Storm Chaser films near death experience

[Mark Gressman Jr]

OT, but interesting and disturbing altercation with a local firefighter at around 3:16 or so...

I missed your post when this thread was originally active.... thanks for pointing that out. That was cringey as hell, and totally unnecessary. While I understand the frustration of dealing with other drivers who have zero consideration for anyone else (I rage with the best of them, lol,) I've never directed it towards anyone. Nothing good can come from it.

If contact couldn't be avoided, I would've asked if everything was ok, and if they didn't know what was going on, that I could provide them with directions to a safe location. Taking the high road, and killing them with kindess can be an effective way of getting your point across without creating hostility that will most likely be returned towards other chasers later on. That emergency responder was in the wrong as well, but I guarantee if he didn't have a low opinion of chasers before, he does now.... and will spread that sentiment to everyone he knows. All the more reason to be low profile while on the hunt.

 

[Jamie H]

Another good analysis by Skip which raises the constant question - when is a view of a storm and tornado enough? At no point did either set of chasers go "hey, we've seen it, let's bail north and get out of the way and regroup" but instead tried to track along the notch with possibly life threatening consequences.

 

[Jeff Wright]

Here we are again

https://twitter.com/x/status/1784006973647720545

Skip’s injunction to treat storms that are wider than they look bears repeating

 

[Jamie H]

Not sure you can do as much about that kind of thing though. That's terrible bad luck to be passing right at that moment.

 

[JamesCaruso]

Not sure you can do as much about that kind of thing though. That's terrible bad luck to be passing right at that moment.

True, but it is a good reminder about the potential dangers of RFD winds with power poles etc.

 

[Jeff Duda]

True, but it is a good reminder about the potential dangers of RFD winds with power poles etc.

True, but what the hell was an 18-wheeler doing in that kind of proximity to a storm like that? Do truck drivers not follow radar and weather alerts?

 

[Andy Wehrle]

True, but what the hell was an 18-wheeler doing in that kind of proximity to a storm like that? Do truck drivers not follow radar and weather alerts?

I saw plenty of them out in active tornado warning polygons on April 26. Guessing they were mostly short haul/local drivers.

 

[Bobby Little]

True, but what the hell was an 18-wheeler doing in that kind of proximity to a storm like that? Do truck drivers not follow radar and weather alerts?

Jeff, how does this surprise you. I have seen several truckers barrel right into the sh$*t. you have chased more than i have for sure and must have witnessed the same?

 

[Kyle Soldani]

True, but what the hell was an 18-wheeler doing in that kind of proximity to a storm like that? Do truck drivers not follow radar and weather alerts?

Hard telling... I passed one on the 27th traveling in the opposite direction as I was getting away from a confirmed tornado warned cell. I flashed my brights many times hoping it would seem more than "hey turn your brights off!" and all he did was flash his once back at me. Guess I can say I tried.

 

[Jeff Duda]

Jeff, how does this surprise you. I have seen several truckers barrel right into the sh$*t. you have chased more than i have for sure and must have witnessed the same?

I probably shouldn't be surprised. But my initial reaction when reading the original statement was strongly in the direction of "surprised."

Thinking back, I can't recall many experiences with seeing 18-wheelers around when I'm viewing a tornado warned storm, whether driving or standing off the road.

 

[JamesCaruso]

Here are screen captures from video of two 18 wheelers continuing down the road toward the Selden KS tornado on 5/24/21. I assume they stopped before getting too close, but RFD was definitely a threat in that spot.

 

[Jesse Risley]

Here are screen captures from video of two 18 wheelers continuing down the road toward the Selden KS tornado on 5/24/21. I assume they stopped before getting too close, but RFD was definitely a threat in that spot.

The watermelon truck got rolled. He didn't stop (that's me below). I was offered free watermelons. We helped get the guy out of the cab and then my chase partner snapped a photo of me in front of the truck. The driver got lucky!

As an aside, I have been taken aback by how many vehicles I've seen driving through or proximal to tornadic circulations this past weekend, both FRI in NE/IA, especially on I-80, and again SAT night in OK. This one takes the cake (so far): https://tinyurl.com/58e7eydt

 

[Jeff Duda]

The watermelon truck got rolled. He didn't stop (that's me below). I was offered free watermelons. We helped get the guy out of the cab and then my chase partner snapped a photo of me in front of the truck. The driver got lucky!

As an aside, I have been taken aback by how many vehicles I've seen driving through or proximal to tornadic circulations this past weekend, both FRI in NE/IA, especially on I-80, and again SAT night in OK. This one takes the cake (so far): https://tinyurl.com/58e7eydt

Haha...I have to question the sanity of a watermelon delivery driver in a situation like this. "Goddammit, these watermelons ain't gonna deliver themselves, and no ternader's gonna stop me from getting them to Benny & Jane's shop before closing!"

Kidding aside, let's get this thread back on topic (yeah, I was part of the reason it got off-topic; my apologies).

 

[Jeff Wright]

Thing is, this kind of thing can block escape routes and now you have a cluster. Lightning, power lines, and high profile vehicles are perhaps a more immediate danger than the tornado itself.

And then, there is this;

Train Conductor Captures Intense Footage of His Train Caught in the Path of a Powerful Nebraska Tornado

Nebraska train conductor Eric Carlisle captured intense footage of an EF-3 tornado as it approached and hit the train he was working on.

laughingsquid.com

The vortex core as we see it looks of very little threat to that heavy locomotive engine itself outside of the glass---but the broad surrounding circulation almost certainly laid over (empty?) boxcars to either side.

Truckers are not chasers---if anything the loss of CB culture from the late 1970's means they are probably LESS weather aware, even with all the smartphones.
If a trucker has a weatherbug--it is likely for his home town. I think most of these are long haul guys trying to make a deadline.

Let me give you an example of what goes one behind the scenes--

The safety man squawks at them and plays a soulless corporate video...
and after the BS is done---their dispatcher tells them they want the load over there by tomorrow morning.

You listen to who pays you.

If DISPATCHERS paid traffic tickets rather than truckers (who are known to carry large sums of cash to pay highwaymen who pull them over at the end of the month to make quota)--I suspect incidents would drop by half.

Recent video

The one on the left may be a different vantage point of the train video---the debris looks similar.
Look at the trucks stopped in all the lanes....they need to stay their butts on the right hand lane where folks can get around them...they build steel walls that block traffic.