isn't very feasible. When you look at police escorted functions they are generally planned in advance (greater than 24 hours) with a predetermined route. Given all the factors that go into play during a chase and I don't see it being as simple as providind a rolling escorted patrol of any "funded mission".

**Sarcasm Alert**
If an escort did happen and worked, I'd like to meet the forecaster who was able to pinpoint the specific target area to that degree, as well as route out the path of the storm. Oh wait, they can't do that yet or we'd have Tornado Warnings 24 hours in advance already.

 

[MatthewCarman]

The TIV was clearly driving unsafely in a no passing zone. Has anyone thought about reporting this to the law enforcement? I know if I saw them driving recklessly in the oncoming traffic lane I would call the cops on them regardless if another vehicle told them it was clear ahead. They are breaking the law and putting everyone around them at risk. That is just wrong. Discovery and the TIV/Dominater are not above the law.