Top five dangers of spotting

[Shane Adams]

I have one more that I would like to add: will they ever be able to get a one minute refresh to radar/GR3?
Now, THAT would be useful and allow for better results for spotters and chasers alike.

I don't see the benefit this would have, especially for spotters who are trained to use their eyes on the sky, not a computer screen.

As for chasers, if you know what you're doing when you look at the sky, you'll know what the storm is doing before a radar does, whether the data is six minutes or one minute old.

 

[Lanny Dean]

There have been two that I know of. A law enforcement officer in Greensburg, and a volunteer firefighter in Seneca, MO named Tyler Casey. He was 21, married with an infant daughter. These are people, have some respect.

Correction Paul,

There was no law inforecment officer killed in Greensburg or from Greensburg proper.
The Sheriff deputy that was killed was actually from near the Macksville area on HWY 50 well north of Greensburg.
He was killed when he made a horrible choice and basically drove into the tornado (Greesnburg #2 tornado) after loosing his "bearings" and his correct location in relation to the storm/tornado.

 

[Paul Harrop]

Correction Paul,

There was no law inforecment officer killed in Greensburg or from Greensburg proper.
The Sheriff deputy that was killed was actually from near the Macksville area on HWY 50 well north of Greensburg.
He was killed when he made a horrible choice and basically drove into the tornado (Greesnburg #2 tornado) after loosing his "bearings" and his correct location in relation to the storm/tornado.

Lanny, thanks for the correction. Rob, I just found it a touch insensitive for someone to make light of or jest about awards to be given posthumously for people killed spotting or chasing. That's all I was saying.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

One of the least publicized risks of spotting is getting hit in the penis by lightning.

In all seriousness, though, gotta throw my chips in with driving. Driving, even during nice weather, is a far greater risk than that posed by severe weather. Even if all you do is drive out to some spot on top of a hill and sit there, the driving out there and driving home will be by far the most dangerous part of your entire severe weather experience.

 

[Eric Flescher]

Keep an open mind, use your instincts, believe what you see, don't discount anything

When you see something dangerous that might be brewing ( wallclouds, funnels, vicious thunderstorms, doppler etc) -even at night- don't discount anything , even if another spotter's information or law enforcement says its nothing

A couple of years ago, at night just outside of Louisbourg, KS (20 minutes south of Kansas City on I-69), I thought I could see a wall cloud looming just south even in the dark. A trooper came by and I mentioned to him the structure and pointed to it and he said " no nothing to worry about." So I did not follow it as it drifted east over into Missouri.

Well later when I got to Olathe, I found out that after it got into Missouri, it did put down a brief tornado .

So you never know. Trust your instincts and what you see not necessarily what other spotters see ( of course take reports into account though).

 

[Jason Foster]

Just joking a little

Top five dangers for Spotters....ah....

1. Flying wheels from a big, ugly tank-like chase vehicle.
2. Radiation from the DOW.
3. Someone being blinded from all the blinking lights of the spotter's vehicle.
4. Forgetting your skywarn Badge and not being allowed in the damage area.
5. Actually spotting something.

I know that was a little harsh, but posted in good fun.

 

[Kevin Askew]

Definantly Lightning #1
#2 Nightime. Really have to be on yer toes but we NEVER miss a chase day or night
#3 Rain wrapping
#4 Location, location
#5 RAIN... ALWAYS use rain X!!

 

[Alan Broerse]

DANGERS of Chasing 1. Traffic, DOW trucks parked in the middle of the 2 lane, Yahoos, 1st year college chasers , Terrified locals who went to see the "tarnada" and got caught up in it. and those who werent paying attention. 2. Lightning 3. Floods (INCLUDING MUDDY ROADS THAT ARE TRASHED) 4. Night chasing too close to the action..(im guilty) and reformed. 5. Relying on 7 minute old radar scans...(guilty again..and reformed) read the storm structure, back up your visual with radar from multiple sights if possible . 6. Winds in all forms...tornado, RFD , micorburst 7. Chasing an HP rain wrapped beast that often morphs and hide their winds in blinding precip and monster hail. NO VIDEO OF A STORM IS WORTH YOUR LIFE.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Alan, you forgot reckless media chasers, hell bent on getting the shot.

 

[Jason Boggs]

Alan, you forgot reckless media chasers, hell bent on getting the shot.

Hey now, I resent that remark! Us media chasers get a lot of fame and fortune to go hellbent to get that shot! ATTENTION: ALL SPOTTERS...Watch for me out on the plains and get out of my way so I can get that shot and get back to the station!!! Of course I'm joking here.

 

[Mark Sefried]

My top 5 dangers are as follows:

1.) Inexperince in the field/bad reporting.

2.) Wet roads/hydroplaning.

3.) Having the locals park thier vehicles in the middle of a busy road just to jibber jabber as you are safely pulled off the side of a road.

4.) Getting hit by gorilla sized hail.

5.) Although rare, getting struck by LTG. Most spotters stay in thier vehicles so in theory for the most part they are protected unless they are keying up the mic.

I did not list getting hit by a tornado because statistically your odds are slim.

 

[B. Kendrick]

Well based on my chasing these would by my top 5 dangers.
1. Lightning
2. Hail/corepunching
3. rain wrapped tornadoes.
4. flashflooding/flooded roads
5.straight line winds

 

[Bryce Stone]

The officer killed in Kansas in 2007 by a tornado was not a sheriff's deputy, he was a police officer from a town (Macksville) close to Greensburg. Here is a link to the information since no one seems to be familiar with it:

http://odmp.org/officer/18871-police-officer-robert-(tim)-buckman

There used to be a picture online of his patrol car post-tornado, but I can't seem to find it now. It looked pretty bad.

Back on topic, I remember a couple of years ago the NWS included chasers as hazards to spotters in Skywarn classes. I was kinda pissed the first time I saw that in a presentation, because chasers are simply over-distracted drivers. If the NWS wanted to include distracted drivers as hazards to spotters in their presentations, then why not include all distracted drivers? I could see the NWS point, but I disagreed with it.

I noticed that this year they removed that part of the presentation. If memory serves, the warning to spotters about chasers in NWS presentations ran from about 2006-2008.

Speaking from experience, I spotted from 2000-2003 and didn't know a damn thing about severe weather. It was only in 2004 when I began chasing that I started learning anything about storms.

So I'd say the following three are most dangerous to spotters:

1. Inexperience
2. Road hazards
3. Lightning

 

[Tom Johnson]

Top 5 Dangers

IMO:
The Top 5 Dangers of Spotting are
5) Making sure you have a vehicle that's capable of pulling off your mission.
4) Not only cars/trucks, but anything that is on or near the roadway. Either
You can stay or get off the Road (By intent, inattention or blown off by
wind, OR the same may happen with other vehicles and the "debris" that
may be placed in your path (or hurled directly at your head).
3) Not knowing your geographical location AND your proximity/location
as it relates to
A) The Weather in General and
B) The Storm you are tracking or Spotting
2) Being a Human Lightning Rod
1) Being Ignorant: not being Educated & Informed about what you are
doing, how to do it properly, and not being RESPECTFUL of the Weather.

Overall, I'd say Being informed & Awareness

Tom Johnson
Texarkana, AR

 

[Mikey McCaslin]

People chasing that are not quilified nor have a ham radio!!!: