Channel 4 Storm Chase Vehicle Involved in Accident

[Evan Hawkins]

One other point I forgot to mention above: We can't just assume that everyone out on the roads during a tornado event is a storm chaser! It might just be a case where some worried person is rushing to get back home to warn family and loved ones to take shelter before the tornado hits, is distracted, and runs a red light or stop sign...

yes, thank you for this, the news team never did specify if the person who hit them said directly he was or not a chaser, but assumed. I was thinking about saying this, but there is not enough evidence to prove that they were or were not a chaser.

 

[Boris Konon]

I had the exact same thought - especially when I read this line in the article you posted:

“Over the years the 4Warn Storm Team has talked about how dangerous this work has become with so many people on the roads trying to track storms.”

Next is “See, this is why during severe weather situations we need priority access and the roads cleared of amateur chasers!”

"X Storm Team talking about how dangerous..." -- typical media arrogance acting like they are holier-than-thou as if they get priority? And they hide behind the trope, "we are saving lives!" PLU-lease...that crutch is no longer applicable b/c shear amount of other media crews and every other type of storm chaser imaginable out there now, streaming and sending reports, never mind stationary cameras everywhere and now drones. The level of redundancy is huge, so one media crew "limited" is not going to make any difference.

And media crews are among the worst offenders out there on the road, driving at ridiculous speeds and violating a plethora of other road rules. And just b/c you affiliated w/ a recognizable media organization, does not mean you understand the caveats, nuances, and pitfalls of storm chasing. I only need to point what happened the day of the El Reno monster, one crew decided punch the supercell from the N when they knew a sig tornado was in progress, and we all know what happened b/c of that action. Any experienced chaser knows that punching a tornadic supercell from the N is a big no-no from a safety standpoint!

Some may not like what I say here, but the entire "saving lives excuse, therefore I can do anything I want" is lame. Does one even think of one threatening lives that otherwise would not be threatened by one's crazy driving?! This applies to media crews and the individual chaser alike. And let's be honest, so many use the "saving lives" trope, or "I am doing it for the science" as a cover excuse for, once again, to do whatever they want. For a lot out there, it's all about ratings, ego, and monetizing, anything else is secondary or incidental!

Of course, there are many responsible chasers out there, but the few bad apples (actually not as "few" in recent years), spoil the whole bunch!

 

[Sean Ramsey]

I had the exact same thought - especially when I read this line in the article you posted:

“Over the years the 4Warn Storm Team has talked about how dangerous this work has become with so many people on the roads trying to track storms.”

Next is “See, this is why during severe weather situations we need priority access and the roads cleared of amateur chasers!”

I must give Channel 4 credit I don't believe they had anything to do with the storm chaser bill and from what I understand were not in favor of it. Although they would have reaped benefits from it I'm sure, as far as I know it wasn't in any way being pushed by them.