Your First Tornado

[Eric Sipes]

I started slowly getting into chasing in 1998. I saw a few dirt whirls with some being gustnadoes and maybe 1 or 2 being legitimate weak tornadoes, but my first real tornado was Oct 9th, 2001 near Cordell, OK. The actual tornado I saw was not the one that hit Cordell that day. I was a little further east. Also a big plus...I met SPC forecaster Rich Thompson while viewing the tornado which was pretty cool.

That night I got a media pass to go into Cordell and document the damage. The east side of town had very heavy damage. It was the first time I had seen tornado damage in person, and that was the point where I really began my respect for the power of tornadoes.

Oct. 9, 2001 was the scariest night of my entire life. I was accually not in town when it happened. I was in Canton, OK playing football for Cordell JHS. At halftime, the coach pulled all of us into the locker room and informed us that Cordell had been hit. There was still no word of where the track was, how strong it was, if there were any injuries, etc., just that the school had been hit. All we could do is hope and pray that everyone was safe.

On the way home, we had a portable radio that we all listened to. There were reports starting to come in that over 200 homes and businesses had been destroyed and more than 50 people were still missing. This was not information that helped us feel any better. There were multiple attempts to contact family members but, all phones were out. Not even cell phones were working.

As we arrived home we were all relieved to find all of our parents waiting at the field house to pick us up. My parents accually took a direct hit as they took shelter in my grandmothers celler. When all was said and done more than 150 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed, 6 people had been seriously injured but thankfully, no one was killed. This in itself was a miracle given this monster F3 had traveled across the entire town from SW to NE.

Although I had already been interested in weather, this event pushed me over the edge to learn as much as I could about tornadoes and drove me to begin chasing. I was too young at the time but, in 2005 when I got my liscense, I began to intercept storms that came to me. This was not a very productive way to chase and led me to really no success.

Finally, in Feb 2007 I worked up the nerve to contact Gene Thieszen who is also a local chaser. With he and his chase partner, Walt Gish's help, I was able to go on my first "real" chase on Mar. 23, 2007. On this chase, I saw my first tornado near Tatum, NM. I can't even describe the feeling when you see your first tornado on your first chase. It trully was one of the most awe inspiring moments of my life.

-Eric

 

[Jeff Richardson]

My first tornado occurred on December 5, 1975 in Tulsa, OK. I was in the eight grade that school year and, ironically enough, it was in my science class that I glanced out the window and noticed a great deal of towering cumulus present. That seemed really odd to me for early December. When I got home, I grabbed my transistor radio & headed outside. In less than an hour, a tornado warning had been issued for Tulsa county. I ran upstairs and, from my bedroom window, could see a off-white colored condensation funnel several miles to my northeast. Considering the time of day, this tornado was visible to thousands of people. In spite of that, I know of only a few photos and two films taken of the event. Fortunately, there were no fatalities but I believe around 35 people were injured. This was back in the day when warnings were often not issued until after a tornado was well under way. There is a short movie on YouTube of the event that's the only surviving documentation on movie film that I'm aware of that still exists. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm-dJvoLUL8

 

[Rob Satkus]

My first tornado occurred on December 5, 1975 in Tulsa, OK. I was in the eight grade that school year and, ironically enough, it was in my science class that I glanced out the window and noticed a great deal of towering cumulus present. That seemed really odd to me for early December. When I got home, I grabbed my transistor radio & headed outside. In less than an hour, a tornado warning had been issued for Tulsa county. I ran upstairs and, from my bedroom window, could see a off-white colored condensation funnel several miles to my northeast. Considering the time of day, this tornado was visible to thousands of people. In spite of that, I know of only a few photos and two films taken of the event. Fortunately, there were no fatalities but I believe around 35 people were injured. This was back in the day when warnings were often not issued until after a tornado was well under way. There is a short movie on YouTube of the event that's the only surviving documentation on movie film that I'm aware of that still exists. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm-dJvoLUL8

Good story Jeff...I saw that as well, but had to sneak out in my jammies to see it! I had strep throat and was under strict orders to stay inside, but when I saw the neighbors standing in their driveway pointing to the northeast, coupled with the live radio reports, I knew what they were looking at..I ran out to see the rope stage. We were quite far away (near 61st & Sheridan ), but it was highly visible.

Rob

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Sunnyvale CA 1998

Yeah, California. Few know that CA gets tornadoes. No; I didn't take the picture. But this is what I saw from my home in Cupertino CA. I was outside and was watching it all unfold. The parent cloud was an awesome sight; we don't get supercells here very often. Neat thing about this tornado, is that it was clockwise rotating. Rare enough for us to get a tornado on the coast too, they usually happen in the Central Valley each year. But it was my first.

 

[Jacob Ferden]

First tornado: evening of April 25, 2009, Enid, Oklahoma...by far the most hair-raising chase of my rookie season. One of these days, I'll actually get around to writing a summary for that day.

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

My first tornado experience was on Saturday, April 24, 1993 when a devastating tornado developed in east Tulsa and hit the suburb of Catoosa, OK. I was only 12 years old when this happened. I was with my mom that day and the wall cloud went directly over us while the tornado sirens blasted. Little did I know, my future chase partner and best friend, Justin Teague was just a couple of blocks away watching the same thing. That night I was glued to the TV watching the news break from Catoosa. I was so enraptured by how the sky appeared that day I decided that I had to see it again. Tornadoes almost became an overnight obsession for me. I began reading every book I could find on tornadoes and studied as much as I could about weather.

