Incredible high-resolution photos of the Stoughton tornado

[Andy Wehrle]

These were submitted anonymously to Jon Lampe's site:

I used links instead of image tags to minimize download time for this thread and bandwidth use for stoughtontornado.org

http://www.stoughtontornado.org/images/Ano...nymous_1290.JPG

http://www.stoughtontornado.org/images/Ano...nymous_1291.JPG

http://www.stoughtontornado.org/images/Ano...nymous_1292.JPG

W O W. :shock:

 

[Jayson Prentice]

Wow is right!! Those are tremendous photos of the debris and damage being done right as that person is taking those pictures. Any reason why the person didn't identify themselves, I know I would if I had those pictures?

 

[Cole McConnell]

Wow, those are some amazing pictures.

 

[Khristian Snyder]

Wow, very intense looking tornado...the last photo looks crazy...so do the rest.

 

[Andy Wehrle]

Originally posted by Jayson Prentice
Any reason why the person didn't identify themselves, I know I would if I had those pictures?

I don't know, you'd have to ask Jon.

http://www.stoughtontornado.org

All it says on the photos page is

Credit: Unknown - people keep sending these to me - let me know if you are or know the photographer (August 18, 2005 - posted March 4, 2006)

The neighborhood could be just about any one along the tornado's track, as there are houses like that in just about every subdivision north of Stoughton.

 

[Joe Guerra]

Man, those are insane, esp. the last one!

 

[Jeff Miller]

WOW

That last one will become an instant classic. Amazing.

 

[Jason McIntosh]

An absolute "Finger of God"!

Amazing photos! Talk about braving it out.
That is super close, and those are 50 ft oaks getting ripped to shreds.

That just made my day!

Tell the photographer to take everything on that one.
:shock:

 

[Susan Strom]

Those are spectacular. No one knows who shot them?

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Cool shots indeed. Too bad they're a bit blurry (shot at 1/15sec shutter speed on a Toshiba PDR-3330), but I suppose that may add a bit of a dramatic effect to the photo.

 

[Jeff Miller]

Just an opinion

One thing that photo illustrates all too clearly is the danger of attempting to get "too close" to a tornado in chasing. This, and various other photographs, illustrate the danger of high speed projectiles (large, even) a distance away from the main funnel, as the actual "danger area of tornadic rotation" extends a farther radius from the visible condensation funnel. A note for newer chasers contemplating a closer than advised approach to a tornado this spring.



Agree with Jeff, too bad its a little blurry, but one still can't help but be awed at the amazing power displayed here -- I think the blurriness does indeed add the "all heck is breaking loose" appearance all the more to the shot.

 

[Andrew Khan]

Wow, what amazing photographs. This guy/girl must be very brave.

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

I almost like the first shot more than the popular third shot.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

The last shot is wild.

Anyone else think this anonymous photog is still picking the grass and debris from his lens?

My guess is that if this was taken by a chaser, they want to remain anonymous for fear of being pounded for being so close.

 

[Karen Politte]

I guess the shots are pretty cool - are they video stills? I see the same set of burned-out pixels in each of them.

Much like Battlefield, they're blurry captures of an ugly, up-close, violent tornado. Nobody ever gets enough of seeing that sort of thing. Make my jaw drop? No. But the subject is impressive.

I think it's fairly safe to assert that they were taken by a citizen and not a chaser. Nowadays - with every tornado that strikes a center of population - there will be up-close video of similar caliber. I don't think "bravery" comes into it at all. More like - "why does this have to happen near my house??" or "I wish I had a ^&*(ing cellar!".

Karen