5/19 Chaser Convergence

[Nathan Truninger]

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

Refresh my sarcastic memory. Hasn't Josh been featured on a show called "Storm Chasers"? Come on Josh, you had to see this coming and should have planned for the massive hoards that were going to come out of the woodwork this and last year. To be quite honest and to not beat another dead horse, they have no more right than anyone else to be out there.

 

[Mike Moore]

mmmmm...Storm Troopers.....

Okay, first of all you owe me a new keyboard. I just spit Diet Coke all over mine when I read STORM TROOPERS...

Granted it wouldn't be easy, and they obviously don't know the route ahead of time. You could however use them as a "storm chaser plow" so to speak. I personally don't see this happening any time soon either - I think chaser convergence is just part of the game now, even for the ones who need to chase most.

Hmmm I wonder if this is affecting people from Discovery's other reality shows? I wonder if the Time Bandit ever finds people messing with their pots.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I find it very condescending that TWC would complain about this, or be part of any criticism.

They CONTINUALLY plaster "want ads" on their programming begging for people to send in "free" images and footage. They also have no problem airing (over and over) again any footage they receive that shows careless chasers or locals risking life and limb in the wrong place at the wrong time, w/o any criticism. It also serves to legitimize stupid behavior. This also applies to other networks. What do they expect! They should do what the NFL does when an idiot runs onto the football field -- they don't show it anymore -- they cut to a break.

TWC, in my opinion, fuels a major portion of the current problems by encouraging locals and others to do stupid things for a brief moment of TV glory.

W.

 

[Brandon Goforth]

I find it very condescending that TWC would complain about this, or be part of any criticism.

They CONTINUALLY plaster "want ads" on their programming begging for people to send in "free" images and footage. They also have no problem airing (over and over) again any footage they receive that shows careless chasers or locals risking life and limb in the wrong place at the wrong time, w/o any criticism. It also serves to legitimize stupid behavior. This also applies to other networks. What do they expect! They should do what the NFL does when an idiot runs onto the football field -- they don't show it anymore -- they cut to a break.

TWC, in my opinion, fuels a major portion of the current problems by encouraging locals and others to do stupid things for a brief moment of TV glory.

W.

Yep, and then don't forget they (TWC) also give frequent updates about V2's exact location, which probably has more than a few people jumping in their cars and heading that direction...

 

[Mike Moore]

Refresh my sarcastic memory. Hasn't Josh been featured on a show called "Storm Chasers"? Come on Josh, you had to see this coming and should have planned for the massive hoards that were going to come out of the woodwork this and last year. To be quite honest and to not beat another dead horse, they have no more right than anyone else to be out there.

I think there is a big difference between ones "right" and ones "purpose"

I believe we all have the same "right" to be out there chasing.

I do not believe we all serve the same purpose. Do you really think that a group of people trying to study these storms to increase scientific understanding serves the same purpose as people who just want to get out there and photograph the storm for some notoriety on the web?

I know the issue is a lot more complicated than that, I just thought it was an interesting point.

If they truly want fewer groupies though they should stop streaming their location on TWC!

 

[Joshua Nall]

I was on the dryline storm from birth NE of Snyder up to Chickasha, then there was the develpment south of it that became the Purcell storm, then dropped south to the storm that passed near Pauls Valley. I got the feeling that a lot of the folks I saw, especially stopped on the side of the road were locals. Never experienced crazy driving and only a couple vehicles parked over the white line. However I did see way more folks out than I thought I would considering how I played the event. I noticed folks leaving their homes and driving to where they could get a view when the Purcell storm first became tornado warned. It's the cool thing to do now.... when there is a tornado warning you don't take cover, you go have a look. They drive slower than normal. Then add to that number all the chasers who are on a mission, well that's just the way it's going to be from now on, can't change any of that.... but it is a shame that a reckless few can shed a bad light on the activity.

 

[John Farley]

I find it very condescending that TWC would complain about this, or be part of any criticism.

They CONTINUALLY plaster "want ads" on their programming begging for people to send in "free" images and footage. They also have no problem airing (over and over) again any footage they receive that shows careless chasers or locals risking life and limb in the wrong place at the wrong time, w/o any criticism. It also serves to legitimize stupid behavior. This also applies to other networks. What do they expect! They should do what the NFL does when an idiot runs onto the football field -- they don't show it anymore -- they cut to a break.

TWC, in my opinion, fuels a major portion of the current problems by encouraging locals and others to do stupid things for a brief moment of TV glory.

W.

Yes, and just wait until next year when everyone that was watching the "historic live broadcasts" of tornadoes the past couple days on TWC decides to get out there and bag their own nader.

Don't get me wrong; I do think Josh has a point, even though TWC is part of the problem, and that chasers should stay out of the way of Vortex 2. Their research is important for better tornado warnings, and coincidentally will also likely be of value to chasers.

 

[Sean Waugh]

Many times TWC crew covering OK yesterday referred to many chasers in the process of doing their own live VORTEX II stream. They capitalized upon it. They also mentioned several times their own beliefs about chasers' value in being out there. Lanny Dean - and others - were called up via telephone and were used many times to provide info because of what the VORTEX team failed to come up with. Including the large cone video and other videos throughout the day. Obviously, it is in the best interest of TWC and chasers to cover it as it happened. I think TWC has gone up a few notches in my eyes - keep it up!