The first tornado I actually saw was on May 26, 1997 (my second storm chase) on HWY 75 and HWY 16 near Beggs, OK. Little did I know, future chase partner Dave Crowley was sitting there with about a dozen or so other chasers watching the tornado just to our east.

 

[Jon Miller]

Van Wert Ohio - F4 tornado - Nov 10, 2002 - a slight risk afternoon here in Ohio - totally unanticipated . I hastily and un prepared chased it from several miles to the south east - I took a lot of pictures but found out later that there wasn't any film in my camera and did not have a functioning camcorder either - learned a lesson - be prepared and don't discount 5% risk days !

Some videos shot by others:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb0bZnKKGoc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK2cuZIaQx0

 

[Chris Hayes]

My firest tornado was an F1 that occured near Seiling, Oklahoma on the night of May 5, 2002. We had an unsuccsful chase in the TX Panhandle and were heading back to El Reno. We intercepted a storm near Seiling, and saw a brief F1 tornado lit up by lightning. It was on the ground less than a couple minutes, but destroyed a mobile home.

 

[Kevin Walters]

May 24, 1989 in Story county Iowa one mile East of Interstate 35 on county blacktop E 29. It was a weak short lived tornado lasting two minutes. The next tornado (my second) from this supercell was an F4 with a 20 mile path. Six days later on May 30, 1989 I observed my second F4 tornado in Hardin County Iowa.

 

[Jason Haller]

Still a tornado Virgin here. Said but true. Closest thing I have seen is a sweet rotating wall cloud and several funnels with a confirmed tornado that touch down outside of Manhattan in 1993 but since I never saw it on the ground I can say I have seen a Tornado. Did not even see the one that rolled through town 2 years ago. Saw the power flashes but I refuse to chase at night as I don't want my first one to be my last one. Hoping to see a tornado this season out in an open grassland doing no damage.

 

[Maggie Kahman]

Still a tornado Virgin here. Said but true. Closest thing I have seen is a sweet rotating wall cloud and several funnels with a confirmed tornado that touch down outside of Manhattan in 1993 but since I never saw it on the ground I can say I have seen a Tornado. Did not even see the one that rolled through town 2 years ago. Saw the power flashes but I refuse to chase at night as I don't want my first one to be my last one. Hoping to see a tornado this season out in an open grassland doing no damage.

I too am a tornado virgin, but like you have seen several funnels. This one perticular time comes to mind. I was coming home from Hastings going south on HWY 14 just south of Clay Center (I had taken the back way home). As i crested a hill, i saw what appeared to be 2 funnel clouds. I was driving but was able to look at them and saw that they were rotating. The one dissipated before i could get stopped to look at them so only one of them was left when i turned onto a gravel road and stopped. This funnel was roping out, it was very long and pencil thin and very pretty. I could hear the sirens in the town of Faifield going off in the distance. That is a day i will not soon forget.

Something to add: You think its sad that you still are a tornado virgin? I am 23, have lived in Nebraska all my life, and still have not seen a tornado. then again i didnt really get into chasing until 2008. But still, youd think that id have seen a nader by now!

 

[Andy Wehrle]

My first tornado was June 8, 1974 in Tulsa as an F3 passed less than a mile from our house. We lived in a horseshoe shaped valley, so I could only see the wall cloud and top of the tornado, but there was plenty of debris in the air as it was passing through a subdivision.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mkx/document/tor/081805.php

Very similar experience for me (same F scale rating even) but my visibility was limited by trees. I got about 7 seconds of video of flying debris and violently churning clouds over our house, but I could tell it was CLOSE and it was way bigger than your "average" tornado.

Still "0-fer" on chases, but that's to be expected since I only do it about once a year.

 

[Andrew Stevens]

My first tornado was last year, May 13, 2009 in Kirksville, MO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBm0iIz5Qwk

My video of it, as I explained in my new users post, I was a little on edge during that chase for a few reasons. Ended up accidently not recording the best shot that I had of the tornado. It did look very neat on the camera though, I just wish it was recording. lol.

 

[Derek Weston]

April 13, 2006 Iowa City. Actually was in the edges of it in my apartment complex. The pressure dropped and the doors rattled as they were being sucked outward towards the tornado. The raw power and force you felt was just amazing.

Didn't know as much at the time, and was scared... but good grief, what an experience. I'd love to experience that again in a safe way... just one of those things you're lucky to experience while being unharmed.

 

[Jason Young]

Mine first tornado I ever saw ,

I think this is the right day. Aoril 29 , 1985 ( the day ToTo was deployed in Ardmore . We was hideing in the bathroom ( I was 11 at that time ) while my grandfather stood at the front door watching the weather . I went check on him when I saw a funny cloud , next thing I know he has me in the air , running to the bathroom . The Tornado passed 2 miles to are south .
04/29/1985 1854 14 mile path ,880 yards wide F2 Love/ Carter 4 WSW Overbrook- Ardmore- 5 WNW Dickson