Chasing Derechos... Where Is The Ideal Place To Set Up?

[David Brookshier]

I love chasing these especially at night with those bright green power flashes!!! We get about one or two derechos a year here in north Texas. They help when you've run out of vacation time to chase supercells in the open plains and they are often very convenient and easy to chase when all you have to do is wait for them to come to you.

An approaching shelf cloud illuminated by CGs and power flashes in the middle of the night is an incredible sight! Yet these lines tend to move so ridiculously fast and I’ve stopped shooting them out in the open as I've had more than one overtake my position while shooting.

Too many close calls with lightning and high winds mean a grounded concrete structure to me is a must. I also know that I'm not going to outrun a Derecho here in the city.

It’s getting harder to find reasonably safe places with a good view when the goal is to get time lapse video and cg shots. Lately security guards are more on edge about their parking garages. With all the terrorist attacks going on these days I don't blame them and I understand the need for extra vigilance. So what is a chaser to do? If you have experience chasing and shooting severe squall lines where do you find the best and safest places to set up?

 

[Mike Marz]

I don't really go out of my way to chase squall lines, usually they are chasing me on my way back home from a chase, after all of the supercells have morphed into an MCS. But I LOVE seeing a good MCS roll in from the west around 2-3 in the morning. Every June, July and August we get a few of those up here in Minnesota. For me, the safest place is to just park my car on a nice hill somewhere just out of town where it is nice and dark and then I have the car to keep me safe from lightning once I feel that the storm is close enough. Aside from seeing the classic supercell tornado, a robust MCS blasting at me from the west is about as cool as it gets.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I just try and setup in an open place if I'm going to chase a derecho - haven't really in years. The winds and what not are fun as it comes through.