Cheerleading tornadogenesis

Bob Schafer

Bob Schafer

EF5
Joined
Dec 8, 2003
Messages
1,412
Location
Southeast CO
Okay, so I fully realize how preachy this is and all, but here goes anyway:

I just finished reading this story:

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5455027,00.html

It choked me up a bit, and made me think about how it makes me cringe when I watch anyone's vid where a chaser is yelling "Come on, Baby!, Yeah, come on down!" during tornadogenesis near any occupied structures. Even worse is when a chaser bursts out in glee at the sight of a house exploding.

I know this topic has already been addressed ad nauseum. Sorry. I just think the guilty ones ought to read that article before the next time they're tempted to act like that.

*edit Different subject, but I don't really want to start another thread just for it. About Holly being in a radar blind spot:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5455172,00.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bob Schafer said:
It choked me up a bit, and made me think about how it makes me cringe when I watch anyone's vid where a chaser is yelling "Come on, Baby!, Yeah, come on down!" during tornadogenesis near any occupied structures. Even worse is when a chaser bursts out in glee at the sight of a house exploding.

I know this topic has already been addressed ad nauseum. Sorry. I just think the guilty ones ought to read that article before the next time they're tempted to act like that.
Click to expand...

Is it really that common to see/hear? I can't recall it, not when lives are threatened.
 
Glenn Dixon said:
Is it really that common to see/hear? I can't recall it, not when lives are threatened.
Click to expand...

You know what? I guess I would have to admit it's not all that common, come to think of it. So few vids are shot at close range of structures being destroyed, anyway. Few chasers (or anyone shooting vid, for that matter) even get the opportunity to do that. I guess it just seemed more prevalent to me than it is given the shock factor of when I HAVE seen it.
 
Bob Schafer said:
You know what? I guess I would have to admit it's not all that common, come to think of it. So few vids are shot at close range of structures being destroyed, anyway. Few chasers (or anyone shooting vid, for that matter) even get the opportunity to do that. I guess it just seemed more prevalent to me than it is given the shock factor of when I HAVE seen it.
Click to expand...

I think it's rare, but it just seems that the clips most often viewed are the ones with people (not neccesarily chasers) "cheerleading"

That could be the "common" factor.
 
Ive actually heard more "oh man, I hope theres no one home there" or "I see debris, I think it hit a house."
I know it would make me cringe if I heard someone yell in excitement if a home was destroyed.
 
Bob Schafer said:
You know what? I guess I would have to admit it's not all that common, come to think of it. So few vids are shot at close range of structures being destroyed, anyway. Few chasers (or anyone shooting vid, for that matter) even get the opportunity to do that. I guess it just seemed more prevalent to me than it is given the shock factor of when I HAVE seen it.
Click to expand...

It would certainly stick in your memory more than the typical video. I'm sure I would have remembered it if I had seen/heard someone doing that on video, but then I haven't watched just tons of chaser vids either.
 
I'd be tempted to cheer a tornado hitting a Wal Mart after hours, if only I could be sure that the crew hadn't been locked in overnight.
 
The only case I can recall of the variety Bob brings up was on May 3, 1999. Chaser Neal Rasmussen overheard two young locals cheering on a tornado as it bore down on a residence, with one of them actually saying "C'mon, take the house!!"

Now that's sick.

As for "cheerleading" tornadogenesis, I liken it more to a sweet-talk kinda thing. It's like the would-be tornado is a woman, the scene is a bar, and I'm trying to coax her to leave with me. This approach actually worked once in 2000 :-)
 
Shane Adams said:
As for "cheerleading" tornadogenesis, I liken it more to a sweet-talk kinda thing. It's like the would-be tornado is a woman, the scene is a bar, and I'm trying to coax her to leave with me. This approach actually worked once in 2000 :-)
Click to expand...
As long as you're only expecting a few minutes of lovin, and not a relationship ;)
 
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