What is the purpose of having a livecam?

[joel ewing]

So what if it's for the glory?? Is that now a target of the p.c. crowd too?? Too much focus on one individual??
Perhaps a lot of folks are looking at this in the glass half empty scenario. I LOVE this severe stream stuff. Here's why: Normally I'd be chasing for 3-4 weeks right now. But my beloved (yes, really) Mother-in-Law is in hospice dying at the moment. No way would I bail out on my wife and chase. It's killing me not to be out in the plains....especially in such an active year. But..at least I can sit home (I'm on my annual 5 week vacation from my business) and "ride along" with a lot of you guys who are hooked up!
Let's not forget....once a chaser hooks themselves up with live stream in their vehicles, the whole world can see both good and ugly. The chaser getting whacked yesterday in Neb. showed what can happen if things go wrong. So it's not ALL about glory.
As for today...I hope to ride along with some of you in southeastern Kansas later today. Good luck!

 

[David Douglas]

Back on the livecam thread. I think it's pretty cool. Being an engineer I like technology.

Combining Threatnet, mobile internet, GPS & streaming video is, indeed, an awesome thing. I can tell you that I have watched it quite a bit this year when I have been unable to chase. I appreciate people doing this. I doubt that anybody who is actually streaming gets a tremendous benefit (monetary or glory) from the streaming once you consider all of the costs.

 

[Chris Rice]

I agree totally David! Like I was telling my wife today. I was caught the other day N of Hiawatha, KS with a direct hit. I know my abilities, I know my comfort level, I understand the risks, and I'm OK with any decision I make. I'm also a firefighter, and I have learned to keep risks to a minimum. There is inherent risk to just about anything you do. I respect storms, and was not looking to be inside a tornado, and hope it never happens again, and I'm not looking for the money shot, and I could care less about fame, although fortune I would take. I'm just doing what I love and thats enjoying the outdoors, and seeing beautiful weather. I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Streaming for me was an after thought when some HAM buddies (old timers) were really getting a kick seeing us in South Dakota one day, and the next in Oklahoma on APRS (Ham radio stuff, much like Spotter Network), in fact I just learned about Spotter Network last year. I thought it would be cool if they could watch us, and then I saw Kory Hartman stream last year, and then over the winter I was thinking it would be cool to have a site where all chasers could put their streams on 1 page for NWS or public safety personnel to view, and Severe Studios beat me to the punch. Oh well, I'm content with taking a back seat to that thought since I feel they are doing a great job!

For the love of weather!
Chris Rice
www.stormchaselive.com

 

[Jim Saueressig]

For everyone that is running a livecam while chasing let me ask you this... Why do you do this? I imagine that it is for the fame and glory?

Fame, Glory, Fun, Service to the NWS, Service to the public, Service to a TV station serving the public. Who cares as long as they act responsibly as was already covered in another thread.....

Today a chaser apparently running a live cam took a hit from a rain wrapped tornado.

It's no different than a chaser not running a live cam being hit by a tornado except that they wont be able to have the luxury of denying it happened. It has happened before and it will happen again. Someone may get killed in the future but if it is them getting killed and not Joe Public then at least they will be responsible for their own death and they know the risks of chasing.

I think it does provide a service to the public regardless of what range of reasons they are chasing for and with any public service involving a risky business or even a thrill seeking hobby there is a possibility of injury or death.

Hmmm, let's see how close we can get to the rain wrapped tornado while everyone watches me die. Sorry If I don't feel any remorse for someone that does that as I think that in some cases that having a live cam encourages a "few" people to get a little closer to the action than what they normally would. Having a livecam may also make someone with little experience attempt stormchasing just so they look cool to whomever they are trying to impress.

Maybe this is all true, but as long as they are obeying the law and not putting others at risk while doing it then so be it. If they start putting others at risk thats where the problem lies.

 

[Adam Lucio]

I would suggest that people not speak for other people when it comes to WHY they do something without first talking to the person.
[\QUOTE]

I couldnt agree more, it irks me that sometimes because someones style and motive is different its cause for negative judgements.

Everyone has a different angle, be it a hobby, a tour business, scientific research, media reporting...whatever else....at the same time were all driven by the same force...a passion and fascination for the weather. None of us are out there because we have to be. We all choose to be there...most of us paying through our own pocket.

Like Ive said in past threads, everyone knows the risks involved, if something happens its their own fault. Its the risk of the game. Some people will gamble with that risk...others wont...its just who that person is.

 

[Shane Adams]

I'm beyond the "live stream" part of this deal, I could care less either way. You love/hate it, more power to ya. Promote yourself all day, I know I'm gonna. The only differences are the mediums, audiences we target, and who keeps it real. But this ain't the point...

My issue is kinda what Gene was talking about. You can say "they made a mistake" all day long, but look at it more closely. Crap roads, data lost, wrapped circulations. All of these factors, to a pair of 10-year veteran chasers, should've been understood well before the data was lost, or the road started sucking, or whatever. "Making a mistake" that nearly costs you is the direct result of being in a situation you never should've been in the first place. You can push the envelope too far well before the trouble starts. As someone said, it's all cause-and-effect. There comes a point in every storm intercept where you cross that "line" to where you realize you are committing yourself to a situation that, if something unexpected does happen, you're screwed.

I had my turn making the big mistake that nearly got me in bad trouble, on May 5, 2002, along with about 40 others. We were visual, and from our position relative to the storm as it became dark, we were fine. As darkness set in fully, the storm turned hard right. There was no in-car radar then, and it was pitch black save for lightning strikes, so none of us knew what was coming until it was on top of us. It was both fun and scary, but I figured I was lucky...and decided not to push it again.

