What an incredible deal that was. Easily the craziest storm encounter I've ever had. Was on it west of Hoven early. Went back to Hoven then north towards highway 12 stopping a couple miles south of 12. Watched it rapidly go nuts and produce a tornado moving right for that location. Filmed that for a bit then jumped north to 12 to go east right ahead of it.
I went east a couple miles and pulled over west of Bowdle. This is looking west there down highway 12. The only car closer at this point was the Dominator, deploying in the thing. This was simply incredible here. Violent motion. The forming collar cloud was making me very uneasy in this spot, but I was thinking, I have a good spot right there, nice little gravel pull off I was in. And I thought it would pass just west. The motion in the collar cloud and cloud tags around it, going overhead was unreal. Violent.
I have a lot of stills but this laptop is not happy. Also shot video of the whole event at the same time, which tells the tell a lot better than the wider angle stills will.
As it passes just west you could dirt racing into it right on the ground, looked like 100mph. Upon watching my video I can see the Dominator down there and a couple people outside of it! (I guess it may have been Samaras deploying a pod, they both came out of there) Same time the trees on the north side of the road are shredding like mad.
It was crazy after it gets just to the north side of 12. Manchester II. Violent motion around the intense wedge. Screaming cloud tags and stretched out vorticies in the wedge fanning around.
I filmed for a good bit from that spot on 12 then went east real quick and tried to hop north ahead of it, I guess at Bowdle. It was moving more east now and I could see too many chasers already right up there in the path. I decided to back into another nice gravel pull off and filmed it all there just south of it, never having to move. Glad I haven't heard of any chaser deaths. I feared there would be up in there.
Just a violent wedge up there with frequent intense wrapping rain bands. The visibility would come and go and when you could see it it just looked mean.
I've never experienced mother natures violence quite like that. Just bad luck all these years I guess as no storm I've been on has been that violent.
Dropped back south and went east where it produced another tornado. I'd be tempted to call all that before one long-lived tornado.
Congrats to all that made the drive up there and bagged that. Something about that area that likes insane wedge makers.
Will post a lot more of this when I get home tomorrow I guess. Without watching the video one just won't get it lol.
