Documented examples of chasers saving lives

[Dan Robinson]

I'm doing some preliminary research for a future web article about the lifesaving value of storm chasing. I would like to know if anyone can cite an example where a storm chaser was directly responsible for a saved life as a result of their chasing. I assume an example of this exists, but I have never heard of one. Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[rdale]

Not sure I saved his life but at least from major injury... 2003 I was on TV while trailing an F2 and a viewer working out in his barn heard my location on our radio simulcast and realized I was just to his southwest. Until that point he had ignored the warning, but decided to head to the house after concluding that the tor was on his doorstep. Barn took a near direct hit about 30 seconds later. I have his story on tape somewhere if thats what you mean by documented.

 

[Tyler Allison]

Reed Timmer in last years Storm Chaser series on Discovery channel

 

[Danny Neal]

Mike Scantlin - May 10, 08
Darin Brunin - May 4, 07
Jesse Risley/Brad Goddard - Yazoo City

Just off the top of my head....

 

[Dan Robinson]

Thanks for the responses so far. I realize that those personally involved in an example may not want to publicly share, either out of privacy or humbleness. In that case, feel free to PM or email me (I will respect your privacy and not share or publish any details).

 

[Warren Faidley]

I think one has to be careful when "claiming" to have actually saved a person's life while chasing.

There is a trend, as noted by other veteran chasers, of individuals claiming to be "saving lives" while chasing. I think this is done because of either oversight, ego, or for boosting one's creditability in "unrealistic" settings. I think any chaser who labels him or herself as a "hero" in such bogus situations makes for really poor character.

I am not aware of any specific chaser who "directly" saved a person's life while actively chasing, e.g., pulled someone out of a burning vehicle or performed lone CPR and brought a storm victim back to life. In other words, a life or death situation where a chaser's sole hands-on help saved a person who would have otherwise certainly perished. Pulling someone out of debris or "assisting" at a disaster scene is generally not saving someone's life. In fact, statistics show that amateur rescuers often require medical attention or assistance themselves after becoming involved.

There have been however, many acts that may have "aided" or "contributed" to saving lives or "possibly prevented" death or injury. I remember in the days before cell phones of chasers providing potentially life saving information to the NWS via ham radios, or chasers running into buildings in the path of a tornado to give warning.

Regardless, my hats off to any chaser who makes the honest effort.

W.

 

[Dan Robinson]

My theory is that the lifesaving aspect of chasing is 99% myth, and my goal is to prove that either correct or incorrect with actual data. I suspect that the majority of examples of a saved life will be incidental and rare, for example, a chaser coming up on a damaged house and performing first responder duties. Though, it is questionable whether that can be credited to storm chasing or to acting as a first responder. So far, I've received one solid account of a chaser's report resulting in someone escaping to safety before their home was destroyed. I'm curious how many examples of this can be uncovered.

The exceptions, I'm speculating, may with the historically significant tornadoes such as Greensburg, Jarrell and Bridge Creek. In those cases, I would like to explore the role that chasers had in the warnings, and how that compares to the function that conventional spotters, law enforcement and local media had in those events.

It appears that the idea of saving lives in chasing is analagous to a pro golfer giving a choking spectator the Heimlich maneuver. In other words, they were at the course to play golf, and happened to be in the right place at the right time. To take the analogy further, then other golfers subsequently claim that their participation in the sport is either partly or fully to save lives. In other words, incidents are either rare or indirectly related to the activity, to the point that claiming saving lives as a chasing motive or by-product is unreasonable. This isn't to diminish the rare examples that have made a positive difference.

The other issue to consider is if the sheer numbers of chasers could possibly sway the impacts in the other direction - what if a life is *lost* because EMS can't get through the traffic, or an accident occurs due to chasers stopping in the roadway, speeding on wet roads or using computers while driving?

It appears that any livesaving potential of chasing can be maximized by:

1.) The chaser covering events that few or no other chasers are on
2.) The chaser having good realtime communication in place with media and the NWS

An interesting subject that I look forward to discussing.

 

[rdale]

s. In other words, incidents are either rare or indirectly related to the activity, to the point that claiming saving lives as a chasing motive or by-product is unreasonable.

I absolutely agree... Sort of goes along with the claim that storm chasers are doing it to improve research by shooting rockets into the storm or sitting in the path of the tornado. Nice for soundbite purposes, but untrue.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Those are really good points.

However, if you are going to mix the negative aspects with heroics, you'll have to deal with the Pandora's Box of chasing that bursts open when this topic is discussed.

