Robert Dewey
EF5
Exactly, and I think people should just worry about themselves. I mean, who cares if someone is doing a one-up, stupid stunt, or whatever? If it's not directly affecting you, why stress yourself out over it?
Awesome Jim Reed Tornado Footage from ABC News
- Thread starter Gerrit Gulden
- Start date
Exactly, and I think people should just worry about themselves. I mean, who cares if someone is doing a one-up, stupid stunt, or whatever? If it's not directly affecting you, why stress yourself out over it?
beaudodson
EF5
Not the smartest way of capturing a tornado. It could have strenthened or changed speed or direction. The video is incredible and it is a beautiful circulation with the dust and debris. Amazing. Not sure it sends a good message to the public though (but that isn't or wasn't his goal - so it doesn't really matter). I have already heard some news media talk about this subject. Sort of like the tornado video from under the overpass. At the end of the day everyone has to take care of their own safety though.
The video is an amazing piece of work. I think most of us would have loved to have been there as well - smart or not. Had I been in his shoes and had his experience then I would have done the same (perhaps not THAT close but close enough). Thumbs up on an incredible piece of video - at the very least.
The video is an amazing piece of work. I think most of us would have loved to have been there as well - smart or not. Had I been in his shoes and had his experience then I would have done the same (perhaps not THAT close but close enough). Thumbs up on an incredible piece of video - at the very least.
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Mike Hollingshead
I never understand the baby the public thoughts on things. Who cares what things look like to the public? I mean really. Crazy video has existed for a long time, and has it made "you" be more crazy? I know when I chase certain storms, nothing anyone else has done really makes me any braver in this or that situation(and I've seen a ton of videos).
And if it did make someone braver and they wind up killing themselves over it....oh well.
And if it did make someone braver and they wind up killing themselves over it....oh well.
Jay Cazel
EF4
I talked to Jim today about posting his chase account on Stormtrack. Right now Jim as been busy with assignments and he would love to be able to post some of the pictures so everyone could see them. But right now he needs to get the okay from his client before he can, as soon as the client gives the green light he will have them up on his website.
Jim also asked me to tell everyone how this chase went down. They started the day in Colby Ks, (with his chase partner Robin Lorenson who took all the video. Jim took all the stills.) They got on this storm from the inception of the cu field to the end of the landspout. After talking with Jim, this was not a stunt, or something that he intended to do but he saw the spout starting to dissipate and at the last second decided to get out of the car to take some up close pictures. From what Jim was explaining me no one has gotten this close before to taking pictures of a dying landspout, or tornado and he told me if he thought there was any real danger he would have NOT gotten out of the car. Also Jim was using some new Nikon cameras that will show some great details of this storm.
I personally don’t believe this was a stunt by Jim; it was just a storm chaser getting some great shots and video.
Jim also asked me to tell everyone how this chase went down. They started the day in Colby Ks, (with his chase partner Robin Lorenson who took all the video. Jim took all the stills.) They got on this storm from the inception of the cu field to the end of the landspout. After talking with Jim, this was not a stunt, or something that he intended to do but he saw the spout starting to dissipate and at the last second decided to get out of the car to take some up close pictures. From what Jim was explaining me no one has gotten this close before to taking pictures of a dying landspout, or tornado and he told me if he thought there was any real danger he would have NOT gotten out of the car. Also Jim was using some new Nikon cameras that will show some great details of this storm.
I personally don’t believe this was a stunt by Jim; it was just a storm chaser getting some great shots and video.
Randy Denzer
EF2
Great footage, Hats off to Jim, I am jealous!
As far as public perception? You now have CNN asking the general public to risk their lives and go outside to take pictures of severe weather instead of taking cover like they should. I sure hope that if anyone gets hurt taking I-reporter pics that a lawyer can nail CNN to the wall. I feel it is highly irresponsible and unprofesional to ask the public to risk their lives.
I think Jim has enough experience to figure out if this was safe or not... I think he should have put on some goggles and ran into the landspot and took some inside shots!
Wheres my spell check?
As far as public perception? You now have CNN asking the general public to risk their lives and go outside to take pictures of severe weather instead of taking cover like they should. I sure hope that if anyone gets hurt taking I-reporter pics that a lawyer can nail CNN to the wall. I feel it is highly irresponsible and unprofesional to ask the public to risk their lives.
I think Jim has enough experience to figure out if this was safe or not... I think he should have put on some goggles and ran into the landspot and took some inside shots!
Wheres my spell check?
Bill Tabor
EF5
I'm not trying to push the 'stunt' angle, but as I recall, I believe from watching that morning show segment they were explaining that they had practiced for this lots of times and felt this was the right time. -Perhaps I recall wrong? But if true, then it would have been an intended pre-planned stunt.
So, I am confused. Does anyone else remember hearing or reading this part?
Doesn't make any difference to me! Pictures would have been better from inside as Randy mentioned.
Jay McCoy
EF5
Jim was on GMA this morning and talked about his weekends outbreak and the tornado he shot. Good interview.
