Storm chasers from the TV show Storm Chasers killed in Oklahoma

[Slash27]

Darwin triumphs again

Not really.

[Sol75]

As an amateur storm chaser, I recognize that these folks are actually heroes.  I wish I had the scientific/engineering knowhow to do some of what they do.  All I can do is chase, video/photo, and report to the NWS (I am a Storm Spotter, and member of the Spotter Network).  These 3 guys are heroes in my book, no different than those who choose to do other things which are "dangerous" to aid in the safety of others.. cops, firefighters, Marines/soldiers/sailors/airmen, etc.  Also, based on my experiences, the MOST dangerous thing about storm chasing is not the storm, but the fact of driving so much!  Far more storm chasers have been harmed by traffic accidents than any storm. 

I've had close calls, never from a tornado, but traffic, and near strikes by lightning, some close enough I felt a tingle in the soles of my feet from the ground current.  I had the opportunity to meet Tim Samaras at a chasercon one time, and he was a man dedicated to better understanding these storms, so that warning times, and safety of residents, could be improved.  On top of that, a genuinly nice guy.  A huge salute to Tim, His son, and Carl, all of you will be sorely missed by the chaser community, and even more so, by those that may not even be aware that you have saved thier lives.

[Dragon]

2.6 miles wide with 395 mph winds


http://kfor.com/2013/06/04/may-31-tornado-makes-history-largest-ef-5-on-record/

Not that it matters much, but it says 295 mph.

[Slash27]

Not that it matters much, but it says 295 mph.

Yep, typo on my part. Thanks for pointing that out

[Slash27]

A huge salute to Tim, His son, and Carl, all of you will be sorely missed by the chaser community, and even more so, by those that may not even be aware that you have saved thier lives.

Exactly, Tim's research is directly responsible for longer warning times and saving peoples lives. These weren't morons looking for some cool video not knowing what they were getting in to, so that Darwin comment is pretty much ignorant roadkill.

[ghi]

As an amateur storm chaser, I recognize that these folks are actually heroes.  I wish I had the scientific/engineering knowhow to do some of what they do.  All I can do is chase, video/photo, and report to the NWS (I am a Storm Spotter, and member of the Spotter Network).  These 3 guys are heroes in my book, no different than those who choose to do other things which are "dangerous" to aid in the safety of others.. cops, firefighters, Marines/soldiers/sailors/airmen, etc.  Also, based on my experiences, the MOST dangerous thing about storm chasing is not the storm, but the fact of driving so much!  Far more storm chasers have been harmed by traffic accidents than any storm. 

I've had close calls, never from a tornado, but traffic, and near strikes by lightning, some close enough I felt a tingle in the soles of my feet from the ground current.  I had the opportunity to meet Tim Samaras at a chasercon one time, and he was a man dedicated to better understanding these storms, so that warning times, and safety of residents, could be improved.  On top of that, a genuinly nice guy.  A huge salute to Tim, His son, and Carl, all of you will be sorely missed by the chaser community, and even more so, by those that may not even be aware that you have saved thier lives.

I read this on yahoo news toady;http://news.yahoo.com/oklahoma-tv-weatherman-vilified-tornado-advice-052413546.html
 Mike Morgan from KFOR is blamed for 'irresponsible reporting', advising people from south OKC ( Friday last week) to drive away from tornado path and caused clogged highways. I've been watching this guy for years, reporting weather news  on KFOR live,  he saved many lives;  What better advice would you give people without tornado shelter in this situation?

[Sol75]

Honestly, in a situation like that, there is not much one can do...  if you have no shelter, in an EF-5, basically all you can do is hang on and hope for the best.  when winds reach 295mph,, nothing except a shelter is going to be of any use.  Advising people to get out of the path? well, honestly, if it were my family, and we had no shelter, I would definitely be trying to get out of it's path as well.. 
That reporter/weatherman was put into a no-win situation.  Getting int he car and trying to outrun the storm, is the wrong choice for anyone not trained, and can be the wrong choice even for those who ARE trained (as Tim's death demonstrates)... But, without shelter, I would say take your chances on the road.  The problem is, MOST tornados are quite survivable by the guidelines given of sheltering in an interior room, etc etc.  At this time, there is no way for the wind speed int he tornado to be determined at the time of the sotrm, aside from visual estimates, which can be WAY off.  All information on wind speed is gathered by the NWS AFTER the storm, by analyzing debris.  That is actually one of the points of research many chasers are doing, developing a way to measure the wind speed in real-time. 

SO, with all that being said, I suppose in the end the proper choice, would have been to shelter in place, since almsot all of the time, that would be sufficient.. although in this case it would have done no good at all...

As I said, no-win situation.  Either side can be argued with validity.

[jimson]

Darwin triumphs again

Yeah, I'd have to disagree. These particular guys were researchers not known to be reckless at all and as mentioned, directly helped in efforts to save lives from these storms.

All I can say is RIP. At least they went out following their passion.

I have no problem with those chasers who do it for thrill seeking either. I would love to see a twister. It has to be an awesome sight.

Lot's of folks die in dangerous hobbies, but prior to that, they live more than most of us.

[Sol75]

Yeah, I'd have to disagree. These particular guys were researchers not known to be reckless at all and as mentioned, directly helped in efforts to save lives from these storms.

All I can say is RIP. At least they went out following their passion.

I have no problem with those chasers who do it for thrill seeking either. I would love to see a twister. It has to be an awesome sight.

Lot's of folks die in dangerous hobbies, but prior to that, they live more than most of us.

6
It is definitely an awesome sight.. especially if tyou get near it.  Even a relatively weak one you can see,hear, and feel the power.  Beauty and terror all in one swirling cloud of dust and vapor... it truly cannot be put into words.

[bj229r]

6
It is definitely an awesome sight.. especially if tyou get near it.  Even a relatively weak one you can see,hear, and feel the power.  Beauty and terror all in one swirling cloud of dust and vapor... it truly cannot be put into words.

that statement is not unlike many made by the late Mr Samaras, sounds far more thrill-seekerish than scientific

[Sol75]

that statement is not unlike many made by the late Mr Samaras, sounds far more thrill-seekerish than scientific

I am a thrill seeker, and i freely admit it.  It is why i storm chase, ride motorcycles and now getting into racing them, etc.  I accept the risk, because i get to experience things that most people only dream about.  My family understands this, and accepts it. I also have taken steps including investments and a generous life insurance policy to ensure that should something happen my family will continue to be taken care of.  The reason not to do it, is to live.  But, the reason to DO it, outweighs that.  The reason to do it, is to live life a little more.

[bj229r]

I am a thrill seeker, and i freely admit it.  It is why i storm chase, ride motorcycles and now getting into racing them, etc.  I accept the risk, because i get to experience things that most people only dream about.  My family understands this, and accepts it. I also have taken steps including investments and a generous life insurance policy to ensure that should something happen my family will continue to be taken care of.  The reason not to do it, is to live.  But, the reason to DO it, outweighs that.  The reason to do it, is to live life a little more.

well, can't argue that it's a LOT more interesting than studying squiggly things in a petri dish

[Sol75]

well, can't argue that it's a LOT more interesting than studying squiggly things in a petri dish

Don't forget also, that while i am a thrill seeker, i also perform a valuable function as a national weather service storm spotter.  I have a direct number to the nws, and am able to report exactly what is going on, which can supplement the Doppler radar and provide better warning capability.  And that is just with my eyes and knowledge.  Imagine what someone like Tim could provide, with his eyes, plus all of the tools he developed and carried with him. The is necessary research, and his contributions should never be discounted.  We all are aviation fanatics, know of and respect men like Chuck Yeager, Neil Armstrong, Alan Shepard ettc.  They risked their lives to further the knowledge and capabilities of the human race.  How is storm research any different?  In fact, it could be argued it is more important due to the direct impact such research could have on the human population, in keeping them safe from these storms.

(sorry for the spelling issues, I was typing this on my tablet and autocorrect bit me hard lol, edited and should be good now)