The most intense wind you experimented in 2008 Season

[Andrea Griffa]

As someone was talking about some not too really authentic wind reports I start this thread to speak about your experience with very strong wind in 2008 season.
As regards me the most intense wind I felt during this season is along the I 70 at the Collyer exit on may 22 where there was a chasers convergences due to an incredible dusty wall cloud.
I can't tell you the real measure of the wind but it was absolutely high, as I was falling down in a pair of cases.Just to make a comparison, that inflow was stronger than the inflow of the 3 Quinter Wedges of may 23, included the EF4.
Anyway there were some chasers near me with some nice weather station: hope someone of those can tell me the real value of the intensity of the wind.
We already discussed about this wall cloud; just to make you know which wall I'm talking about:

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

The May 23rd tree snapping and uprooting RFD experience. Got to share that with Mike Peregrine and Fred Plowman!

 

[Chris Hayes]

Well, I cant say we saw winds as powerful as Pritchard, but we did have an interesting experience. On May 29, up in Nebraska, to the west of Kearney, we were watching the storm that would go on to produced the Kearney tornado. The wall cloud was approaching our position, and our truck was parked facing away from the wall cloud. As it was approaching the wind began to really pick up. I told my chase partner it was time to move. We got in the truck, and the winds were so strong I could harly get the truck door closed. They were easily over 50-60mph. Not as intense as I'm sure some of you have seen this year, but it was pretty cool. I keep waiting for the day when we experience winds like in that Youtube video. Has to be awesome.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Here was our angle on Andrew's video ... it was intense. I had two first-time passengers with me during that event. They loved it. That's Fred's SUV in front of me in that scene. Some background on that - we were coming over a high dam across the resevoir south of I-70 over there, and could see the meso approaching. We had already started across and had to keep going. I could see a small vortex (likely outflow related) spinning across the water beneath us, and I said "we HAVE to get off this dam. We CANNOT be up here when that meso reaches this side of the resevoir." I think all of the chasers were thinking the same thing because we all ended up together down beneath the dam. You can see the beginning of the dam in my video, which I think enhanced or channeled the windflow through that area where we were sitting.

Also - - radar completely failed us on that storm. Just another example of what crap it can be at just the wrong time.

For me, though, believe it or not the really intense experience actually came a few days later on the Kearney tornado. Also in the RFD in that video, which was even stronger. It was every bit as intense as a hurricane eyewall intercept. Amazingly, some folks in the car were making real estate transactions on the phone while this was going on. Wildness ...

 

[fplowman]

Everyone in the car thought we were going to die! That wind "RFD" had to be 90 miles an hour. I was confused at the time because I thought it was a tornado that was hitting us. The confusing part was the wind was coming from the north. After it settled and talking with Mike and Andrew and the gang we realized it was EXTREME RFD!

Additional note: My wife and Chip my producer covered their head with blankets. They said they could feel the windows bowing in. I flanked my vehicle into the wind about halfway through the experience. Chip says he has on video the yield sign being ripped and flying straight line off of the sign post.

 

[Michael O'Keeffe]

The tornado in front of us.

I would say the same storm as Andrea was talking about. We stupidly we on the one road south out of Collyer, KS and had views of two tornadoes on the ground at once, one small tornado just 300 yards to our east and another massive stovepipe on the ground about 1-2 miles to our west. We needed to reposition and the meso moved overhead. Our ears popped and the winds were howling. Not the worst part...the meso formed a large wall cloud that began to descend as it rotated violently. Mulitple vortices were seen under the 1/2 mile wide wall cloud. Our only escape route as another cone dropped to our west and baseball sized hail gained on us from the west was to fly east on I70. The circulation was now just a mile south of I70 so we and the Carlsons stopped to wait for the wall cloud to pass. Then we realized that we were under the wall cloud even though the actual surface based circulation was to our east. We were worried it would wedge right on us as the wall cloud was only 500-1000 feet above our heads. We made the bold and extremely stupid move to get passed it while it was weak before it wedged out on us. We later found out it would've been wiser to stay. Anyway we got into the circulation and winds were gusting well over 100mph. We slowed down a bit as the winds pushed us around, but what seemed like an eternity was only 25 seconds we made it out, shaking from adrenaline and ashamed of what we had just done. I know there has been a lot of talk about the lack of common sense some chasers have had been seen doing over the last few weeks, but we thought it was a wise move as I'd rather drive through a weak circulation than be dead from a wedge tornado.

 

[Andrea Griffa]

The tornado in front of us.

