Craig Maire II
I've never been "in" or hit by a tornado (thank god!) but did nearly get hit by some nice gustnados on 05/2802! 
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Justin E. Reed
EF3
I was 17 years old and had the day off work, so I was at home, working the pasture beside our home, and a storm mushroomed up, it was July 12, 2005. this storm developed on the collision of 2 outflow boundaries and it just exploded. Apparently a small spin up developed, it traveled about 2 miles. I was at my house, it started in a field 1/2 mile away, and moved into our subdivision. Of course, me being stupid went outside seeing the funnel, in some incredible CG lightning. and it passed thru our yard, snapped some trees limbs, then it hit the house. It was a great big rush of air and the house made a few sounds, especially the trusses in the attic, it was like 0 visibility for a few seconds as dust was kicked up. Immediately following it, it poured down with some very small hail. After it was over, I looked for damage, quite a few shingles were gone, the screens on all the south and west windows were gone, the garage door buckled outwards, metal facia on the roof was peeled back, plenty of limbs down, and my truck was covered with mud after the rain caked it on. It was very interesting, scared the heck out of me, I didnt report it, I'd say a strong F0 on the old scale. I'm still trying to figure out what caused it, it shredded 3 large bales of hay in our field as well, very interesting tornado, gustnado, or whatever it was. The wind did blow from all directions as it passed as well.
Brian Stertz
EF5
Scariest moment of my life on Sept. 22, 2001....story link below.
This not only was a life threatening moment for Jeff Piotrowski and I, but the large F3 tornado also left an established and prosperous Olson farm in ruins and never to be rebuilt. The farmstead and his corn crop was devastated. There is an empty basement and lone utility pole at the former farmstead site....thats about all that is left except for empty slabs.
http://vortex-times.com/92201chase
This not only was a life threatening moment for Jeff Piotrowski and I, but the large F3 tornado also left an established and prosperous Olson farm in ruins and never to be rebuilt. The farmstead and his corn crop was devastated. There is an empty basement and lone utility pole at the former farmstead site....thats about all that is left except for empty slabs.
http://vortex-times.com/92201chase
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David Poch
EF1
May 8th 2003 in Moore. I will never forget that day. I was at work and had the dogs outside so I rushed home as fast as I could to get them inside before it hit. Something I will never forget. The house I was renting had all of the windows busted out and pieces of 2x4's and everything else stuck in the roof. After it passed and I went outside I noticed the house behind me and the two across the street where totally gone. Another thing that was interesting was the ceiling in one of the bedrooms was actually caved in upwards from the suction. Defiantly makes you think.
The August 28th 1990 Plainfield tornado missed us by about a mile. That is another day I will never forget. Seeing a huge van sitting through the top level of a 2 story house was just unbelievable. The worst part was going to a neighborhood to help some family Friends and seeing nothing but concrete slabs and openings for basements was very heartbreaking.
The August 28th 1990 Plainfield tornado missed us by about a mile. That is another day I will never forget. Seeing a huge van sitting through the top level of a 2 story house was just unbelievable. The worst part was going to a neighborhood to help some family Friends and seeing nothing but concrete slabs and openings for basements was very heartbreaking.
Adam Lucio
EF5
Interesting stories everyone.
Ive never been "in" a tornado but Here are my top 2 encounters:
I posted this in another thread awhile back...I was maybe 11-12 years old camping with my family outside of the Detroit raceway for the Nascar race.
I was awoken when suddenly the tent lifted off the ground, it was me and my dads bodies that kept it from flying away, when all settled the camp-ground was a total mess...flooded, stuff everywhere, someones camper was hit by lightning and on fire. The campground didnt take a direct hit but a tornado was confirmed 3 blocks away...im guessing we got blasted by a strong RFD maybe. Since I was 12 I knew nothing, and I cant remember the exact date of this event otherwise I would try and look it up.
The other near-close encounter was while chasing with Chad Cowan and Matt Fisher on the 10-18-07 outbreak...we were literally about a minute behind the Nappanee, IN EF-3 tornado. Heres a GR3 snapshot, as you can see our spotter network report coincides very well with the circulation.
I apologize for the cheesy draw-ons. I have allot of friends who arent chasers who often ask me how I know what to look for and how exactly I chase so I used it as part of an "educational" blog I wrote and I cant seem to find the image without the draw-ons.
Ive never been "in" a tornado but Here are my top 2 encounters:
I posted this in another thread awhile back...I was maybe 11-12 years old camping with my family outside of the Detroit raceway for the Nascar race.
I was awoken when suddenly the tent lifted off the ground, it was me and my dads bodies that kept it from flying away, when all settled the camp-ground was a total mess...flooded, stuff everywhere, someones camper was hit by lightning and on fire. The campground didnt take a direct hit but a tornado was confirmed 3 blocks away...im guessing we got blasted by a strong RFD maybe. Since I was 12 I knew nothing, and I cant remember the exact date of this event otherwise I would try and look it up.
The other near-close encounter was while chasing with Chad Cowan and Matt Fisher on the 10-18-07 outbreak...we were literally about a minute behind the Nappanee, IN EF-3 tornado. Heres a GR3 snapshot, as you can see our spotter network report coincides very well with the circulation.
I apologize for the cheesy draw-ons. I have allot of friends who arent chasers who often ask me how I know what to look for and how exactly I chase so I used it as part of an "educational" blog I wrote and I cant seem to find the image without the draw-ons.
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mike scantlin
EF3
I've never been "in" or hit by a tornado (thank god!) but did nearly get hit by some nice gustnados on 05/2802!
Thread name: Who has been "in" a tornado?
Kem Poyner
EF2
In a tornado
Jeremy Wilson, Funny that your tornado encounter had Paul Stofer involved. He was there the night I was over run by the Lela tornado. He saw the tornado coming and breaked too hard on the slippery I-40. Flipped his beautiful storm tracker truck and skidded on him roof down the highway. Glad he and his friend were not too hurt. I will never forget that night. Kem
Jeremy Wilson, Funny that your tornado encounter had Paul Stofer involved. He was there the night I was over run by the Lela tornado. He saw the tornado coming and breaked too hard on the slippery I-40. Flipped his beautiful storm tracker truck and skidded on him roof down the highway. Glad he and his friend were not too hurt. I will never forget that night. Kem
Paul Townsend
When I was not quite 3 years old, my family's house was hit by the April 21, 1974 F4 tornado that did serious damage on the west side of Oshkosh, WI. Our house only had F0 damage as the swingset flew away, windows were broken, leaving lots of mud inside, and the garage walls were deformed (the weak point was the garage door so as the air rushed in the walls of the garage bowed outward. My oldest brother happened to look out the window toward the southwest and over a prison farm which adjoined our property. He asked, "What's all that stuff flying around out there?" Needless to say I was picked up and rushed to the basement. I can't remember anything before about the age of 6, except I remember the sounds of the house being battered as the tornado passed nearby. Not being a weather weenie, my Dad had said to the family that there was nothing to worry about because it was "all off to the east." This was said not long before my brother spotted the tornado. Fortunately the tornado was in its roping stage when it neared our residence.
Here is a link to some film of the tornado when it was young, well southwest of Oshkosh, in the less populated countryside:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDawKGfA8Q&feature=related
Here is a link to some film of the tornado when it was young, well southwest of Oshkosh, in the less populated countryside:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDawKGfA8Q&feature=related
Bob Hartig
EF5
I read that account back when you first shared it. Now, reading it again, all I can say is, Wow! What a terrifying encounter. I'm glad you lived to chase another day. For that matter, I'm glad you've continued to chase.
I've never been in a tornado, or anywhere nearly that close to one. But a friend of mine survived the double-funnel which leveled the Midway Trailer Court near Dunlap during the 1965 Palm Sunday Outbreak, and I remember something she wrote to me a couple years ago. Can't quote her exactly, but she talked about how the place where you're standing can be in relative quiet, while ten feet away a wind is blowing that you'd never be able to escape once you were in it.
Carey Walton
EF0
April 21, 2001 Hoisington, KS
I don't chase storms at night and it's a very long story how I came to be sitting on the north side of Hoisington, but between getting blocked by baseball hail near Great Bend, broken windshield wipers, torrential rain and small hail, low fuel, and a chihuahua full of Pepsi, it happened.
I was very fortunate with just some glass and other stuff tearing up my left arm and it only took $11,000 to repair the truck. Most of the heavy damage was on the drivers side.
I don't chase storms at night and it's a very long story how I came to be sitting on the north side of Hoisington, but between getting blocked by baseball hail near Great Bend, broken windshield wipers, torrential rain and small hail, low fuel, and a chihuahua full of Pepsi, it happened.
I was very fortunate with just some glass and other stuff tearing up my left arm and it only took $11,000 to repair the truck. Most of the heavy damage was on the drivers side.
cdcollura
EF5
Good day...
