Do I ever get scared?

[Mike Hollingshead]

I think the biggest right turn happened long before then, then it was pretty much set on the path it took.

http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/rad...r=black&endDate=20070524&endTime=4&duration=3

You can see the storm behavoiur there. If anything it first moved left about that time, then looks like it is hit from behind and bows east.

Here is the end of that one(sometimes computers don't like to handle loops much longer than 4 hours).

http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/radar/displayRad.php?icao=KAMA&prod=bref1&bkgr=black&endDate=20070524&endTime=5&duration=2

HHF is Canadian. I'd say it was hooking left when that happened, not that it matters as he said himself it was the move trying to beat it to that highway. That's what'll get ya. I do it often and will probably pay one of these times if I don't lay off.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

"Right turning" is typical supercell behavior. Hardly something that should be unexpected.

You're right, I guess my wording was a bit off... what I mean is that David was tracking it as it was heading NE and then it took a right turn - I'm sure David wasn't expecting it at that time and took him off guard.

 

[David Drummond]

But a seasoned chaser learns to really respect the storms, and learns to understand a lot of the limitations of the tools we use to chase storms. This is what helps us live another day to chase more storms.

I certainly got taught some newfound respect for nighttime supercells that night.....that is for sure!

 

[David Drummond]

Why continue to go north on 305 when you clearly knew you were about to get cored? CR-N never should have been an option to begin with ... just the name of that road alone spells "dirt road."
Why did you continue north (and east) when turning around and heading south was your best escape route? Even after you knew you were in trouble you continued north, why?
Why play so close to HP'ish mesos at night with little or no road network?

The core was elongated back to the south an the updraft base appeared to be on the NE side. I could see a greenish core in the lighting from the updraft all the way around to my west and northwest. My judgement at the time was that if i stayed there I was going to seriously get cored, but I could probably haul ass and get to the intersection before the meso and get east. Obviously I made a grave error in that decision.

Why had I been playing with it? I had been on two of those CR roads in that county that night already that were gravel...easily traveled even though they were wet from other storms, and they had not been marked paved like that one was. I really expected it to be paved. As I stated, I had been stairstepping these backroads for some time now staying out ahead of it.

But the bottom line was...I REALLY wanted to see what I was sure was going to be a wedge very soon.

 

[David Drummond]

"Right turning" is typical supercell behavior. Hardly something that should be unexpected.

Greg's right and I knew it could happen. You sometimes forget that when your planning your navigation, especially when your by yourself. And look what happens when you do.

 

[Willie Dines]

The only thing that I gotta say is, I'm glad that you are ok and got out of the cage safely and it's totally understandable for you to be emotional after an experience like that.

Willie

 

[David Drummond]

BTW, just for clarification, this was the SECOND supercell that went over that county, not the first.

 

[Dick McGowan]

Glad you made it out okay. I really hate night chasing, and refuse to do it most of the time. The Greensburg night, the county road suddenly turned into solid MUD, and instantly we were fishtailing. We were in a Camry and if we even stopped for a second, we were done. I don't know what was going on, but it kept feeling like I had a flat tire, and I had Derek and Darin check while I kept driving, but nothing, the car just kept shaking uncontrollably. We had a tornado on the ground to our NW and the "Greensburg" one to our east/northeast. The meso to our W/NW quickly filled in with rain, and we lost it. There were NO cars anywhere around us, and I kept thinking "Oh my God, where did that old meso go" Your panicked mind sets in, and tries to figure out a way out of this, but you get that helpless feeling of "This might be it, this is how it ends."

I've got both passengers yelling at me to stay on the road, but every time I hit the gas SLIGHTLY, it fishtails either way, and by the time I overcorrect it, the process starts all over again. This went on for at least 12-15 miles. When we came upon the first damage on that mud road, my ears started to ring, and I got dizzy, and this feeling I can't explain hit us.

Pavement was like land to a seasick person. I have never loved pavement so much in my life. That helpless feeling you get, and all of the things you pray for, such as never chasing a storm again if you make it, constantly cloud your mind.

I know the feeling that you had, David, and I'm pretty much done night chasing. If I don't have a good look from a safe position, I'm willing to miss whatever it is that everyone else sees.

 

[David Wolfson]

Something I haven't seen commented on, that I do when having to brake carefully on a slippery road such as described is use the emergency brake, which acts on the rear wheels only (at least with anything I've driven).

