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I'M INSIDE THE TORNADO!!!

David Williams

David Williams

EF4
Joined
Oct 14, 2008
Messages
300
Location
Lake Tahoe, CA
Hey everyone. I had a question about chase patterns that have evolved lately and I was hoping to get a little feedback for curiosity's sake. I have been chasing for a few years, and each year I really enjoy watching chasers' video posts on youtube and various other places. And this has been the first year that I have seen a huge influx of video where people are driving into tornadoes. Now perhaps I wasn't scouring the videos thoroughly enough in the past (and that might very much be it), but is it just me or is this year the year of getting in the tornado?

My assumption is that the Discovery Channel show Storm Chasers is encouraging the " I'm inside the tornado" push because it is dangerous and exciting and it might increase ratings. This will naturally encourage many chasers (or perhaps just a few) to see if they can drive into a tornado here and there as well. So, back to my question. Does this season mark the beginning of the great "I'm inside the tornado" run? Or, has this been going on for a while and I'm just out of the loop?
 
For a while now chasers have been getting dangerously close to tornadoes to get extreme video, as for intentionally driving into them the only chasers I know of who are doing that are Reed Timmer with his SRV and Sean Casey with his TIV.

I don't think intentionally driving into a tornado is something that very many chasers are doing, at least intentionally, but I think we'll still continue seeing chasers getting close to them.

Either way, I have no problem with what other chases chose to do or not do. We all set out with different goals and agenda's and admittedly, those extreme close up shots of tornadoes is what sells and in this day in age... any amount of money you can make is great.
 
Keep in mind, a number of those youtube videos have folks dramatically screaming "I'M IN THE TORNADO!!" when they aren't even close to being in the circulation. There aren't THAT many videos that truly have shots from within the actual circulation... or I just haven't comes across them. If its the latter, sorry. :)
 
OOOOOooo this thread has the potential to get interesting. Ill have to monitor this one as Ive missed out on some of the fun lately.

As far as the topic at hand goes...if you wanna do it...do it....but dont cry to me when it ends in disaster, and dont blame someone else for your own uneducated decision. Although most legit chasers know how to properly play the risks involved.
 
I recall at least 2 videos from the Kirksville area tornadoes where chasers exclaimed they were "in the tornado" when they clearly were not. Of course now this'll open up another whole can of worms; those who scream like little girls exclaiming their in a tornado when they obviously aren't. Tim Baker was "inside" the Kirksville tornado with very large pieces of debris from houses flying past him and he filmed and let the video do the talking with nothing coming from his mouth. Other chasers, who weren't even in the tornado, were screaming and carrying on - I guarantee if there wasn't a camera filming, they wouldn't have been screaming an carrying on about how they were "in a tornado". It's all just a play to the camera.

This thread could get fun :D
 
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I think most chasers who normally get close have realized that up to a certain wind speed, there's not a lot that will happen to you providing there is nothing around to become airborne. A column of air picking up dirt, grass, etc., to a point, is perfectly passable and the video is dramatic. That said, throw in some debris and things get much more dangerous.

Would I do it? NO. Do I watch with my jaw dropped when I see someone else do it? Hell yes.

This isn't going away though. "Reality" and "danger" TV has a stronghold and the more extreme the video, the more extreme the payday.
Me? I'll just use my zoom lens and call it good!
 
it's dangerous, wrong thing to do just to get yourself on CNN

My aim is to not killed. I am reminded all the time by my wife, my mother and others. I of course, like others, want to get as close as possible to storms and tornadoes. But not too close.

We were very close to the Kirksville, MO and it was coming straight at us. We could have waited longer for the Kirksville, Mo tornado hit us or come closer to us. We had our escape route and bailed when it might have been less then a mile away or so. We weren't fool hardy. We had already gotten great non rainwrapped video and pics.

I also saw the video later of one of the other chasers (not in our group- who shall remain nameless) who was screaming and carrying on (the language was incredible bad) so much saying he was in the tornado - when he wasn't even close. If he had just shown the structure and tornado without all the lousy verbiage, it might have been okay. But that wasn't his intent. He wanted to see if he could get some fame for himself. I hope you are satisfied.

I PMed him telling how thoughtless I thought the whole episode was. Of course I don't expect to hear back from him. I just wanted to make a point.

Something is wrong, when chasers are getting in harms way just to get a little fame.

Keep doing that and some day we will see or hear about you at your funeral.


::
Scott Weberpal said:
I recall at least 2 videos from the Kirksville area tornadoes where chasers exclaimed they were "in the tornado" when they clearly were not. Of course now this'll open up another whole can of worms; those who scream like little girls exclaiming their in a tornado when they obviously aren't. Tim Baker was "inside" the Kirksville tornado with very large pieces of debris from houses flying past him and he filmed and let the video do the talking with nothing coming from his mouth. Other chasers, who weren't even in the tornado, were screaming and carrying on - I guarantee if there wasn't a camera filming, they wouldn't have been screaming an carrying on about how they were "in a tornado". It's all just a play to the camera.

This thread could get fun :D
Click to expand...
 
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Bottom line... it's all about what 'motivates' you. If you're in this for a quick dollar and to get the most dramatic video of all time, than go for it. It's not my responsibility to judge one way or the other.

My personal decision is that I would not do that (intentionally.) I have been very close, often too close when looking back at the danger I put myself in at the time.

For all of us, a certain amount of adrenaline kicks in. The one thing we all have in common is that we love seeing the extreme side of Mother Nature.

But again, I still say it's about what motivates you. If you're out to earn some fame, see your name on CNN, get an interview with some news team - than the more extreme, the more of that it will earn you.

We all would like to make good money doing this. Anyone who comes on here and says they would not take a penny for their chase work is either rich, or just goofy. I've sold footage, sure. But at some point, I draw the line on what it is worth versus the risk.

And again, it's not a judgment of someone. Each person can do their own thing. Just please be careful not to endanger someone else if you so choose to do the extreme.

When I think about how this hobby has evolved over the years, I often think of Warren Faidley. I think he is probably the most popular guy when it comes to the Pioneer of making tornado video and a 'storm chaser' a common household term. We all probably watched his first video. I did.

Back then, heck, it was exciting just to see video of a tornado. Nowadays though, it's old hat. Everyone has seen thousands of videos of tornadoes. So it's like an addiction... the same old footage doesn't do it for the average viewer, so they need more extreme video to get their kicks. It will not end. Someone will eventually get into trouble by underestimating the danger they're in, something tragic will happen, and then they'll be showing video of that!
 
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The fame thing. So if a chaser likes to get close and likes to sell video, it is for fame...evidently not possible to like both without the fame strings. How about Science for fame? Seems about as many science types are on tv for tornadoes, so they too must be doing it for fame! Just a bit funny when one thinks about it and how often the fame badge gets thrown at the close getters selling video, yet seldom mentioned in the other circles of chasing, tv, and getting paid.

And on a side thought, any takers on this thread staying open past 1 day? lol
 
I like to get close because it's a freaking rush! I've yet to sell any of my video and thats mainly because I haven't tried. I've had Discovery and a few others call me but I guess I'm mostly in it for myself. I have put myself in very stupid positions but ya know what, it was worth it. I wanna get as close as possible every time and it may cost me someday but so will eating Big Macs, and I do love Big Macs.
 
Getting into or close to a tornado is such a rare and negligible risk for any given chaser that it's barely worth bringing up, IMO.

There are far more dangers to a chaser that deserve attention, particularly using a laptop while driving - (which I've said before) that I believe will be the source of the first and worst mass casualty accident in the history of chasing. With lawsuits, negative press and people going to jail and losing their entire financial well-being for negligent homicide. Now THAT is what we should really be afraid of, not getting a window or two blown out by gravel on the fringes of a weak tornado.

We have to stop perpetuating the hype and start getting real about what the actual risks of chasing are. Just look at the past 4 years.
 
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