Top five dangers of spotting

[Donald Giuliano]

I'm looking to put together a short (3-5 minute) educational clip for spotter training purposes explaining common dangers encountered when spotting/chasing storms. I have my own ideas about what dangers are likely and how to avoid them, but would like to get some input from others in the chasing community as well before getting to work.

So, if you had to limit yourself to 5 choices, what would you say are the top five dangers encountered when spotting/chasing, and how are they best avoided?

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

I'm an eSpotter for KFSD - based in NW Iowa.

I would say, lightning, lightning, lightning, lightning, and then lightning again.

Seriously; I would say
1) Lightning is the first danger when I go anywhere. A 'bolt out of the blue' is possible - but if you're anywhere near a storm - watch out! (direct strike is the worst, but an indirect strike can also severely injure that can also lead to death if unattended)
2) Hail that takes out your windshield or makes it so damaged that one cannot see where they are going anymore.
3) Rain so severe that wipers cannot move it away fast enough so that vision is severely impaired. And even if you can see OK; what about other drivers that don't/can't.
4) Rain so bad that it causes a flash flood and makes it difficult to navigate, steer, or judge the depth. This is how people can drown or get electrocuted if the same flooded water has a live power wire in it. There's no way to tell if that is ever the case. So that's always in the back of your mind - for the safety conscious.
5) Rain-wrapped tornado day or night. You won't know until the last second even if your radar is on. Much worse at night when visuals are already compromised. But always BAD!
>In addition any and all of these combination of things can be happening simultaneously - which means your are in the WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME.

That's been my experience - to date!

 

[Jeff Bartlett]

Speaking for myself, my personal list of chasing dangers is as follows:

1.) Car Accident - Other drivers/chasers, head-on with a semi on a two-lane highway, animals in the roadway (like big ones...cows, horses, pigs, sheep, deer...close calls with most of these...hey, I live in Oklahoma), hydroplaning, falling asleep driving home after a chase, etc.

2.) Lightning - Can't see it coming and no warning. Just "ZAP!!!!" and the lights go out. Too many close calls.

3.) Flash Flooding - Especially at night. Sometimes while driving down a blacktop, you can't really see it until it's too late. Also gets back to the hydroplaning accident thing.

4.) Gorilla Hail - I have been fortunate to not get caught in softballs or larger thus far. The sound that baseballs make when dropping from the sky is truly something to behold, I can only imagine what a softball shower would sound like. Makes my head and my car hurt thinking about it.

5.) Public/Chaser Convergence Disaster - Either on a highway anywhere near an overpass when people start plugging up the roadway to park underneath it, or being grouped together in a chaser traffic jam with few road options and getting into a bad situation and getting munched by Mother Nature.

You'll notice tornadoes aren't on the list. I, like many other chasers on here, am not concerned with the safety factor presented by tornadoes. I do not possess the need to get really up-close and personal with a large and violent tornado. I am perfectly content sitting back a little further and getting the tornado and some good structure to boot. Keep your head on a swivel and always keep checking your back to see if anything may be sneaking up on you and keep your distance and you'll be fine. My opinion.

 

[Greg Stumpf]

Paramount on this list would be over-reliance on technology (e.g., radar). There should be a healthy balance of technology with what one can see with their own eyes to maintain safety. This also means storm morphology knowledge is key.

Night spotting is a whole other issue as well - maintain a larger margin of safety and don't always trust your eyes at night - can be fooled by distance, lack of light, etc.

 

[Billy Griffin]

1. Traffic/Roadway-associated hazards.
2. Debris associated with storm damage - downed power lines, trip hazards, etc.
3. Spotter not concentrating on driving - distracted by scanners, cell phones, radios, cameras, etc.
4. Lightning - can't predict when and where!
5. Large hail - can create hazardous driving conditions and cause vehicle damage!

