Chaser Irresponsibility

[Jay McCoy]

Either way, the storms that were being reported on were to our immediate east that day (they had actually propagated overhead of our location) and if a rotating wall cloud was really there, it would have been right over us. There were 20-some chasers on this thing and a particular person or group, just happened to be the one's we noted on one or two of the reports. There was no wall cloud on this storm - therefore it was a false report.

Not sure how long you have been chasing but looking at a storms features from underneath or with it to you "iimediate east" is not a good way to observe its true structure. Anybody east of the storm looking back west will see things you will never see. especially directly over you. all of these storms were HP monsters so if it was east of you then you were either in heavy rain and hail or well behind any feature. You can NOT state for sure what anybody else saw since they may have had a different perspective so to say people are making false reports is not only inaccurate but show a bit of an ego and a disrespect towards the guys your accusing. Do you have pictures or video to "prove" you accusations that there was no wall cloud?? What would you say if the reporting party all of a sudden posted a picture of this wall cloud you say didnt exist??

After 23 years out there chasing I still dont claim to know it all about storms and unlesss I am directly beside the guy making the report or had proof I would never claim his report false. Especially if I was out of position to make that call like you obviously were. I dont know the Team Ramora guys and yes I saw the live feed of them busting the lights and they have taken their lashings. But their driving habits have nothing to do with the accuracy of their reports. Unless you have actual proof then all this amounts to is a personal attack and the admins will deal with it.

 

[Shane Adams]

The day that you're 100% relaxed and content in a severe weather situation because mother nature is currently behaving in line with one of your rules is the day that you should retire. Certainly the percentages are high enough that you can pull off a storm for another, go home, scoff at scud-watchers, etc., but if you'd believe for a second that all is guaranteed just as you think, then at some point of time you will be burned. Chasing and weather have some pretty good room for responsible learning, testing, and conjecture, but Mother Nature is not a priori, like mathematics. That was probably the biggest mistaken assumption I made when I started taking this hobby seriously. Rulebreakers certainly are frustrating, aren't they?

I guess I should've retired years ago. I'm far more relaxed and content near tornadoes than at any other time in life. You do this long enough, you start to learn there are tendencies that are usually fairly reliable. It's kinda like writing...you learn all the rules, then you realize you can break them when you feel like it. You learn how to chase, how to be safe, how to be "by the book". Then you start getting experience and you start realizing that many of the "rules" you learned can be thrown out the window on any given day....so in essence, you lose all previous rules and gain the most important one: there are no rules. But learning this also makes it possible for one to get into situations where you pretty much know what to expect, and you can be quite comfortable and relaxed observing severe weather.

Believe it or not, there are situations where things are guaranteed. When you start to gain experience in a few more years, you'll understand what I'm talking about.

 

[Jay McCoy]

I guess I should've retired years ago. I'm far more relaxed and content near tornadoes than at any other time in life. You do this long enough, you start to learn there are tendencies that are usually fairly reliable. It's kinda like writing...you learn all the rules, then you realize you can break them when you feel like it. You learn how to chase, how to be safe, how to be "by the book". Then you start getting experience and you start realizing that many of the "rules" you learned can be thrown out the window on any given day....so in essence, you lose all previous rules and gain the most important one: there are no rules. But learning this also makes it possible for one to get into situations where you pretty much know what to expect, and you can be quite comfortable and relaxed observing severe weather.

Believe it or not, there are situations where things are guaranteed. When you start to gain experience in a few more years, you'll understand what I'm talking about.

You guys have obviously never seen Shane sitting out there in his lawn chair, camera, and bottle of Flat Tire watching the storm go by..

Sorry Shane I had to ol buddy.

I do agree with Shane the more you experience and understand these storms you can recognize tendencies and patterns and can tell with alsmot 99% certainty whats occuring or about to occur but I am still always still guarded to a point. Never can guess 100% what this fickle lady will do. I have seen wall clouds rotating so violently I swore a wedge was imminent to only see it disappate without notice. I rarely get rattled around a storm becuase I nkow what to expect. I only worry when I get into hail, usually by choice (cause I hate buying new windshields) but I knew it was there and how close I could get. I dont usually get too close to tornados cause I prefer to shoot them from about 1 mile a way so I can get the whole thing but I know I can get much closer safely thanks to my experience.

 

[Shane Adams]

Like Jay said, of course I'm never 100% 'cock-sure' about anything out there, but you know when certain things are gonna happen.

Speaking of violently-rotating wall clouds that didn't do wedges, the Dighton, KS WC looked like certain doom for that small community, but fortunately, after several minutes of violent merry-go-round rotation, all it could muster was a brief multi-vortex...thankfully.

LOL, and speaking of lawn chairs, it was cool hanging out with David, Graham, and others, sitting in lawn chairs, watching the Mulvane storm 3 hours before the first tornado. David fell sleep at one point I think LOL.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

Earlier, hower, the storm had a much more outflow dominant look to it -- I think, though, what it was doing is transitioning to HP.

FWIW we saw a breif and weak tornado about 10 miles WSW of Kearney during the storms first super strong RFD. The storm was never entirely "outflow dominated", just a big masive RFD, the storm kept stong inflow the entire time...

This time lapse was Probably about 20 miles SW of Kearney, this rush of cold air killed the inflow further South, though the storm in a sense just developed a new updraft and things focused further North...
http://www.severechase.com/5.29timelapse.html

 

[Darrin Rasberry]

I guess I should've retired years ago. I'm far more relaxed and content near tornadoes than at any other time in life. You do this long enough, you start to learn there are tendencies that are usually fairly reliable. It's kinda like writing...you learn all the rules, then you realize you can break them when you feel like it. You learn how to chase, how to be safe, how to be "by the book". Then you start getting experience and you start realizing that many of the "rules" you learned can be thrown out the window on any given day....so in essence, you lose all previous rules and gain the most important one: there are no rules. But learning this also makes it possible for one to get into situations where you pretty much know what to expect, and you can be quite comfortable and relaxed observing severe weather.

Believe it or not, there are situations where things are guaranteed. When you start to gain experience in a few more years, you'll understand what I'm talking about.

The point is well-taken here and I'd agree. When I said that, I was thinking more along the lines of some with tons of experience and the best intentions, who have nonetheless been hit by weak tornadoes, lightning, etc. due to simple bad luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time with little fault in being there. But I guess it's the same with anything in life - you're at risk even if you stay at home.