Samaras chase route at El Reno

[David Hoadley]

This is an open letter to storm chasers who were at the El Reno tornado on May 31, 2013 to ask their help in identifying the final chase route for Tim and Paul Samaras and Carl Young. This is an important historic record. Thus far, I have found them at the intersection of Reuter and Country Club roads at about 6:17 --then east almost to the intersection of Reuter with Radio at about 6:21PM CDT. I would like to know where they were before reaching Country Club.

Here is a Wikipdeia website that shows a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt on the right in this photo of the Twistex team that year. It is similar to the one they were driving that day. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TonyLaubach_TWISTEX2009a.JPG

Please look at any video or photos that you took that day and see if they included a white Cobalt. I have already reviewed many such posts but found nothing new. If so, please make a copy with the time and location of that image (if possible) and send it to me. I will credit anyone whose contribution identifies part of the Samaras chase route (thanks already to Dan Robinson for significant information).

- - - David Hoadley (near Jensen and Country Club shortly after 6PM, then down US81 to Union City by 6:20PM) [email protected]

 

[Warren Faidley]

I've been wondering about this.

Did they not have GPS tracking or video footage records of routes, or is this information just not available?

Warren

 

[William Monfredo]

I've been wondering about this.

And why was the hi-speed lightning camera in CO and not w/ Tim? Ten weeks earlier in Denver he had said there would be no tornado chasing in 2013 for him, & that it was to be the year of lightning chases only.

 

[Greg Campbell]

Skip Talbot has posted an excellent video on YT that documents the paths of several chaser groups that got too close. I don't think he presents any new information, and he can't definitively answer the question regarding Twistex's specific chase path and locations during the storm, but he does make a few educated guesses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVTs55W3Iag

I was under the impression that some of the Twistex crew's video and still cameras had been recovered. No one wants to see this material presented, hyped and sensationalized to the Nth degree, on TeeVee, but I'm hoping that a few people can access it and then share some of the pertinent information, helping us all understand what happened.

 

[David Hoadley]

FYI before anyone else takes the time, I have gone through all 151 chaser videos that were posted on YouTube as of July 5 --in a collection by Jeff Holmes: "El Reno Monster 2013: A Tornado made of Tornadoes." I did not find any Cobalts. There may still be someone out there who hasn't posted yet, either video or photos. However, I fear that trail is turning cold...

 

[Warren Faidley]

Skip Talbot has posted an excellent video on YT that documents the paths of several chaser groups that got too close. I don't think he presents any new information, and he can't definitively answer the question regarding Twistex's specific chase path and locations during the storm, but he does make a few educated guesses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVTs55W3Iag

For anyone who has not seen this presentation, it's an excellent reference to what happened and provides some insight on how things can go bad quickly while chasing.

W.

 

[joel ewing]

David, it does sound like the trail is turning a bit cold. Perhaps it would be prudent to run an inexpensive ad seeking photos / vids of the Cobalt in the OKC newspaper(s). Asking people what to look for in their vids and photos prior to making contact could weed out a lot of time-consuming-unnecessary responses. Personally I think the public would be more than willing to help with this. Could a short YouTube video asking for the same thing be posted?

 

[David Hoadley]

Thanks for the suggestion, Joel, but I think such wide-open publicity would be unseemly for such a solemn search. I would rather limit my range to those who knew him and the others, rather than bring in "the great unwashed masses." It a question of decorum and being respectful of the surviving family. This is not something than any of us *HAVE* to know. It would just be nice to know, as part of bringing closure to that fateful day.

 

[William Monfredo]

It would just be nice to know, as part of bringing closure to that fateful day.

David, I understand. I've watched the recommended youtube video and have looked into radar and other videos, and obviously and clearly it was a misjudgement for three people in one car who never were truly out in front of the storm and were obviously not safe (given the lowering bowl and it's propensity for producing vortices, as well as shifts in direction and speed).
Hindsight is 20-20, though. Perhaps a better question would be at what point in our experience do we let some of our guard down. With all due respect, think about the Krafts from France that perished in a pryroclastic flow in Japan that none of us would dare go near, but they did. I hope you find closure.

 

[E. Clark]

Dan Robinson mentions on this blog, with video, that Twistex was following him. In the video he shows the view from his forward facing dash-cam then switches it, to show the view from his rear facing. By the time he does that, however the tornado is already crossing the Reuter and you can only see the storm behind him. From Skip Talbots analysis it appears that Twistex was probably right behind Dan, as he said.

He may have rear facing video from early on that shows the Twistex vehicle, but not included it in his public broadcast. You may want to contact him.

Dans video and blog page http://stormhighway.com/may312013.shtml

 

[joel ewing]

You're right Dave....the more I think about it, you are absolutely right. Well....best of luck with your search. Maybe we'll get lucky somehow.

 

[Warren Faidley]

David: I am assuming you have seen the other thread regarding a detailed story about the event? http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2013-08-29/news/tornado-chaser-tim-samaras-death/

 

[Kent Heiderich]

This account from the Denver Post is the newest I have seen. Contains some graphics of their route & other information. http://extras.denverpost.com/stormchaser/

 

[Winston Wells]

Here's a link to National Geographic's "The Last Chase," which includes a short video and a long article:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11/biggest-storm/draper-text

Fair warning: I believe this is behind a pay wall, so you might have to create a free account for access.

 

[Jim_Coons]

Taken from maps in an article published in the Denver Post (http://extras.denverpost.com/stormchaser/map.html)

El Reno, OK TWISTEX team route 5/31/2013

Start
I-40 and Calumet Rd.
South on Calumet Rd to Smith Rd.
East on Smith Rd. to Bradley Rd.
South on Bradley to Jensen Rd.
East on Jensen Rd. to Chiles Rd.
South on Chiles Rd. to Reno Street
East on Reno Street to Reformatory Rd.
North on Reformatory Rd. to Reuter Rd.
East on Reuter Rd. to Radio Rd.

TWISTEX team vehicle overtaken by tornado near intermittent stream on Reuter between Alfadale Rd and Radio Rd.
TWISTEX vehicle found just northeast of intersection of Reuter and Radio Rd.