Darrin Rasberry
Absolutely. Are Jim's actions risky? Yes. Is it good for storm chasing? I don't know exactly what is meant here, but as far as public perception goes, I don't think this is going to elevate the opinion of Joe Public that chasers are all crazy. I mean, the Crocodile Hunter had a big show and was known worldwide, but did you see a widespread report of deaths from people wrestling crocodiles?
But the CNN thing will put Joe P. in danger, even if they know better than to do what Jim does and just want to get "close enough to see it" - it's an easy way to get your name on national news. What if it's discovered that a completely untrained and uninformed "I-reporter" (or whatever they're called) was killed on the road near Picher or Newton the other day, because they went out to shoot some "raw eyewitness footage" for immediate fame instead of seeking shelter?
Warren Faidley
Supporter
This was a landspout, not a "full-blown," deep meso-type tornado. I've been near these on several occasions and they are "generally" no more than a dust devil on crack. I've driven right to the fringes (and through one once when I had the fortified truck). They are extremely predictable, compared to full-blown tornadoes -- although I would not push my luck too far and I don't recommend or suggest anyone do this -- for the record. Jim is an experienced chaser and a good photographer. I think it was an excellently planned and executed publicity stunt and I tip my hat to Jim for some great footage.
W.
W.
Mike Peregrine
EF5
Definitely non-mesocyclonic. On the distance photo shown of this event on the news locally, this appeared to be extending out of an outflowish feature on the storm. The forecaster showing the photo identified it as a landspout, and that is also how it appeared to me. You probably could have just about driven through it with little more to worry about than chips to the paint.
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Bill Tabor
EF5
Yep, I checked the source again and at the bottom of the page it mentions they rehearsed it. Also toward the end of the video with Good Morning America Jim says that his whole team has been rehearsing many times since March 30 - so sounds to me in that regard it was a 'stunt'. But I agree on Warren's label of a excellently planned and executed publicity stunt.
Also I remember Jon Davies once mentioning landspouts in the past have been measured up to F4 strength damage wise so... guys don't necessarily think all are innocuous and you can drive into them like a big warm fuzzy dust devil.
Also I remember Jon Davies once mentioning landspouts in the past have been measured up to F4 strength damage wise so... guys don't necessarily think all are innocuous and you can drive into them like a big warm fuzzy dust devil.
Warren Faidley
Supporter
Interesting note about the F-4 strength. Something to consider and research.
In some ways, it's a shame chasing has come to this, of needing to feed the media frenzy of "one-upping someone else".... but it's just the way adventure-related pursuits go now days. It use to be that a client would call looking for "tornado footage," but now days it's changed to "dramatic" life and death or "debris." You would be surprised of the specific level of "horror" my office gets requests for. Even the TV shows don't want to move forward unless there is some element of "getting too close," or near death. Oh well, subject for a future post.
I have a feeling there will be a lot more spouts this year in such a high shear, low RH environment.
W.
In some ways, it's a shame chasing has come to this, of needing to feed the media frenzy of "one-upping someone else".... but it's just the way adventure-related pursuits go now days. It use to be that a client would call looking for "tornado footage," but now days it's changed to "dramatic" life and death or "debris." You would be surprised of the specific level of "horror" my office gets requests for. Even the TV shows don't want to move forward unless there is some element of "getting too close," or near death. Oh well, subject for a future post.
I have a feeling there will be a lot more spouts this year in such a high shear, low RH environment.
W.
beaudodson
EF5
Surprised nobody has posted this - I put it on www.stormreports.org a few minutes after it was uploaded. I am fairly certain that this is the same tornado/landspout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puGZ1XK22hs
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLSd73cDL-k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puGZ1XK22hs
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLSd73cDL-k
James Langford
EF4
So, I'm guessing that is Jim's car in the second video as the landspout dies out?
James
James
Shawna Davies
EF1
Also I remember Jon Davies once mentioning landspouts in the past have been measured up to F4 strength damage wise so... guys don't necessarily think all are innocuous and you can drive into them like a big warm fuzzy dust devil.
To clarify, Jon says he never said landspouts can reach F4 intensity... typically the strongest might get to F2 intensity (Denver metro area has on occasion recorded some low-end F3 damage from them). Maybe someone got confused with Jon's comments about the Jarrell TX tornado (May '97) that appeared to start as a landspout, then morphed into a violent supercell tornado. That was an unusual case with some very different things going on in the environment, not well understood, and certainly not a pure "landspout" event.
Regarding Jim Reed's intercept last Thursday, Jon says the tornado was clearly a landspout (see http://davieswx.blogspot.com), probably EF0 or EF1 max intensity. He also says it would have been nice if it had been clarified in the interviews and video showings that the tornado was indeed a landspout tornado, typically weak and very slow moving, so that non-chaser viewers watching would understand that it was very different from a supercell tornado with a chaser running right up to it (very stupid and very dangerous). Jim, for whatever reason, did not clarify this in his interviews.
Jon, I hope you get an account soon...
Shawna Helt
