This up close stuff is getting out of hand

Matthew Crowther

Matthew Crowther

EF3
Joined
Aug 19, 2005
Messages
293
Location
Atlanta, GA
After seeing all of the close calls yesterday in MO, and not just from yahoos like that local Camaro jockey, I am fed up with "let's get as close as humanly possible to the rain-wrapped tornado" or "let's chase this cell until 2AM so we might get a glimpse of a tornado for 1 second in the lightning" or let's core punch this storm with 80 VIL and have our vehicle totaled" etc etc etc.
What ever happened to prudence in storm chasing? It is NOT a competition, or at least is should not be one. But the combination of readily available internet connections in the vehicle and the ability to show the world your "catch" on YouTube or CNN or TWC is fueling this mania that IS going to get someone killed. So I say- step back, take a deep breath, and re-examine why you are out there chasing in the first place. Is it worth risking your life and possibly others?- no. But that is what a lot of us are doing and we need to stop it. I for one will usually be back 5-10 miles from the storm, getting my structure shots and parhaps missing the tornado. Does that mean I will never get up close to a tornado? No, I will attempt that in certain circumstances where I am reasonably sure that I can do so safely. If the storm is even vaguely HP, forget it.
A caveat to this rant- I am not really directing this at any particular individuals, and I do realize that in some cases a road closure or other circumstances may result in unintentionally getting closer than intended. However, the radical upturn in close calls the last few years is no accident, there is no doubt in my mind that some are taking unecessary chances and this will have bad consequences, mark my words.

Flame me if you wish, but I am firm in this opinion.

Matt Crowther
 
The number of close calls in the last few years appears to be due to a combination of things.

Radar making people "invincible", the simply larger numbers of chasers out there, plus the rise of streaming/easy to shoot video are all factors that need to be considered. If close calls do happen, they are more likely to be on camera (along with the annoying commentary).

To each their own (I call it natural selection), but you won't get any sympathy from me if it hits the fan. On the other hand, the Camaro dude is just out of control and would like to see the law thrown at him for reckless endangerment.

I guess a large HP storm in a hilly/forested area with limited roads screams out STAY AWAY, but that's just me.
 
I highly doubt the guy with the Camaro was a "chaser," at least in the way we look at it. No, that basically amounted to: "Oh, look, let's drive into the tornadee and get it on tape so I can look like a big shot in front of my drinking buddies and get it on CNN while I'm at it."

But I agree, he needs to have law enforcement on his rear end, and severely.
 
Aaron Kennedy said:
To each their own (I call it natural selection), but you won't get any sympathy from me if it hits the fan. On the other hand, the Camaro dude is just out of control and would like to see the law thrown at him for reckless endangerment.

I guess a large HP storm in a hilly/forested area with limited roads screams out STAY AWAY, but that's just me.
Click to expand...

With ya man. I know it's been said for years that there is going to be some "tragic event" that really shakes up the storm chasing community, and statistics will unfortunatley bare out and its going to be sooner rather than later IMHO.

The Camaro dude really stepped over the line by actually PROMOTING his insanity in addition to trying to justify it.
 
I am not going to flame you Matt. I in some ways agree people are getting too close for safety concerns....BUT...........

People chase for different reasons and goals. You yourself said you like to be 5-10 miles away so you can shoot structure. Some people love that apsect while others love the hail or the tornado itself. For that reason we have NO right to tell others how to chase. At times I like more distant shots and at times I like being about 1 mile away (rarely do I get closer to that but it happens). Its like the way people photograph storms. Just because we dont agree with their style doesnt give us the right to tell them how to shoot. If they get too close and pay the price thats their problem. And yes I agree it will happen and it will end up effecting chasing in general but we still cant tell them what to do. Plus the fact is video like that sells. Thats what the public wants unfortunately. They dont care about seeing video from 5 miles away iof they can see it from 500 yards and some are out there to make money and get their name on tv. Thats the life of the beast. Public demand is what drives it. Plus the adrenaline rush obviously. I prefer to stay alive.

