I'M INSIDE THE TORNADO!!!

[David Williams]

So, as far as anyone knows, this has been the first year that getting into a tornado (and filming it for whatever purpose) has really happened consistently (meaning it has happened more than once and it wasn't on accident). Well I guess that is pretty impressive... a little crazy, sure. But, when a team of chasers can get together and through a combined effort of visually assessing the atmosphere and confidently working the numbers can actually drive into a tornado without seriously injuring themselves or even have their vehicle flip, it really goes to show what people can accomplish.

One last question. This is a little more advanced, but what visual ques are they seeing that lets these chasers know when the tornado is going to turn on them? There is a video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4iofIQTX7o where a group of guys are pretty close to a large tornado, and the guy holding the camera says, "as soon as you see the inflow jet get close back up." Well, I'm assuming that this is what Reed is doing to assess the sky to know whether he is in the right line up to be hit by the tornado. So, can someone describe the visual features of the sky and the direction of the wind when the inflow jet gets to close or whatever Reed is using to determine that his is in the right place?

 

[Andrew Khan]

The human mind has always been a mystery. Mostly, people wish to do things and accomplish things that no one else has ever done, or ever dared to do.

The truth is, the Discovery channel is extremely insolent.

If a person with an average intelligence viewed the episodes where it shows chasers getting right up to the tornadic inflow jets, and sometimes driving into them, then eventually causalities will follow, ostensibly.

There are quite a few people who think, "Hey, if they are doing it on Television, then I can!"

People just want to gain posterity in what they insinuate as indolent.

Driving into a tornado intentionally, truly confuses me and makes me wonder how that getting a really good video that is intense, is more important that life itself.

It seems that the ideology of responsibility and safety in regards to storm chasing has just been abandoned by many.

 

[Jacob Ferden]

Oh, not again.

Maybe I should start a lightbar thread.

 

[Jason Foster]

I've been in a tornado (basically how all this weather interest started for me). Not a pleasant experience, especially from inside a house.

It's weird though....I'll put myself inside a hurricane...which is likely along similar lines of idiocy.


But this thread is very entertaining

 

[cdcollura]

Good day all,

I've been in a tornado (basically how all this weather interest started for me). ...I'll put myself inside a hurricane...which is likely along similar lines of idiocy.

LOL - Been inside a tornado and a hurricane (the former (tornado) not intentionally) ... At least with the hurricane chasing you have some time to duck and cover ;-)

I still think driving to work each morning (statistically) is amore of a risk.

 

[Bob Hartig]

Remember the term "yahoo"?

When seasoned chasers choose to interiorize themselves in a tornado, as far as I'm concerned, they've gone through the paces, experienced many a previous tornado, know the risks, and can make the choice knowing what they're getting into. My concern has been that a bunch of wannabes watching Discovery Channel are going to get the idea that punching a tornado isn't that big a deal. Seems to me that in a similar thread a while back, Warren Faidley mentioned that he'd gotten a number of messages from kids inquiring where the best place would be for them to go in order to drive into a tornado. Something's wrong with that picture.

 

[Melissa Jablonski]

I'd really rather not be the first chaser killed by a tornado.
Melissa

 

[Steve Worthington]

Why not Melissa? Just think about the fame you`ll have for a few days
I like close but I dont like getting hit myself. I always have a way out "mapped" before I get close.

I hate closed roads.....lol

 

[mmatthews]

hi this is matthews from uk manchester......first time look forward next time

 

[Shane Adams]

I don't think most chasers do it intentionally, I think most of them have the technology to bend the learning curve, get them right up close to storms, and then they drive into tornadoes because they simply don't know what they're doing. Getting to the storm doesn't mean you know what to do with it once you're there. No substitute for experience.

On the other hand, those who intentionally drive right into tornadoes, I don't know what the appeal is there. The videos all look the same, and these days they're just not exciting like they were ten years ago because everybody does it. Once you eliminate the excitement element from something that only has excitement (no aesthetic quality), you've got nothing left.

Just opinions...

 

[Michael Nicolaou]

/me peeks from the corner

"Is it safe to come up yet?"

I'm a complete novice chaser and beyond the safety concerns of getting closer than a mile or two for a newbie like me I just don't see the aesthetic value of the up tight shot. "Wow, there's a bunch of dirt blowing, oooh a power pole snapped, and now I can't even tell where the circulation starts and ends".

Nope, I'll take structure from a distance for $1,000 Mr. Trebek. I'm not in it to sell video or stills but to glory in God's power manifested in nature.

 

[Steve Miller]

Shane wrote:

Once you eliminate the excitement element from something that only has excitement (no aesthetic quality), you've got nothing left.

Good call! Maybe this extreme activity and resulting video should be encouraged so it will eventually become more dull then it already has to watch "normal" chase video. The result will be less interest in this hobby and a reversion back to the normalcy of 10 years ago!

 

[Scott Weberpal]

On the other hand, those who intentionally drive right into tornadoes, I don't know what the appeal is there. The videos all look the same, and these days they're just not exciting like they were ten years ago because everybody does it. Once you eliminate the excitement element from something that only has excitement (no aesthetic quality), you've got nothing left.

Just opinions...

I have to disagree, I would much rather see an up close video to a tornado violently interacting at ground level than a mile or more away video showing the entire column and you can't see much of what is going on at ground level.

 

[Michael Nicolaou]

I have to disagree, I would much rather see an up close video to a tornado violently interacting at ground level than a mile or more away video showing the entire column and you can't see much of what is going on at ground level.

You can always see the results of the low level interaction post storm, but you only get one chance to the view/record environmental factors impacting the storm itself which leads to the interaction on the ground as it is happening. After that; "poof" it's gone.

And for those who say there is scientific value in an up close shot, then why is it only now that we see anyone (chasers/scientists/yahoos) doing this? Ever since the first TOTO runs and subsequent probes (with and without cameras) the value scientiffically has been available without the need for putting yourself in the circulation center. For science sake you can have your cake (data) and live to eat it too.

 

[Jeff Duda]

And for those who say there is scientific value in an up close shot, then why is it only now that we see anyone (chasers/scientists/yahoos) doing this? Ever since the first TOTO runs and subsequent probes (with and without cameras) the value scientiffically has been available without the need for putting yourself in the circulation center. For science sake you can have your cake (data) and live to eat it too.

By no means do I advocate driving into a tornado, but I believe there is great scientific value from getting video in/near a tornado. There is a lot going on inside vorticies of that scale that we don't know about. Modeling studies suggest tornadoes can be single celled, double celled, or multicelled, but that's very difficult (if not impossible) to determine by looking at the tornado from a mile away. Also, since the biggest interest in tornado research nowadays is getting data in the lowest 30 m or so, video from that area can be greatly valuable to determine how exactly the winds are interacting with the ground, and how much horizontal/vertical motion is occurring at/near the ground.