The May 12, 2005 hail deal, I knew that was coming...but those tornadoes were worth it, and I could SEE everything happening around us. Highly dangerous? Absolutely. But when you've got great visuals on everything, you can take those chances and be far better off than staring at an LCD.

Having radar in the car doesn't make me feel any better about trying to repeat those experiences. Maybe I'm just a wussy (I think my chase partners think so some times LOL). All I know is, no matter when I look out the window, I'm seeing stuff 6 minutes or more into the future of the guy staring at a computer.

 

[Bill Doms]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but weren't these the same two who made the "o-my-god-we-are-gonna-die" last will and testament video 8 09 07 out by Mobridge SD? Some type of mechanical failure that time if recall.

They are both members here...maybe we should all be quiet and wait for their explanation of what happened this time. I for one could learn a lot from a couple of 10 season veterans I'm sure.

 

[Gene Moore]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but weren't these the same two who made the "o-my-god-we-are-gonna-die" last will and testament video 8 09 07 out by Mobridge SD? Some type of mechanical failure that time if recall.

They are both members here...maybe we should all be quiet and wait for their explanation of what happened this time. I for one could learn a lot from a couple of 10 season veterans I'm sure.

Bill, I certainly was not aiming my comments at them, or any specific individuals....but the (group's) change in what's acceptable with regard to our tolerance for risk. When a dozen people get into trouble in one day it sends a message we need to address. This spring more people have been at risk than all the previous seasons combined.

Personally I enjoy streaming video and think it's a great tool. Yesterday watching one particular video caused us not to go to a storm we were targeting, thus saving time and allowing us to target the soon to be Manhatten supercell...thanks Cloud Nine.

 

[J Kinkaid]

Same people from last year that car stalled. Not that I buy it




http://youtube.com/watch?v=bz_BLlqJ_...eature=related

 

[Dean Baron]

For everyone who is saying that they purposely got too close to the tornado or they should've tried to view it from a different place, reality is yesterday those storms contained so much rain that it was near impossible to see them, the only way you could see them is if you were right next to them or in them, and you wouldn't be able to see them coming at you through the rain. I was no more than 3-4 miles south of a tornado near Spencer, IA and still could not see it due to the rain. The observing from the SE or SW idea was no good either since the storms were in a line, so there was no place to be able to see it from the south, north, west, the only way you would've see them is if you were right up next to it and in the path of it. Now, i'm not speaking for Kory or anyone else caught out of position yesterday, but these were not the normal storms where you see the tornado from 10 miles in pretty much any direction.

As for the streaming video part, i like and i think its cool to be able to see what someone else is seeing, especially if they are in a good looking storm. Like others have said, if i cant chase a day or the setup is too far away, the ability to watch streaming video of where i want to be is pretty cool.

 

[David Wagener]

So apparently everyone will start using the excuse "it was rain wrapped, i MUST GET ON TOP OF IT!" If i'm reading you wrong, please tell me. I seem to remember, if the storm is rain wrapped...alright that sucks, but I'm not going to screw myself over...times must have changed.

Sorry, have no sympathy for those that are putting their lives at risk. If they get injured or worse, then that is going to tie up a rescue worker who should be helping a town that just got him - not some chaser that just HAD to get closer so he could take a picture.

 

[Danny Neal]

So apparently everyone will start using the excuse "it was rain wrapped, i MUST GET ON TOP OF IT!" If i'm reading you wrong, please tell me. I seem to remember, if the storm is rain wrapped...alright that sucks, but I'm not going to screw myself over...times must have changed.

Sorry, have no sympathy for those that are putting their lives at risk. If they get injured or worse, then that is going to tie up a rescue worker who should be helping a town that just got him - not some chaser that just HAD to get closer so he could take a picture.

Post #7 explains the situation

 

[Joey Ketcham]

I can assure you they did NOT do this on purpose or for fame or glory.

For someone who's not in it for the fame or glory sure is spending a lot of time on TV, just today they were on:

Larry King Live (CNN)
Fox Report with Shepard Smith (Fox News Channel)
Nightline (ABC)
CNN Headline News
WOWT in Omaha, NE

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, just had to laugh at the "not for fame and glory" comment when Kory has been on almost every national news media to exist not including all the local media.

 

[Shane Adams]

For everyone who is saying that they purposely got too close to the tornado or they should've tried to view it from a different place, reality is yesterday those storms contained so much rain that it was near impossible to see them, the only way you could see them is if you were right next to them or in them, and you wouldn't be able to see them coming at you through the rain.

Excellent points.

For starters, I'm not accusing them of doing it on-purpose, quite the contrary.

Secondly, I agree with everything you said above. However, where you seem to be using this as a defense for the chasers who got nailed, I see it as a huge red flag, screaming "don't do this" right in my face.

Lastly, Joey's post is quite enlightening...sure validates the hell outta my recent blogging.

 

[Danny Neal]

For someone who's not in it for the fame or glory sure is spending a lot of time on TV, just today they were on:

Larry King Live (CNN)
Fox Report with Shepard Smith (Fox News Channel)
Nightline (ABC)
CNN Headline News
WOWT in Omaha, NE

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, just had to laugh at the "not for fame and glory" comment when Kory has been on almost every national news media to exist not including all the local media.

They are actually on live, with Larry King, right now on CNN.