Something I plan to lecture about in April, and a topic you might want to consider, is the mounting problem with public desensitization and apathy caused by misrepresentations and "reality" distortions of actual storm-related hazards on television shows. I recently discussed this with representatives from FEMA and the American Red Cross. It's generally agreed that the public is beginning to lose fear of weather-hazards partially because of productions that glorify (and therefore promote) dangerous chasing / safety habits instead of focusing on (and questioning) the actual stupidly at hand. As with FEMA and the American Red Cross, those who lecture about severe weather safety are noticing a trend where the main questions have gone from, for example, "Where do I go to survive a tornado," to "How do I drive near," or "Stay outside and see," a tornado.

I know many chasers question pending death and danger while chasing within their own ranks, but the topic of how the public is influenced by idiotic acts is often overlooked. I would not be surprised to see an increase in foolish-action-related public deaths due to negative influences.

W.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Another aspect of this that would be helpful is to find ways for the chaser truly motivated about public safety to make a difference. These could possibly include:

1.) Get trained in basic first responder or EMT techniques (CPR, first aid, etc)
2.) Chase events that no one else chases (secondary targets; early, late and off-season events; and setups outside of the Great Plains)
3.) Avoid chasing major risk days in the Great Plains to reduce congestion
4.) Cover and report on non-convective weather hazards (flooding, winter storms, etc)

Off hand, it seems like all of these would require work and/or sacrifice not typically seen in traditional storm chasing. #1 requires time, work and expense, #2 and #3 will make you miss good events, and #4 isn't very exciting.

 

[Jeff Duda]

Another aspect of this that would be helpful is to find ways for the chaser truly motivated about public safety to make a difference. These could possibly include:

1.) Get trained in basic first responder or EMT techniques (CPR, first aid, etc)
2.) Chase events that no one else chases (secondary targets; early, late and off-season events; and setups outside of the Great Plains)
3.) Avoid chasing major risk days in the Great Plains to reduce congestion
4.) Cover and report on non-convective weather hazards (flooding, winter storms, etc)

Off hand, it seems like all of these would require work and/or sacrifice not typically seen in traditional storm chasing. #1 requires time, work and expense, #2 and #3 will make you miss good events, and #4 isn't very exciting.

You also won't directly make any money off of it, and it would cost money to accomplish the items on the list.

 

[Justin Wilcox]

Wouldn't pulling someone out of a demolished home, out from underneath something contribute to saving a life? How could anyone know if these people would have survived? I think any help in those situations is life saving. To some extent anyway. My 2 cents.

 

[rdale]

Wouldn't pulling someone out of a demolished home, out from underneath something contribute to saving a life?

If they were trapped to the point that they were unable to breathe, then yes. If it's just pulling them out to get them out, then it's a nice gesture but probably not "life saving." I guess though I don't understand what you're referring to either way?

 

[Paul Knightley]

It is true that some chasers (at least it appears to me) claim that their chasing is all about saving lives, via the collection of data, etc. It's great that research is trying to understand the fundamentals about how and why tornadoes form but it has to be asked whether this will save lives in the future. Even if we knew why tornadoes formed exactly, how would we be able to sample the environment enough prior to a thunderstorm developing to be able to say where exactly the tornado will form, etc? Models are getting very good these days at getting regions where storms may form, and even the form the storms will take - however, they are nowhere near perfect, and often the storms they 'develop' are not in the right place, or occur at the wrong time, etc. No amount of data collection near tornadoes is going to change this.
Education and building regulations must surely be the main ways in which lives can be saved. Mobile homes still seem to contribute to a high number of deaths each year - surely every park should have one or more tornado shelters?
Perhaps a denser network of hi-res radars would help to some degree too, but even then the warning has to be disseminated, and acted upon by members of the public. People do have a responsibility for themselves and should not always rely on someone else to spoon-feed them everything.
Perhaps the way in which chasers contribute to the life-saving effort best is by relaying real-time info on storms. Many storms must now have a quite a few chasers around them - accurate reporting of storm features can help warnings to be more reliable. Of course, deep in the night across the trees of the mid-south, this isn't much help. Then again, gathering masses of data from near tornadoes probably isn't too.
Sorry if this has gone rather O/T!

 

[Jason Foster]

I have never saved a life, never foresee saving a life. It's not why I chase. I think 99% of chasers are like me, saying so is either a lack of self perspective, something they tell themselves to justify chasing, or are trying to get undeserved fame and fortune.