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Allsups burritos combined with a lack of restroom.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Or a gas station bathroom that hasn't been cleaned in years!!!!!
lol

 

[Dennis Sherrod]

# 1 THEFT

# 2 Don't rely on the computer. Learn to read the sky and know what you are looking at.

 

[Shane Adams]

1. Inexperience with real-time storm behavior/structure
2. Inexperience with real-time storm behavior/structure
3. Inexperience with real-time storm behavior/structure
4. Inexperience with real-time storm behavior/structure
5. Inexperience with real-time storm behavior/structure

 

[david diehl]

the number one danger that I for-see is like others said, Lightning

number two for would have to be knowing your road network, would suck if you were in a bad situation and had no way out.

Number three, do not rely on radar for anything more than estimation, always remember the radar only works in 5 minute intervials.

Number four, watch for animals, I know of a spotter who hit a turky when spotting several years ago, litteraly came through the windshield.

and number five would be pay attention to what the storm is doing, you never know when something might start heading your way.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I think the top 5 dangers would depend on whether you are chasing or whether you are spotting. For chasing, car accidents are by far the number one risk. For spotting, I'd say that threat would come in lower on the list.

 

[Steve Miller TX]

I would echo what everybody else has said so far with regard to spotting. However, one particular danger I've witnessed firsthand and heard from others is a spotter net controller using aged (updating 15-30 minutes or not at all) or unreliable radar data to position the troops in the field.

This can also include misinterpreting radar data. Velocity data or false TVS markers are an example. Another one is estimated storm motions and track projections. They aren't always accurate, especially with fledgling supercells.

Other than that, I would also add various critters. Rattlesnakes out here in the western parts of Texas are a nice surprise when stepping out of a vehicle. Dogs are another potential threat. People are a threat as well ranging from unsavory individuals to conspiratorial-crazed farmers with shotguns thinking you are kidnapping a cow or working for the guv'ment spying on them (I've had the latter happen to me).

If you are in Crane County, Texas, they just might take you to jail for your own safety. LOL!!

 

[Adam Lucio]

conspiratorial-crazed farmers with shotguns thinking you are kidnapping a cow or working for the guv'ment spying on them (I've had the latter happen to me).

Me too in Kansas this past year, he was convinced his tax money went to fund me storm chasing [i wish!!!]

But my list would be...

1- traffic accidents...simple statistics, storm chasing = allot of driving...allot of driving = increase risk of an accident.

2- lightning...like other said...cant see it coming, little warning...just POW. he gone.

3- trees and straight line winds - dont be on the side they will fall...or its game over. ive seen incidents were moving cars were crushed. of course this really isnt an issue in the open plains but for those who will venture into the bad terrain it is. so you need to know what kind of enviroment your in. wind directions...storm movements etc etc.

4- mcdonalds breakfast. do not attempt before a 2+ hr drive.

5- the tornado itself. i agree that a tornado is of very little concern to me and most chasers, if you know what your doing you can easily view it safely...but sometimes things dont go according to plan and it is a risk. especially for those who like to play with HPs

 

[Steve Bottkol]

1. Lightning.....one and done, your under a storm
2. Chaser Convergence...clogged roads
3. Night chasing...Most dangerous, this is something you better have your act together
4a. Knowing your roads and vehicle limitations... watch out for roads that turn into mud bogs becuase of heavy rain
4b. Just because you do have 4 wheel drive, don't think your impervious
5. Heavy rain and large hail

 

[Gerrit Gulden]

I think the top 5 dangers would depend on whether you are chasing or whether you are spotting. For chasing, car accidents are by far the number one risk. For spotting, I'd say that threat would come in lower on the list.

Exactly what I was thinking. Spotting is more of a "at one place" type event and then theres chasing.

For Spotting from Home, Work, etc

1. Lightning
2. Flooding
3. Hail
4. Tornado if it hits you
5. Winds that could send debree into the window your looking out of or knock a branch down near the tree that your sitting

For Chasing

1. Flooding
2. Large Hail
3. Rain Wrapped Tornado
4. Microburst/Macroburst "dangerous winds"
5. Lightning (put here since most of the chasing is driving unless your target area was perfect and then this goes to #1)