First, I want to make very clear here that the following statement is mine PERSONALLY and does not in any way represent the opinion of VORTEX 2 as a whole or part.

It is not V2's job to provide coverage of severe weather to the public or chasers. We are out on this project, collecting data for analysis for extremely valuable research, and attempting to learn more about how tornadoes and severe weather in general work. That is our goal, that is our purpose. This will benefit the public in a variety of ways, but it is not our intention to provide real-time coverage of weather. WE DO HOWEVER, have people in a coordination position that attempt to relay our observations to both forecasters and public service personnel, so that messages of impending severe weather can reach the public in one way or another.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

The DOWs needs to borrow some red and blue's off chasers it seems. Improvise! Expecting a sea to part every time you hit the road is a lot silly, especially in central OK on a high risk. Like everyone in the sea wants to be "driving 30 in a 60" and like they'd have a clue just how far and how soon you need to be where each time you happen to show up behind them. Let alone local factor in there.

I think of it all as like leaving a football game. Don't leave early and it's just going to take a while no matter how soon you want or need out. In central Oklahoma on a high risk, eh it's probably worse than leaving a big football game. Storm motion on that western one looked pretty fast on radar from what I could tell. Not sure what exactly was expected given all the aspects pointing to traffic issues.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Yep, and then don't forget they (TWC) also give frequent updates about V2's exact location, which probably has more than a few people jumping in their cars and heading that direction...

This is why I thought it was a really bad idea to have "live" media covering VORTEX2 from the start. I guess you could make a similar comparison to a military operation.... why disclose your plan of the day? They are very careful on their homepages, but then they allow TWC to give away their positions. When TWC departs on May 29, I think it will help.

I did notice yesterday that most chasers I know personally behaved quite professional. Most pulled over or did not otherwise delay the VORTEX vehicles. The big problem I saw were locals. At one time I had three Klingon Cruisers following me and I had to pull over and ask them to stop as they were following too closely. I guess the good news it that the season should be migrating west and NW in the next few days and weeks so the big local crowds might thin out.

W.

 

[Doug Mitchell]

Other than the usual frustration of slowing down everytime someone wants to pull off, the worst I saw yesterday was on highway 33. We were one car in a whole line of chasers. We approached an intersection with another line of chasers coming from the north. Some of those chasers went through the stop sign and turned left into the oncoming lane and used it to merge in. I thought that was pretty reckless and dangerous

 

[Robert Edmonds]

I agree yesterday was pretty bad.

Very happy that I'm leaving Oklahoma, any where close to OKC it seems to turn into a circus. Saw several bad drivers. If this was the first time you saw the TIV / Discovery teams driving badly then you haven't seen anything yet. I remember the TIV and 'Dominator' driving well over (>10 mph) the speed limit and still trying to pass each other.

Side Note: This is what we have to deal with though, the 'veterans' included. When we sell photos, take tours, sensationalize the news, work with film crews, no wonder people want to keep doing it.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

First, I want to make very clear here that the following statement is mine PERSONALLY and does not in any way represent the opinion of VORTEX 2 as a whole or part.

It is not V2's job to provide coverage of severe weather to the public or chasers. We are out on this project, collecting data for analysis for extremely valuable research, and attempting to learn more about how tornadoes and severe weather in general work. That is our goal, that is our purpose. This will benefit the public in a variety of ways, but it is not our intention to provide real-time coverage of weather. WE DO HOWEVER, have people in a coordination position that attempt to relay our observations to both forecasters and public service personnel, so that messages of impending severe weather can reach the public in one way or another.

I hope you didn't take offense in my statement, as there was none intended. When Bettis was commenting on chasers; it was somewhat negative. When TWC crew in the studio was commenting on chasers, it certainly was positive. I am aware that you have a tough job to do and to bring home the bacon - er 'data. Understood. Hope you all get all the data you need. Guess it was my fault for assuming the cross-purposes between TWC and VORTEX II.

My mistake...

 

[Alex McCoy]

I have a question comparing the 18th to the 19th. The 18th in Texas I had no problems at all. It seemed everyone was respectful and driving responsibly. Then the following day turned into a complete nightmare! I must have been in the wrong place the whole chase. I witnessed almost everything mentioned in the previous posts. The TIV passing up hill in a no pass zone, the black mustang zooming past me like I was standing still, the white (possibly tour) van also passing up hill in a no pass zone. I even pulled over to the chasers lights and sirens thinking it was an emergency vehicle, followed by waiting, what seemed forever, to get back in the line of chasers.

Compare the 18th to the 19th is frightening! So my question is what happened? Was that the difference between moderate and high risk threat? Was it the location? Was it the road networks? Is it really that big of a difference in the number of chasers from Texas panhandle to central Oklahoma? And finally, were most of the people out there causing this mess locals, chasers, or was it a big mix of both?

 

[Mike Weiss]

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!

No steve...the black suv was not me...I do know he's out of texas and has texas lic plate. I would not be caught driving a cehicle with texas plates. No offense to the texans...go ou.