I was once on the "inside" as well ... But in a strong F1, crossing I-95, at 6:10 AM, in Hollywood, FL on March 9, 1998.
The tornado went over me, popped the hell out of my ears, and overturned a semi-trailer in front of me ... This was in the old days, I was 28, never been to the plains yet, and "dumb" to chase it at night.
Above: Tornado hits, truck flips! Note the debris (white streak) in lower right. View is to the south, tornado core passed to ENE (right to left).
Wanna see a video of it? Click the link below...
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=HcFcwyxeJ8U
Take care,
I was once on the "inside" as well ... But in a strong F1, crossing I-95, at 6:10 AM, in Hollywood, FL on March 9, 1998.
The tornado went over me, popped the hell out of my ears, and overturned a semi-trailer in front of me ... This was in the old days, I was 28, never been to the plains yet, and "dumb" to chase it at night.
Above: Tornado hits, truck flips! Note the debris (white streak) in lower right. View is to the south, tornado core passed to ENE (right to left).
Wanna see a video of it? Click the link below...
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=HcFcwyxeJ8U
Take care,
Jason Foster
I love that shot
YouTube doesn't do it justice. I've seen this one many times on Extreme video shows, and love it every time. Some of the shows show almost the entire length, with you calling in, and the NOAA radio tone going out almost 60 seconds later. It really does show how fast the Skywarn and NWS can work when it has too.
Chris do you also remember the little spin up that we encountered in 2002 when we were caravaning with Scott B. and Eric N. and Eric got all that green netting from the roadside wrapped in his van's undercarriage. I think Jeff was driving that day?
YouTube doesn't do it justice. I've seen this one many times on Extreme video shows, and love it every time. Some of the shows show almost the entire length, with you calling in, and the NOAA radio tone going out almost 60 seconds later. It really does show how fast the Skywarn and NWS can work when it has too.
Chris do you also remember the little spin up that we encountered in 2002 when we were caravaning with Scott B. and Eric N. and Eric got all that green netting from the roadside wrapped in his van's undercarriage. I think Jeff was driving that day?
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Doug_Kiesling
Ok, I did on May 4th, 2003. And yes, falling debris fn hurts.
I was so focused on holding the video camera and tripod down to the ground that I forgot to take a lot of still photographs. Here is the one I took from that day as it was heading right towards me.
http://www.lightningboy.net/content/img920b
I was so focused on holding the video camera and tripod down to the ground that I forgot to take a lot of still photographs. Here is the one I took from that day as it was heading right towards me.
http://www.lightningboy.net/content/img920b
Scott Weberpal
EF5
Many have seen this already, but here's my experience from inside a tornado.
http://www.tornadofx.com/video/081805.wmv
Basically I was stationary at the time waiting for the forward precip core to pass and give me a view of a hopefully spectacular storm (I was chasing in poor terrain, and had found a relatively flat area). While waiting patiently, a tornado warning was issued and the track noted on weather radio put me directly in it's path. I had a decision to make, wait it out in the precip and hope the warning doesn't verify, or dive south to get out of the precip. I dove south hoping to clear the action area before our paths crossed, but to no avail. I remember my ears popping and a mass of debris rocketing past my car. I'm not sure if it's just me, but look closely as the condensation near the ground, it appears as if you can see the cyclonic curvature of the wind...
...the damage was rated F2, and I would estimate at my location I received 85-100 mph winds. Eerily, as I crept a few hundred feet forward after the tornado passed, a lone teddy bear was sitting in the middle of the road.
http://www.tornadofx.com/video/081805.wmv
Basically I was stationary at the time waiting for the forward precip core to pass and give me a view of a hopefully spectacular storm (I was chasing in poor terrain, and had found a relatively flat area). While waiting patiently, a tornado warning was issued and the track noted on weather radio put me directly in it's path. I had a decision to make, wait it out in the precip and hope the warning doesn't verify, or dive south to get out of the precip. I dove south hoping to clear the action area before our paths crossed, but to no avail. I remember my ears popping and a mass of debris rocketing past my car. I'm not sure if it's just me, but look closely as the condensation near the ground, it appears as if you can see the cyclonic curvature of the wind...
...the damage was rated F2, and I would estimate at my location I received 85-100 mph winds. Eerily, as I crept a few hundred feet forward after the tornado passed, a lone teddy bear was sitting in the middle of the road.
Shane Adams
I see it too. Crazy stuff.