We have too many people worrying about what others are doing instead of just taking care of themselves. Just worry about your safety and let the others take care of their own. The only time I worry is when they interfere with my chasing or my safety such as blocking a road or getting in front of my camera. Otherwise let things happen as they will and enjoy the storm for yourself. I will add if somebody does get hurt or killed because they got too close I will have ZERO sympathy for them and will laugh over their grave. Maybe thats cold but you risk it you ask for it.

Now for non chasers like the idiot in the camero. You have to almost root for his demise.
 
Matt,

It's not gonna stop - a tornado killing a chaser might just make it worse because of the publicity! Who on ST doesn't recall some first hand experience with the horrors of a vehicle rollover or collision involving family or friends? Who doesn't know that a tornado can kill you in your car? We all know that driving is dangerous if you don't account for weather conditions and the actions of other drivers. We all know that a direct hit from a strong-violent tornado can kill you in your vehicle. Most people know these things, but too many don't seem to factor in this knowledge when they make decisions while chasing.

Let's face it, many chasers have figured out that tornadoes aren't that dangerous most of the time. As long as you don't drive into the core flow of an intense tornado, you'll probably walk away with "exciting" video to impress the masses.
 
Better photographs by getting closer? Maybe...
Or is it just in the nature of storm chasing to get close and be safe? Absolutely...
Or is it just unavoidable in being too cautious knowing the potential for present danger?

Things can rapidly change in any chase. Did we pick the best side of the storm to approach - as to avoid large hail? Not always. But did we have to re-adjust out position and had to take an awkward and dangerous course to correct our position relative to the storm? I'm sure that has happened more than twice. Do we get too close? Well, define 'too close' please. Do we always have great road options? Absolutely not...

Storm chasing and spotting is inherently dangerous. Take the sharp edge away from your razor - and you end up with a beard. Stay too far away from a storm - and then you won't be able to keep up with it. Indeed, the one single item that puts us all in a 'dangerous' place is often because we need to take advantage of road options and conditions. If you think storm chasing is too dangerous - then you are right. So don't do it. I'm pretty certain any one of us who go out has considered the fact that they are doing all that they can to stay safe and that it is inherently dangerous to pursue a dangerous storm. It is done out of necessity as well as out of the need to learn from it.

Just two cents...
 
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I agree. The getting close doesn't bother me much because if you want to risk your life, that's up to you, just don't ask me to feel sorry for you when things take a turn for the worst...what bothers me is the reckless driving on crowded roadways, the road blocking, and the behavior that puts OTHER people at risk. If you want to get close or drive into a tornado, I don't really care...but if you come flying around me on a beat up, wet country road doing 100 mph, you may as well be pointing a loaded gun at my head, and I'm going to take it as such. THAT is the kind of stuff that needs to stop...but it won't, because for some reason people stop caring whenever a severe storm is nearby. So, yeah, I agree, with increasing chaser convergence and more people taking bigger chances, it's only a matter of time before these people start killing themselves and others while out there.
 
I don't care what other chasers do, but how many times have we seen things get screwed up for everyone else because of a few bad apples? Can't control what other people do, just hope nothing really bad happens.
 
If someone isn't harming anyone else, it's really foreign to me to get wound up over what toots their horn. That's what I never get, why some getting close bothers some so much. Similar to the law requiring people to wear seatbelts. Silly imo. And the whole death of a chaser worry is equally as silly. It's always attached to how it will make it worse on chasing and regulating, yada yada yada. But what's far more an issue to the general public is not going to be joe chaser flying to oz, it's just the numbers and other enforceable laws.

What is equally annoying are all the, they did it to get on tv, just because they might have got on tv. Like all the sudden the adrenaline junkie in many of us has vanished as the "troubling excuse".
 
To me its as simple as once people get $$$$ and fame on their mind, the part of the brain that keeps reckless/stupid behavior to a minimum gets squashed by the overrunning drive of greed and adrenaline.

While I'm not knocking the people who built the TIV and operate it, and while I'm not knocking Reed and his gang, there's no doubt people are thinking after watching the Discovery show that they can get close. As was said above, its going to get a "wannabe" killed.
 
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