Another Black Eye For Chasers?

[Doug_Kiesling]

I have run into situations where civilians have tried to overstep their boundaries and I have told them that if they do not cease what they are doing they will be arrested. Now they are trying to help but that help turns into a hinderence and a situation we don't have the time to deal with.

No Fn Way, you mean like new skywarn spotters taking old Ford Crown Victoria and making them into Fake Police Cars?
My distaste for the chasing community in general is at an all time high which is why I have been off line. Not that I have stopped chasing is that this shizzel has got so out of control, I don't want to be associated or even called a "Storm Chaser" Weather Paparazzi is ok since it is all about get in, get the shot, and get out before anyone sees or has time to react. Just like when Chris and I chased the hurricanes, we were gone by the time police and EMS came back out and just told them as we were leaving where the worst of it was.
But my total hatred, YES HATRED of the yahoo / newbee / DMF without a clue Viral Superstars reached an all time high just over a week ago when I was on a dirt road parked well off the road on what would be called "Bobs Road". I was out shooting some lightning footage and stills when a Cop Car pulls up.
Turns out it was not the police. It was Steele County MN SkyWarn. Yes FN SKYWARN, a couple of kids who just took their skywarn training running around in a police auction car with in grill strobes and strobes on the back dash. Granted they were white and yellow but still they were faking being a law enforecement but they were skywarn so that gave them some kind of authorithaaaaaaaa as Cartman would say. I asked them how they get away with that and they said the police get pissed but they don't care. Another reason why if have almost no respect for anyone with skywarn these days when skywarn spotters drive around pretending to be cops.

 

[Robert Dewey]

I dunno about anyone else, but I think this thread is a black eye... yep... a one-two punch right to the old looker... lol

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Now since this has gone way off topic from the DMF in the road topic. Since Mike wants to pry... As for "Other Clients" it is in the non weather video field which amazingly still pays pretty dang good, no busts, set schedule, and fun gigs.

Mike is kicking himself for falling for this and opening the door.

 

[Donald Cannon]

1000 mile busts? Tony L. been scoring like a mad man all year. Seems like everytime he drives a 1000 miles he bags something. I don't think you can really call anything a bust if you don't get out and try.

 

[Doug_Kiesling]

1000 mile busts? Tony L. been scoring like a mad man all year. Seems like everytime he drives a 1000 miles he bags something. I don't think you can really call anything a bust if you don't get out and try.

Tony is a rare exception but yesterday he was chasing and thinking Arbys. I talked to Scott Weberpal yesterday who was about 50 miles from Winnipeg and drove up from Janesville Wisconsin for a total bust. Using SwiftWX with Spotter Network, I was at home, watching all the people go and converge on North Dakota or northern South Dakota and was just shaking my head saying this is going to hurt.

And as for diving vs chasing. Here is the NWS report from Saturday and here is my log.

SPC Report
2144MILLTOWN POLK WI45539250POSSIBLE BRIEF TOUCHDOWN BETWEEN MILLTOWN AND LUCK. PUBLIC REPORT OF TREE DAMAGE AND DAMAGE TO AN OLD BARN (MPX)


My dive computer report...

Like I said, "Other Clients"

I don't think I busted http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ztydUpzBLw

 

[Paul Redmond]

I can honestly say that I have been only in one chaser convergence, in deleware county indiana. I can say that it was briefly chaotic and a little scary, with about 14 vehicles all vearying a passing each other fighting form the best view for a little cheesenado that touched down maybe 1 minute. the amazing part was there were two vehicles behind me when I first parked and one in front of me. Two minutes later, when I looked behind me, there were at least a dozen. I mean just like that all these vehicles converged together from no where. After the tube dissipated, they all scatterred again. Within minutes I was by myself again heading east on state road 28.

I have to concede that larger converges can be a danger both to other chasers and non combantants. My suggestion is to avoid them. Where I chase in south texas (North and south 281, South 16, 37, west on 90, and east on I10 are my usual spring haunts), it does not seem to be a problem. Basically I am the only one I know who is foolish enough to chase is such poor road network areas. Sigh!

 

[MatthewCarman]

It is not like people have to chase every single set up or chase the best storms every time. If you have seen a few tornadoes already this year why not sit back and take it easy and relax instead of having to be right there with everyone else watching the same thing? Mabey people could take it easy and watch from afar instead of having to have the best view and be as close as possible.

One day there will be 500 people stuck in a traffic jam (chaser convergance) while a very fast and dangerous tornado is coming strait for them and people are going to get hurt. It is like a drain part. When it clogs up nothing can go through it. I would hate to be in a situation like that.

I think I will chase in my own backyard (Iowa) when I get a car and try to not get stuck in a chaser convergance. When I chase I want it to be just me and the storm and a day to remember but I always want to have fun and enjoy myself while I am driving. I love to just drive. If I dont see a tornado well atleast I had fun.

I also dont want to chase every single setup or take 2 weeks off just to chase. If you do it to much then you feel like you need to chase every single setup and get in a bad mood when you bust or have a car break down or have to deal with spending so much money on gas. Who needs that stress?

People need to limit how many times a year they chase or chase more locally so they dont have to deal with these problems.


As of right now I dont think I will ever chase in TX,OK or KS just to many chasers there for me. (I bet you 25-50% of the members here are from those states)

Ps. If storm spotters used a sticker to let cops know who they are what's to say some stormchaser cant copy it and make his own and use it? I dont see how that idea will work.

 

[Jason Boggs]

It is not like people have to chase every single set up or chase the best storms every time. If you have seen a few tornadoes already this year why not sit back and take it easy and relax instead of having to be right there with everyone else watching the same thing?

It's called passion my brother, it's called passion...

I do agree with you 100% that a tornado will one day take out a clogged road full of chasers who were too close. I can't imagine watching cars try to turn around and go the other direction with a tornado barreling down on them. It won't be a good site, that's for sure.

 

[Donald Cannon]

I bet when storms are going nuts you can go over to the scuba fourms and read about how selling stormchasing video rocks and scuba video is for the birds.

 

[Andy Rice]

Tony is a rare exception but yesterday he was chasing and thinking Arbys. I talked to Scott Weberpal yesterday who was about 50 miles from Winnipeg and drove up from Janesville Wisconsin for a total bust. Using SwiftWX with Spotter Network, I was at home, watching all the people go and converge on North Dakota or northern South Dakota and was just shaking my head saying this is going to hurt.

Hah.... yeah after Saturday's Bust in Western Wisconsin.... I actually got in my car and gassed up early Monday to haul to ND..... as I was gassing up I had a reality check..... driving all day and all night for a 5% tornado...... and I turned around and enjoyed my bed that early Memorial Day..... and it was absolutely the right choice regardless of what occured.

At some point you have to counter the obsession with reality.....

Regarding the topic..... I have seen some crazy convergences such as Attica, KS (5/12/04) and even near Great Bend the day after Greensburg..... I have to say that Chasing in Wisconsin/IA/MN/IL is awesome...... and highly recomended.... June/July baby. As long as you know what to expect/not expect regarding the northern forests and the Mississippi River.... it is great non-traffic chase country. Especially in S WI/N IL and Iowa.

 

[MatthewCarman]

It's called passion my brother, it's called passion....

Good Point.

Yes Andy IA is a good state to chase because it is not crowded and offers some great terrain. Plus we always get a few realy bad outbreaks every year.

May 22 of 2004 that produced 36 tornoades making it one of IA's largest outbreaks. 1-2 days before this another tornado outbreak occured that produced a F2 that went through a valley hitting Bradgate IA and destroying or damaging all but one building in the town.

November (15?) of 2005 that produced a F3 that hit Woodward IA and produced if I remember right over 15 tornadoes.

May 17 of 2006 which produced I think 17 or more tornadoes including one that hit Iowa City and did lots of damage. Also 3 tornadoes reported on the ground at the same time near Muscatine with this outbreak.

Those are just examples that IA usually gets atleast one big outbreak each year if not more.


Having that said another good reason why it is not crowded because most chasers chase in TX/OK/KS/NE and dont drive all the way into IA. I am fine with this. The less people the better.

 

[Brandon Goforth]

Hey guys, check out this link:
http://www.kfor.com/Global/category.asp?C=5528&nav=menu99_3
In the featured videos section click on "David Payne finds himself inside a tornado". This comes from Channel 4 News out of OKC and basically the first part of this is talking about how dangerous some of the chasers out there were on May 23. Basically stating the same thing we all are mentioning about chasers who block roadways and stand in the middle of highways with their equipment.

 

[David Drummond]

That's funny. Criticize other chasers for being dangerous then turn around and park themselves under a rotating wall cloud and brag about it. The irony is unbearable.

 

[Brandon Goforth]

You make a good point there David, lol! Especially when they say chasing should be left up to those who know exactly what they're doing and then...well like you said...park under a rotating wall cloud and get hit by apparently a weak tornado. Nice.

 

[Mark Sefried]

The problem that I have seen so far that I have been out to the Plains compared to the previous years is that there are a lot more chasers than there used to be. If one or two good cells fire withen 150 miles, everyone and thier mom intercepts them of course. Once you approach the storm cars are on the side of the road partially. Why you may ask? Easy... All the damn good areas to pull off and observe the storm are already taken! So, that leaves most people having to remain pulled off on the road about 90% of the way. For those of us that don't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, you have to have at least 2 of your tires on driveable pavement once your parked or you possibly may get stuck in the mud/sand when you try to leave. So to sum it up with what I think.. More vehicles=fewer good places to pull off and safely observe the storm.