DRMabe
EF1
Hello all, my name is David Mabe, new to the forum.
A little about myself.... I'm 30 and live in Winston Salem NC. Married with 2 children. I work as a Freight train Conductor for Norfolk Southern Railroad. Hobbies include severe weather/chasing, photography, computers, etc.
I've been interested in severe weather and tornadoes since I was a kid. My dad used to work for a tree cutting company, and worked in tandem with power companies. He would often get called out on storm damage, often the results of ice storms, hurricanes, and the occasion tornado. In March of 1984 there was a tornado outbreak in NC. Red Springs NC was hit by an F4 tornado and my dad was called for storm damage. We lived about an hour from Red Springs. 3 days after the tornado, my dad took us down there to see the damage. I was only 3, but remember alot of what I saw that saw. I remember piles of brick and wood where buildings stood. I remember seeing a car sitting in a tree and a mobile home that was partially intact wrapped around another tree. I would say that started my interest....just amazed that something in nature could do that much damage. Several years later, we went through Hurricane Hugo....seeing 80-85mph winds for a few hours. Alot of damage from that in my area.
About a year after Hugo, I saw my first and only tornado. It was at night unfortunately, and I only saw the funnel 3-4 times illuminated by lightning. It was thin and slightly curved, but it was obviously what it was. The damage was maybe F1 in scale and about a mile and a half from our house. Destroyed several farm outbuildings, ripped the roof off of a house, and wiped out about 90% of a large peach orchard. I remember us being under a tornado warning and I was watching out the window (not smart, but I was 10 or so). The next morning I went outside and remember seeing tall grass in a field beside the house....it was all laid over and pointing in the direction the tornado had been. There were a few pieces of tin and other small derbies from the buildings in our yard and in the field.
I've just had an interest ever since. I chase when I can here in NC. Kinda hard with the visibility with trees and all. Not all that flat here. We get a few tornadoes each year, usually F-0 to F-3. Sometimes we'll get a stronger one and they tend to stick in minds because they always tend to hit small towns and do alot of damage. I'm planning a trip in the next year or so out to the midwest. Thinking of coming to the OK, AR, MO area. Wanting to learn all I can here and I've already been doing alot of reading on links posted in the Education area. Hoping maybe I can find a chase partner local or at least somewhat local to chase with here and possibly make the trip to the plains.
A little about myself.... I'm 30 and live in Winston Salem NC. Married with 2 children. I work as a Freight train Conductor for Norfolk Southern Railroad. Hobbies include severe weather/chasing, photography, computers, etc.
I've been interested in severe weather and tornadoes since I was a kid. My dad used to work for a tree cutting company, and worked in tandem with power companies. He would often get called out on storm damage, often the results of ice storms, hurricanes, and the occasion tornado. In March of 1984 there was a tornado outbreak in NC. Red Springs NC was hit by an F4 tornado and my dad was called for storm damage. We lived about an hour from Red Springs. 3 days after the tornado, my dad took us down there to see the damage. I was only 3, but remember alot of what I saw that saw. I remember piles of brick and wood where buildings stood. I remember seeing a car sitting in a tree and a mobile home that was partially intact wrapped around another tree. I would say that started my interest....just amazed that something in nature could do that much damage. Several years later, we went through Hurricane Hugo....seeing 80-85mph winds for a few hours. Alot of damage from that in my area.
About a year after Hugo, I saw my first and only tornado. It was at night unfortunately, and I only saw the funnel 3-4 times illuminated by lightning. It was thin and slightly curved, but it was obviously what it was. The damage was maybe F1 in scale and about a mile and a half from our house. Destroyed several farm outbuildings, ripped the roof off of a house, and wiped out about 90% of a large peach orchard. I remember us being under a tornado warning and I was watching out the window (not smart, but I was 10 or so). The next morning I went outside and remember seeing tall grass in a field beside the house....it was all laid over and pointing in the direction the tornado had been. There were a few pieces of tin and other small derbies from the buildings in our yard and in the field.
I've just had an interest ever since. I chase when I can here in NC. Kinda hard with the visibility with trees and all. Not all that flat here. We get a few tornadoes each year, usually F-0 to F-3. Sometimes we'll get a stronger one and they tend to stick in minds because they always tend to hit small towns and do alot of damage. I'm planning a trip in the next year or so out to the midwest. Thinking of coming to the OK, AR, MO area. Wanting to learn all I can here and I've already been doing alot of reading on links posted in the Education area. Hoping maybe I can find a chase partner local or at least somewhat local to chase with here and possibly make the trip to the plains.