 

[Brandon Goforth]

Wow, what a story! Glad you're alright! There aren't many road options in Lipscomb County, that's for sure. You have a couple of highways and then dirt roads going through oil fields, and those are few and far between. I guess road options can push us into making bad decisions sometimes, but it's certainly a lesson we can all learn from...thanks for posting!

 

[Bill Hamilton]

David,
Sounds like you had one hell of a ride. It is something you will never forget. Don't feel bad for wanting to share the story because it could and more likely will happen to a few of us in the future. People that know you know that you take chasing seriously and don't yahoo into storms blindly, so, being sort of trapped by the cell can't be a comfortable experience not knowing or seeing anything in your immediate area. Thinking to yourself, is it a tornado, RFD, downburst, etc...is this how you go, will you make it out alive. All are very serious concerns. Just glad you came through it and was able to share your story. GOD was looking out for you.

 

[Tim Jones]

David,

I'm glad you are okay as well. Besides the obvious, another great lesson should be that there are many roads that show up as paved or even show as road, but aren't even there. I know of several people - myself included, that have had close calls such as yours because of MUD roads. March 28 near Grant, NE was mine. I almost had to spend the night out there. I guess my point is that with all of the rain and flooding, normally poor roads are even worse. Stick with it. You'll be fine in time.

Also, I totally agree with what Greg posted about radar (GRLEVELX, Barons, etc). I think it may give us a false sense of security, b/c with relatively fast movement of storms - 5-10 minute updates could be the difference between life and death. Especially at night.

 

[Dave Lewison]

Something I haven't seen commented on, that I do when having to brake carefully on a slippery road such as described is use the emergency brake, which acts on the rear wheels only (at least with anything I've driven).

I wouldn't recommend this. Braking with the rear wheels makes the car much more unstable and likely to spin out. Plus, if you accidentally pull too hard and lock the rear wheels, you have a much harder time releasing it because all cars have a ratcheting system on the e-brake, that must be disengaged first...and your reaction time probably won't be fast enough to prevent the slide. Your best bet for a gentle slow-down is to put the car in a lower gear.

As for paved vs. unpaved, I never trust DeLorme. I trust good ole' paper Rand McNally USA Road Atlas. If it ain't on there, think twice about taking it. Granted, it doesn't have all the tiny roads, but the roads it does have are ALWAYS paved. I've been using mine side by side with the GPS for 8 years and it's never been wrong. Then, at least if you decide to deviate, you know you're taking a risk and can plan accordingly. And if you want to be SURE, go buy the "Roads of" paper atlases as others have suggested.

 

[Bob Schafer]

I wouldn't recommend this. Braking with the rear wheels makes the car much more unstable and likely to spin out. Plus, if you accidentally pull too hard and lock the rear wheels, you have a much harder time releasing it because all cars have a ratcheting system on the e-brake, that must be disengaged first...and your reaction time probably won't be fast enough to prevent the slide. Your best bet for a gentle slow-down is to put the car in a lower gear.

As for paved vs. unpaved, I never trust DeLorme. I trust good ole' paper Rand McNally USA Road Atlas. If it ain't on there, think twice about taking it. Granted, it doesn't have all the tiny roads, but the roads it does have are ALWAYS paved. I've been using mine side by side with the GPS for 8 years and it's never been wrong. Then, at least if you decide to deviate, you know you're taking a risk and can plan accordingly. And if you want to be SURE, go buy the "Roads of" paper atlases as others have suggested.

Sorry, Dave but I have to take issue with a couple things here:

Locking up the rear brakes will, in most cases, cause the back end to fish tail a bit, but counter-steering can keep you going straight, assuming you don't have a heavily crowned road (and you often do on muddy roads). Furthermore, downshifting does the same thing, but with even less control over the spinning/locking up of your rear tires than carefully applied and modulated emergency braking.

Rand McNally maps DEFINITELY DO have dirt roads on them. The road going N/S out of Arriba CO (I-70 exit 383, E of Limon) is but one example. It's easy to tell it's dirt because it's identified by that thin, double black line, but though I can't remember an instance when Rand McNally was wrong, it seems to me I have found it to be wrong once or twice over the years. I don't believe my paper DeLormes have ever failed me.

 

[John Hudson]

Definitely a harrowing story, and well told, I must say. It all must have been more than enough to put that metallic taste of fear in your mouth.

Sure glad you got through it unscathed, David. It takes lots of courage to admit you experienced that degree of fear, and for that you've earned the respect of many here, I'm sure.

I've sometimes thought I should be a bit more "daring" and do a little night chasing, but I'll be thinking about the possible consequences a little more than I did before reading your story.

John
VE4 JTH