Storm Chaser Frustrations

[Dave Ewoldt]

>-Farmer Joe driving really slow

Everyone should get to experience Farmer Joe accuse them of stealing his cattle.

This happened to me one afternoon near the Texas/Oklahoma border while trying to get in position to film an approaching supercell.

I left when he tried to get into my truck. He for sure had me believing that my ass was beat if he got me out...

 

[Rob Satkus]

Originally posted by Dave Ewoldt


Everyone should get to experience Farmer Joe accuse them of stealing his cattle.

...

Or the time in NW Ok, his brother, Farmer Bob, pulled a gun on Val Castor and I because he thought we were vandals.
Or the time in SW Ok their cousin, Rancher Ray, drove up to Val and I to see what was up with the storm...we walked over to talk to him and as we got to the truck window, we saw he was without pants. "Storm scared me so bad I guess I forgot my britches" he said. Yikes.

Rob

 

[Karen Politte]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned what I would consider the all-time no. 1 perennial frustration for those who wish to chase storms.

Being stuck in a job and unable to chase.

Eh - maybe it's just me.

KR

 

[Dick McGowan]

Originally posted by Karen Rhoden
I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned what I would consider the all-time no. 1 perennial frustration for those who wish to chase storms.

Being stuck in a job and unable to chase.

Eh - maybe it's just me.

KR

Yeah or supposed to be at work at 5:30 am and you are in Onawa Iowa at 3:30 AM.(June 29th) 3.5 hours away to KC. Calling to tell them you won't be coming in due to a flat tire and are stranded. Then a friend pumps gas in the background with the loud beeps even a deaf man could hear.

Then you get home at around 7 am, wake up at noon (June 30th), and chase a surprise day that produced tornadoes and are minutes away from it, (And were on it from the beginning) but can't punch through the core for the second time due to crappy road networks and bridge constructions. (See Reports June 30th)

 

[Aric Cylkowski]

My main frustration, other than and being in Michigan of course, is trees. I've told the story about June 8th, 2003 enough times to make beating a dead horse look pretty good, so I'll skip right to the point: having your vision obscured until a fairly wide tornado (300 foot wide F1 tornado by NWS survey) crosses the road behind the car is not a good thing. Forgetting the camera also isn't good, but seeing as I was watching the tornado more than doing anything, I probably would have never shot a photo.

 

[Greg Stumpf]

Originally posted by Karen Rhoden
Being stuck in a job and unable to chase

Sorry Karen, I have you beat.

Being stuck in a job at NSSL, and unable to chase.

For example - April 26, 1991. Yep! Stuck waiting for our Cimarron radar to start collecting data, and it wouldn't spin. Did however manage to break away from Norman at 6:30pm, and make it to the back side of the large tornado making "landfall" on the east side of Keystone Lake, and then become lost in darkness.

But more recently, as job duties and responsibilities with a building career take center stage - being stuck in meetings or on project deadlines, and missing events. Of course, I missed the 15 May 2003 Panhandle outbreak, but that was because the following day I flew to Austria to a severe weather conference - which I would have easily chosen over one missed event.

 

[Andrew Khan]

1.) Tennessee
2.) Living in Tennessee
3.) Chasing in Tennessee
4.) Having to drive long distances to get even moderate chasing terrain.
5.) The mountains
6.) Lines that break right when they reach the Cumberland area, which is about 50 miles from me.


Trust me You Michiginians (LOL), Tennessee is MUCH worse than anything you guys get.

 

[David Brookshier]

Originally posted by Andrew Khan
1.) Tennessee
2.) Living in Tennessee
3.) Chasing in Tennessee
4.) Having to drive long distances to get even moderate chasing terrain.
5.) The mountains
6.) Lines that break right when they reach the Cumberland area, which is about 50 miles from me.


Trust me You Michiginians (LOL), Tennessee is MUCH worse than anything you guys get.

I think I have you beat on this one if you think Tennessee is bad this year just take a look down south into central north Texas, We're in the dead zone right now. This has been a very inactive chase season for the state with the exeption of the Friday the 13th chase in May. Currently we have an upper level ridge of doom dominating us and we haven't had any rain for months with nothing forecasted in the near future. It's a major dry sunny season so far and if it keeps up I think they are going to have to remove north Texas from the tornado alley map. I'm getting so desperate I'll take anything at this point snow, rain, sleet, cloud cover, I will even core punch cirrus overcast since that seems to be all we have to chase right now.

(14) Another chase frustration Having an upper level ridge sit over your home state for the next three weeks.


Instability=Success>as it breaks the cap punch the core, shoot a nado and the chase goes on.

 

[Marko Korosec]

Originally posted by nickgrillo
As for my hates on chasing, here is just a few:

1) Michigan
2) Living in MI, and having to drive >10hrs for good setups
3) Living in the great lakes
14) Michigan

Man...why I understand you

My hate(s):

1) Living OUT OF USA! :cry:

:lol:

 

[Susan Strom]

Marko - you might live outside the USA but you make amazing photos with what you have!

 

[David Draun]

HA, HA, double HA, and triple HA! I have you guys all beat.

# 1.Being in Iraq and not seeing a single cloud for months on end!

beat that, suckaz, lol :lol:

 

[David Brookshier]

Originally posted by David Draun
HA, HA, double HA, and triple HA! I have you guys all beat.

# 1.Being in Iraq and not seeing a single cloud for months on end!

beat that, suckaz, lol :lol:

All right you win no contest! :shock: and I though living in north Texas was bad this year :!:

 

[Kurt Hulst]

Originally posted by David Brookshier


This has been a very inactive chase season for the state with the exeption of the Friday the 13th chase in May.


Instability=Success>as it breaks the cap punch the core, shoot a nado and the chase goes on.

What happened to May 12 before the 13th and June 12th im sure there were afew other in there. :wink:

 

[KMcCallister]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned what I would consider the all-time no. 1 perennial frustration for those who wish to chase storms.

Being stuck in a job and unable to chase.

Eh - maybe it's just me.

KR

Trust me. I know this one very well. Until last year, I was still having bad dreams about being stuck at work on 5-3-1999. Now, that's frustration... watching the whole event on a 80" television while I'm stuck at work.

 

[Laura Duchesne]

My frustrations:

1. 2005 !!! :evil:

2. In some areas around here, trees and hills are bad, so I try to stay more west

3. traffic

4. unable to chase because I am too damn busy sometimes