I would say the same storm as Andrea was talking about. We stupidly we on the one road south out of Collyer, KS and had views of two tornadoes on the ground at once, one small tornado just 300 yards to our east and another massive stovepipe on the ground about 1-2 miles to our west. We needed to reposition and the meso moved overhead. Our ears popped and the winds were howling. Not the worst part...the meso formed a large wall cloud that began to descend as it rotated violently. Mulitple vortices were seen under the 1/2 mile wide wall cloud. Our only escape route as another cone dropped to our west and baseball sized hail gained on us from the west was to fly east on I70. The circulation was now just a mile south of I70 so we and the Carlsons stopped to wait for the wall cloud to pass. Then we realized that we were under the wall cloud even though the actual surface based circulation was to our east. We were worried it would wedge right on us as the wall cloud was only 500-1000 feet above our heads. We made the bold and extremely stupid move to get passed it while it was weak before it wedged out on us. We later found out it would've been wiser to stay. Anyway we got into the circulation and winds were gusting well over 100mph. We slowed down a bit as the winds pushed us around, but what seemed like an eternity was only 25 seconds we made it out, shaking from adrenaline and ashamed of what we had just done. I know there has been a lot of talk about the lack of common sense some chasers have had been seen doing over the last few weeks, but we thought it was a wise move as I'd rather drive through a weak circulation than be dead from a wedge tornado.

Oh man those are scary words. Do you mean you were under the wall of my picture?(that pic is taken just south of I 70 near Collyer). If it's so I'm surprised you are still alive Michael it could be nice to see the video

 

[Brendon Lindsey]

Hey so That Collyer,KS tornado was pretty intense I don't know if I would call it a tornado... but maybe... I got some kick butt video...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aO0mmLNj2aU

Around 4:27!!

Oh I have more to that video/ driving on I-70 going through it.

But really comes to my mind was the next day right after dark when we were waiting for that ELLIS tornado... A Billboard flew by us.... scary as hell. Thats just me being stupid.
But my video looks just like the stills above once I got onto I-70 Im sure I flew by whoever that was videoing.


EDIT: Ill have the rest of the video up in a minute.

 

[Brett Roberts]

It was almost certainly on May 23 as the first Quinter (EF-2) tornado approached I-70 from the south, with us pulled off on the shoulder. Extremely intense sustained winds out of the N/NE.

The other day that comes to mind is March 30, just SW of OKC near Union City and Tuttle. When those two supercells merged late in the evening and became an MCV of sorts right over the metro area, inflow out of the south had to be sustained at 40 mph easy, with some gusts to 60 or so. Inflow bands a few thousand feet off the ground looked to be moving quite a bit faster than that!

 

[Chris Hayes]

It was almost certainly on May 23 as the first Quinter (EF-2) tornado approached I-70 from the south, with us pulled off on the shoulder. Extremely intense sustained winds out of the N/NE.

The other day that comes to mind is March 30, just SW of OKC near Union City and Tuttle. When those two supercells merged late in the evening and became an MCV of sorts right over the metro area, inflow out of the south had to be sustained at 40 mph easy, with some gusts to 60 or so. Inflow bands a few thousand feet off the ground looked to be moving quite a bit faster than that!

As a note, the first Quinter tornado that approached I-70 from the south before dissipating before crossing I-70 was rated EF-4. The Monster to the north of Quinter was the one that was rated EF-2.

Here's a link to the map of tornados that affected I-70 on May 23.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/Image/gld/WXEvents/052308/trackf4.png
The EF4 was the first one of the day

 

[Andrea Griffa]

But really comes to my mind was the next day right after dark when we were waiting for that ELLIS tornado... A Billboard flew by us.... scary as hell. Thats just me being stupid.


EDIT: Ill have the rest of the video up in a minute.

I was under the Ellis supercell and the RFD was scary. Just before we got hit by RFD, we stopped not far from a house and suddenly the inflow renforced so much that a grain bin was uprooted and started rolling toward our two vans. Thanks God the grain bin was stopped by a tree.

 

[Brendon Lindsey]

Collyer,KS ??

Here is the link to the Collyer, Ks full video Wall Cloud/Funnel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWMMFqC5pxA

I did'nt upload this originally, because of my gay narrating.
Thats cool how I saw my first EF4 Just East of there.

 

[Shane Adams]

I don't know how fast they were, but it would have to be May 22 near WaKeeney, KS. We had been parked just south of I-70 watching the approaching storm, with a lot of precip and CGs. We never saw any of the tornadoes that were reported with this storm....I counted about five or so....because we were apparently in a perfect position for not viewing tornadoes with this storm. Eventually the intense rain core south of us began to get too close....I suggested "we need to go east on the interstate."

After a few more minutes and 'suggestions' from me, we finally started to move east on I-70. As we did, precip began to fly in from our southeast, being rapidly wrapped around the circulation that was producing a tornado just behind us. Chad was fighting the wheel as we were flying around 80mph to get ahead of whatever was in that rain (I guessed at the time it was a tornado wrapped in rain just behind us). I'd say the peak winds that hit us were around 70-80mph....fast enough that I knew something bad was being fed by them. A check of reports the next day would reveal we had been on the heels of a tornado that did damage in WaKeeney.

So after missing about five tornadoes right in front of us due to precip, we were nearly in another one, due to lolly-gagging

 

[Danny Neal]

Either April 10th, 2008 near Roseville, IL or June 7th, 2008 on I 57 after the tornado passed. I didn't measure the 4/10 storm but I would estimate about 60 mph. The rfd on the I 57 tornado was INTENSE for sure I measured 63 mph but I am sure there were higher gusts since I got out of there. Winds were rocking my truck and shredding trees in Richton Park immediately behind the tornado.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Thought it would be cool to show Fred & Drew where we were using a Google image: