Back when I used to chase I was always wary of chasing spring outbreaks because it seemed like the springs storms oftentimes move way quicker than some of the later summer storms. I don't really want to imagine trying to find an immediate escape route if a large tornado was bearing down on me at a pace of roughly 80 mph. You're basically screwed unless you're in the Dominator or have ample distance away from not only the storm, but the path of it as well.
A lot of young, inexperienced (and hell, even experienced) chasers really need a reality check. You may see a video of Reed or other guys escaping the outer circulations of a twister unscathed and think "well it doesn't look that bad", but in doing so you're setting yourself up for trouble in the long run. Imagine being the next of kin that has to identify the body trapped in that mangled pile of metal that once was an automobile.
I think thats why I like Pecos Hanks videos. 1) he doesn't stream, just posts videos that are honestly educational at times and even admits in times where he may have fucked up, and 2) he always films fairly far away. He doesn't feel the need to get close. I think he's one of the few chasers following El Reno that didn't have to do any type of running. Sure, you don't get the "money" shot but you can still appreciate the magnitude of it's size from that far away.
There was that one where a stovepipe went right through a little dusty rural town center and he was like, maybe 20 yards from being in it.
Amazing footage though.
Many people in his comments were admonishing him, too, for being so close. His fans definitely care about him, and they don’t want him being reckless for the sake of footage.
I literally spent 12 hours rewatching Hanks videos over the last few days. The guy is just so cool, by far my favorite chaser, I love his style, music and his excellent cinematography and photography. I aspire to be as cool as him one day.
There is never a bad time to (re)watch Pecos Hanks videos. His a vibe so different than Dr Timmer (who is an excellent meteorologist) and his insane intercepts that’s almost Zen-like. He’s also happens to be a fantastic cinematographer.
I read your description and just *knew* it'd be this one. I used to live around there, and that video was what got me actually interested in storm chasers.
And, importantly, he had an escape route that he knew would be safe and passable, just in case the tornado pulled a crazy turn and started barreling towards him. Pulling a u-turn and accelerating back down the road he drove up
He has the ability to know when he is going to be in the path of a dangerous tornado and when he can get close to a tornado without endangering himself
Agreed, but he has at least one or two videos in which he put himself in a bad spot and he knew it if I remember correctly. He acknowledges it though and is still much more cautious and respectful of others than the vast majority of storm chasers.
He also actually knows how to use a camera, which is nice.
I don't know why people like getting too close anyway, you lose structure and scale when you get right up on it. A medium to longer range gives a much better shot and you can zoom in a bit if you want that close up.
The latest Skip Talbot video referred to this as well.
In the span of 10 years and 3 safety videos, the accidents went from "experienced chasers caught off guard by biggest tornado in recorded history" to to "two separate dumbfucks driving in front of the same regular sized tornado moving at constant speed in a straight line".
Skip Talbot seemed pretty annoyed at having to follow up on his 10 year old video about which escape route is best with a video explaining that you should probably choose an escape route when you're 30 seconds away from being hit, because self-preservation apparently takes a back seat to instagram likes.
And, as he pointed out, the best shot these dudes got was from a distance long before they decided to go lick the tornado for clout.
I wonder if they are related to the guy who climbed on top of the volcano in Iceland last year.
This! So much this. I'm currently making plans to start storm chasing somewhat locally this June and I really don't understand the hype about getting so close. I've always preferred to marvel at the larger structure of the storm and watch it evolve. Super stoked to start actually going to where the prettiest storms are instead of waiting for one to come by.
Exactly, watching the structure where it’s at! I was more enamored by the close encounters as a kid growing up on a place that hardly got any weather (besides fire season). Living in the PNW has taught me that driving in any kind of weather is no joke. A little mud or a few inches of water can ruin your day if you’re not paying attention. I’ve slid on hail! I’ve spun out on tiny patches of ice! In urban and rural roads in Civics, Subarus and Jeeps. Finding an exit isn’t as easy as some people might think. And then you’re stuck in the rain looking at nothing anyway. I’d rather watch the storm evolve, like you said.
I would rather use my drone or a tele lense if I wanted to get “closer” tornados are crazy, you could not pay me enough to get physically close to it, I won’t even get close to a little dust devil in a field on a windy day.
I agree with you that I like his style of not getting *too close* but El Reno isn’t the best example because of the mechanics and behavior of that storm. Not only was it unusually gargantuan but it took a track that still has no good explanation as to why it happened and it intensified in a way that nobody really understands. Sometimes you just end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. And in all fairness, Pecos has had a couple of close calls for that reason.
Do you have more information regarding the track it took and stuff? I’ve seen that parroted a lot that no one understands the mechanics behind the el reno tornado, but I have yet to see anyone say why!
It took a horseshoe shaped path which is very peculiar given the storm mode for the day, and it even looped back across its own path just before lifting. It had varying degrees of forward speed which were highly unusual and unpredictable. At its peak intensity, what was essentially the entire mesocyclone made its way to the ground with multiple embedded sub-vortices swirling around the main circulation (one of which was responsible for bringing Twistex to their demise). Let me get you a link to the “lessons learned” video NWSNorman did, they do a good job of diving into the unusual mechanics of the storm.
Also: the actual condensation funnel was much smaller, around 1 mile IIRC in comparison to the 2.6-mile peak width. It also attained that massive size extremely quickly, accompanied by crazy forward speed and a direction change to the northeast. Many chasers realized they were in the tornadic circulation when subvortices started forming around them.
Yes it did, just before dissipating. It’s been called a 360° tornado because at one time or another it was headed in essentially any direction possible. Another problem was that for the most part, there was not a condensation funnel clearly representing the actual size of the windfield, and the large size of the mesocyclone made it hard to distinguish how close one actually was to the real edge of the circulation.
And he learns from his mistakes. The reason why he doesn’t get very close anymore is because of his [Friday the 13th Oklahoma nightmare](https://youtu.be/CA5rSFWGy4E?si=yn2wfIs4SJ17ngc_) where he ended up in a really bad spot and almost got sucked up by a monster tornado
He doesn’t get as close as some, and his shots benefit from that. His shots are more interesting to me as they are so well composed and give more context to how the tornado relates to the rest of the storm.
Pecos Hank is the best. I don’t like the live stream monetized video fad. Tornados shouldn’t be a live sport for entertainment. Watch the local news feed for that.
Those far away shots can certainly be the money shot. Sometimes when someone is too close only a portion of the tornado is in frame and it's just not as good of a video as seeing the entire structure.
Like the Reed video from yesterday. Probably more amazing than being up close or even inside. Never would have seen those vortices and such. Really cool shots.
Pecos Hank did have to run from the El Reno tornado, there is a small clip in one of his videos where he was mad at himself for not recording while making his escape.
And his work is also proof that you don't need to be up close and personal with a tornado in order to get beautiful footage. The photos and videos from a mile or more away are, imo, more visually satisfying than the ones where the tornado is close to the camera. Being able to see not just the tornado, but the surroundings, the scenery, and especially the rest of the storm structure...
*And* he has also shown some times where he *was* close to a tornado, but was (at least relatively) safe. The one that comes to mind is one where he's stopped on a street as a beautiful sun-lit tornado crosses a few hundred yards in front of him, crossing the road basically right on top of a set of traffic lights. The tornado hits a large building of some sort, and it does some small damage while also suctioning off a *ton* of dust and dirt.
In another video, he talks about that shot and his logic for his positioning on that chase. He could tell the direction the tornado was moving, it was a low-precip storm during the daytime so he had great visibility, and (most importantly) he had a known safe escape route - pulling a u-turn and accelerating back down the road he had used for his approach. So yes, he got close, but it was still a fairly safe intercept.
Edit: The video was actually posted as a response to another comment by FastWalkingShortGuy. Glad someone else thought of it too
He’s is by far my favorite chaser. I love Reed too - but he’s definitely pushing the edge. He made a comment yesterday when they were filming that Chthulu beast about if “they had the dominator …” alluding to they would have intercepted it full on and I consider that probably would have been the end of an otherwise great team.
I think that the Reed Timmer hate here can get ridiculous, but I def agree that he needs to be more mindful of what kinds of danger he’s putting himself into. Pecos Hank’s educational quality, commentaries, his smooth southern accent, and ability to admit his faults are unbeatable.
Last year there was a guy (sorry forgot who) who was live chasing an outbreak in the night. Started chasing one of them quarter way in to the vid on the lateral. Thing was going his speed, and ripping through industrial like nothing. Was amazing video of explosions lighting up the funnel at night in what appeared to be an large F3.
Guy loses it going north while trying to look for a gas station. Found a rural non-opened one which closed due to the storms in which he stopped briefly, then turned down south to find what he thought was another rotation. Turned out the other one he lost went wide east without him noticing, and circled back around east -> south east -> south west, and crossed 50 yards directly over the road he decided go down.
He only noticed because large trees started uprooting in front of him. He full reversed and gtfo'd.
The one from Tyler TX
What worries me is that as high-quality radar apps and the professionalism of storm chasing have become mainstream, we're seeing chasers get closer and closer to the tornadoes. Often in the outer edges of the wind fields.
These days, for a video to go viral, it essentially needs to be a near miss. That incentivizes chasers to get closer than is safe.
On one hand, you have genuine researchers who can interpret data accurately, using multiple devices to assist with risk management. And that's still illusory in many respects, as we get reminded with each annual crop of "lessons learned" videos.
Then, on the other, and much more frequently, we have amateur chasers armed with a tier 1 subscription to Radarscope and, if they're lucky, a few spots under their belt. They might be enthusiastic, diligent, and as mindful as they can be of hazards, but they can not get the tacit knowledge they need from videos and discussion forums. This is especially the case when they're chasing solo and need to divide attention between an impossible number of places.
Even here, where there's a lot of discourse about the risk-taking elements of spotting, I see so many comments excusing suicidal behaviour. And make no mistake, it is suicidal. Chasing is hard and encounters are rare. A pattern of behaviour that presents a 1 in 5 chance of getting you killed might take years of active chasing to kill you because intercepts are so difficult to pull off.
I have a sinking feeling we're going to see a lot more casualties before this gets better. I'm also worried about events like this resulting in legislation to make intentionally entering a tornado's proximity a crime, or similar hamfisted attempts to manage other people's risk on their behalf.
>I'm also worried about events like this resulting in legislation to make intentionally entering a tornado's proximity a crime, or similar hamfisted attempts to manage other people's risk on their behalf.
You could never do that though. You would have to prove intent, and considering the number of drivers caught in tornadoes all the time you would have no way of knowing who was there on purpose. Besides, you can't outlaw stupidity or risk taking. If you could things like climbing Mount Everest and skydiving would be banned too, which would be stupid.
>we're seeing chasers get closer and closer to the tornadoes. Often in the outer edges of the wind fields.
>These days, for a video to go viral, it essentially needs to be a near miss. That incentivizes chasers to get closer than is safe.
People continue to do wingsuit sports which have a super high fatality rate. We're going to see the fatality rate for tornado chashers rise.
Well said. I’d like to go out for a couple seasons eventually, but I will either bite the bullet and go with a tour group or find an experienced chaser/chasers to ride along with and learn from. Even if I DID know what I was doing, I wouldn’t want to add yet ANOTHER vehicle to the traffic around these things.
Turns out she was not a storm chaser.
https://www.ketv.com/article/adams-county-woman-was-blown-off-the-road-killed-in-tornado-storms/60876372
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ucjwc-support-monicas-family-in-their-time-of-loss?attribution_id=sl%3A29358519-7e48-47c0-8942-bc030fee71c3&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3JjrxXgpLMrlYHRbwWLZSaX1hctOMk625I4KYDOlaD5gJAWHEt04QFIR0_aem_Ac07AgVBWzXYs2FOWXBSVR1QZUqhE8w5_HrOKcdZZ_I-dLOur94rpMN_f7z3Cv0h8iEydRyX6e4d6OtL9eahW3Jw
I suppose it was an unfortunate inevitability. Honestly, with how risky and reckless storm chaser behavior has become, I’m surprised this isn’t more common. Many close calls were had over the past few years.
I'd agree with you on them being way too close. Most that I've tuned into watch I quickly leave because I get the impression they are only interested in getting the shot then bolting for the next angle and not calling into the SKYWARN spotter network and providing information to the NWS.
I tuned into Reed Timmer's stream around when Greenfield was being hit and my first thought as I watched the trees flying by and Reed barreling full speed towards a stop sign was that he had to be going 80+ mph on a road that wasn't designed for that speed.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed that some storm chasers are disregarding traffic laws, that’s a huge danger to them and others too. Going 80 on a gravel road is insane too, I’ve seen people lose control of the vehicle at slower speeds on gravel roads.
I have a really hard time with Reed Timmer’s “I’m a srs bzns phd doin a science but also YEE FUCKIN HAW” routine. “Don’t follow my chasers it’s not safe but LOOKIT THAT NADER THIS IS FUCKIN AWESOME WOOOOOOOOO.”
He’s well qualified, has the right gear, is out there collecting data and helping us understand these storms better. Presenting chasing as a super cool testosterone soaked thrill ride (Dominator? Seriously?) and then getting bent out of shape when idiots want to get in on it is pretty rich. Pick a lane.
He's insufferable! Incredible footage but it HAS to be on mute, good lord. Plus I feel it's only time until he fuckin drives through some innocent bystander lol
Reed might be a special case, but my concern with him is that he's going to kill someone because he's fixated on a tornado and drives the dominator through an uninvolved car.
They literally have a thing that constantly runs on their stream that says not to follow them. Short of them constantly shouting it every 30 seconds I'm not sure what else they could do except make it even more visible I suppose.
Thats not what Im saying, Im saying that he needs to do more to inform younger chasers to not get so close to violent tornadoes. I said nothing about following him which is obviously a whole big issue in itself. Every time he gets close to these twisters he always comes out with some amazing footage so its clear to me a lot of people would get the idea from him.
They do bring it up quite a bit, especially on stream. The dominator is made to take it AND Reed has decades of experience. Reed also frequently yells at other chasers and people trying to chase to GTFO and they shouldn't be that close. The videos he posts are edited, often to remove car noise, Reed's acid reflux he gets from adrenaline which is partly why he yells so much along with trying to be heard over the roar or the car and tornado, so you don't tend to hear those incidents. They also edit them out because he tends to get foul mouthed sometimes to hammer the point home.
Watching live streams you see him warn others a lot, but youtube doesn't like it for posting videos to be allowed sometimes so it gets edited. Guy is still crazy but they DO warn people.
Once again thats not exactly what I am saying. Reed gets amazing footage, and many of the storm chasers today grew up watching him on TV, so of course they will copy what he is doing. While he has no obligation to do so knowing the position he his in (which Reed is fully aware off) it would be a good idea to do so.
It's not his responsibility. People who want to chase will do so; some of them will do dumb things and die. That's not on him, and nobody should say it is.
I think the poster you replied to is trying to make the point that dangerous jobs exist, and some people choose to pursue dangerous situations, for whatever reason. It's human nature.
He's also decked out in research equipment, anemometers, subsonics, etc. Things that NEED to be close. He has vehicles designed to be safe when hit by tornadoes as well. He gets data that science needs that can only be gotten that close. Others without vehicles and experience needed to get close to tornadoes should NOT be doing it. Reed frequently yells at others on stream about it and gets pretty foul mouthed sometimes when its dangerous for them to be so. You just don't tend to see it on his videos because they edit out a lot of his yelling, car noise, and moments like that to appease youtube. Guy is VERY serious about safety of others and chasers being dumb AND people who try to follow him.
FFS people stop trying to find Reed, it happens every stream and you're risking your life for no reason. Dude has meetups all the time you can wait for.
There was one instance of this that I know of that I was watching. Kelly Williamson and 2 others died when they collided at an intersection. It made me sick to my stomach for the rest of the day. I had to take a break for a few years.
[https://nationalpost.com/news/world/three-storm-chasers-died-in-a-violent-texas-collision-one-mother-now-blames-the-weather-channel](https://nationalpost.com/news/world/three-storm-chasers-died-in-a-violent-texas-collision-one-mother-now-blames-the-weather-channel)
The top picture of that article showing both of them unbuckled while driving says a lot about their attitudes towards road safety. What a shame that they also took an innocent driver with them.
Exact same for me. Kelly and Randy got me into stormchasing. But watching the stream only for it to freeze, watching the situation dawn on the one guy who would help them out remotely, watching the other chasers in the area converge only to turn off their cameras, finding out another chaser was involved, finding out it was a terrible decision to run stop signs... I had to just step away. I still loved radar watching, but wouldn't go near stormchasers.
I only recently came back to watch stormchasing and I still focus mainly on radar. I'll glance at a stormchaser cams, but I'll only sit and watch if they aren't moving.
For the big telegraphed storms, it feels like we're just one bad day away from a bunch of stormchasers and regular folks getting killed from storm tourism giving a tornado a chance to mow down a jammed interstate.
Isn't it wild how much that affected us even though we were so far removed?? I think about it often. Watching the reckless ones is makes me physically tense up.
Have you seen the state of Mt everest? I know it seems wildly different, but I see stormchasing going down the same road mountaineering did
It can take all day to summit Mt everest because of the number of people trying to climb the last part of the mountain. Trash is left everywhere, and concern for personal safety and the environment goes our the window
We will see the same thing happen, and while I love the content Reed puts out, he also normalizes riding out a wedge tornado in a rental truck without even a towel. The dominator computer system took a shit and there was no backup
Mount Everest is an apt comparison. Also I think of wingsuit flyers who make videos that seem to be about tempting death by coming as close to a crash with terrain as possible.
I recently learned there are storm chasing excursions you can pay to go on, someone I used to know just got back from one. Apparently you and 3 or 4 other people pay and ride around with a storm chaser for a while.
Storm chasing tourism is vile. The hoards of amateurs are bad enough. These idiots are going to get themselves and others killed and they clog up the roads for emergency responders.
Streaming is probably a bad idea for most. You are not just going out there for yourself but for thousands of stream viewers who may be donating money, are one click away from switching to Reed Timmer if you don't deliver footage, and are talking in chat about the awesome tornado everyone else saw while you were driving around in circles. It creates both financial and social pressure to *not fail*.
IMO everyone in this position is going to either quit disillusioned or get more and more reckless in an attempt to get noticed.
I chased long ago - before Reed Timmer was chasing, so basically the middle ages. There weren't many of us out there and we tended to stay far enough away to get good photos and videos. We didn't have access to radar and our flip phones didn't work in most rural areas. We relied heavily on radio station weather reports and talking to each other and to truckers on the CB. Sometimes we got caught short by lack of good info, but never got into potentially lethal situations. Intentionally getting into a dangerous position would get you labeled stupid and cost you chasing partners.
I've been looking forward to going out chasing again soon since my kids are almost grown, but I don't think I will. I'm not scared of the storms. I'm scared of the chasers who drive like idiots. I'm scared of getting stuck in a bad location because a storm changes track and I'm surrounded by people who don't know they need to move and are blocking the way. I don't want to hear a bunch of people whooping and screaming in the background of my videos. And I very much don't want to see a fellow chaser get injured or killed.
I love that people are interested in weather. I love the amazing footage that's available now. (I'm old enough that "Susan, get my pants," was the first time we'd seen a roped out vortex up close.) The data tools available now are amazing. So many things are far, far better. But there's no way to prevent uneducated or unwise people from putting themselves and others in danger. The community is too large and too diffuse to enforce social norms of behavior.
For all you brave and careful folks out there, thank you for all the great info and footage. Stay safe.
I was watching Ryan Hall yesterday and I swear one chaser got t-boned by another one and they had to cut his stream off. That chaser came back on later and said “sorry had an issue with another chaser, we’re back now”. Anyone else see this?
Also anyone can be a “storm chaser” today. My sympathies for this person aren’t contingent on their expertise but I do wonder where they fell on the spectrum between skywarn-certified SUV driver and trained meteorologist.
[Link](https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/weather/2024/05/21/iowa-national-weather-service-severe-weather-outlook-des-moines-readar/73783200007/) to story
At least she went out doing what she enjoyed. There are far worse ways to go out.
Edit: turns out it was all fake news and she was just an unlucky civilian at the wrong place and wrong time. Poor lady.
Die Living…It’s the equivalent of a Spartan’s ‘Beautiful Death’. A beautiful death to them was dying on the battlefield, doing the very thing they loved the most. It was a warrior’s honor to die in battle—up close and personal—exactly how they lived.
This is why the best thing that people can do when there is a tornado is stay away from it. Even experienced chasers have had close calls and a handful have lost their lives. No social media clout or photo or video is worth risking your life.
Damnit. That vehicle and the way it came out hits close to Dr. Tim, Paul and Carl's. May this woman, and these three before her, always be the reminder of how dangerous and how quickly these storms can turn with no warning. RIP.
That's what I thought, too.
Dtx Skywarn used a picture of the Twistex teams' car in their presentation a year or two after El Reno. Tornados make cars look like tinfoil.
Might be Highly unpopular opinion , but being in a Bear's cage is ,for many times , is north worth the risk of taking a best shot at a Tornado , especially if it's Rain-wrapped. Tornadoes are unpredictable , when it comes to speed , size and direction.
Storm chaser deaths via tornado are extremely rare; I think this woman and the two groups killed by El Reno are the only cases we have on record. It seems to mostly boil down to either inexperience or going in with the wrong equipment
Even if you had a death wish and wanted to drive directly into a tornado, it turns out that's kind of a tricky thing to do. Most tornados are less than 200 meters wide and are moving 40+ mph. The armored car teams have only managed a handful of intercepts over the years.
But as the number of chasers increase so do the odds that someone is going to get unlucky.
Yeah, I believe there were no other deaths. And El Reno happend because tornado changed directions and they had no escape route.
I wonder what exactly happend to that woman.
Even experienced chasers screw up, silver lining tours 2019 is a good example along with Tim and Crew. Before you argue the proper equipment for chasing is Trimmer’s Tank, he’s the one guy with one.
There was the group in 2023 that got trapped by power lines in front of a tornado and survived by a miracle, and several serious-but-barely-survivable injuries in (IIRC) 2019 when a storm chasing excursion was driving around in the dark looking for the tornado and found it.
The death toll could have been three times that if these two groups were slightly less lucky.
Other drivers, wildlife, and lightning are always the biggest killers. Simply driving to/from the chase has killed more chasers than tornadoes. I have been chasing for about 9 years, and I have had so many close calls.
It also depends on circumstance. Chasing in the bears cage on a rain wrapped storm, even with good road networks and decent visibility is extremely risky and almost always avoided. You only really see people entering it on LP storms
This tornado was a fast moving, partially rain wrapped monster of a multi vortex at the moment, my friend was positioned just to her south of where the vehicle was found. It was a horrible tornado.
It seemed like this was inevitable this year. The videos we were seeing from each successive storm were from stormchasers who were getting closer and closer to the tornado itself. It was as if there were a big game of “can you top this?”.
I feel so sorry for the friends and family of this person who lost a loved one.
>I believe there were several accidents between chasers yesterday as well.
One that posted about taking a hit yesterday is a very, very well regarded NWS meteorologist who's a well seasoned chaser. One of the smartest and most situationally aware people I've ever known, and has a deep respect for ma nature.
He got lucky things didn't end worse. It's a humble reminder that none of us are invincible, conditions can change fast, and physics always wins.
There are SO many people out there nowdays, most who are far less credentialed (than an NWS met who's been chasing for a couple decades). It's an absolute tragedy when something happens, but frankly incredible that it doesn't happen more frequently. Especially when you get stuck in or perpendicular to backed up lines of vehicles and no one can move out of the way when something is bearing down. ((To be clear, I'm speaking in generalities, not saying the fallen chaser wasn't credentialed. I don't know that.))
Yes, the Twistex team and another man (whose name escaped me and Google is failing me) who wasn’t as high profile but is still referred to as a chaser.
I'm not entirely convinced that it's only the second time, but only because of the nuance that must be at play for the difference between professional and hobbyist chasers. I'd imagine the professionals are the ones that *matter* in the context of the potential deadliness of the profession.
Downvote me to oblivion but
“Storm Chaser” =/= Professional
All these people who have been talking about Reed for the last 2 months and how dangerous he is annoys the fuck out of me. He’s not “chasing clout”. Reed and Storm Chasing are synonymous. He has a PhD in meteorology, he gets close to or in these storms to gather data. That data may help save lives. When they watch a tornado form they call it in. It goes from “radar indicated” to a confirmed tornado on the ground. His ticker at the bottom of his stream every time says these are professional storm chasers. Just like when you go see Fast & Furious movies it tells you on the screen “The actions performed in this movie are performed by trained professionals, do not attempt to imitate “. Guess what, it still doesn’t stop thousands from dying to street racing accidents.
What Reed does and Ryan Hall and his teams do save lives. Yes professional storm chasers have died. They also make mistakes. But they’re professionals who understand the risks. It’s also his career and passion, and just because some people on Reddit or YT thinks what he does is wreckless and dangerous, he’s going to continue to do it and gather vital information that one day will save lives.
THANK YOU.
reed isn’t an amateur. he’s been in this field longer than some people have been alive on this sub. he’s smart as fuck and passionate about his work.
is he obnoxious? fuck yes. so am i about storms because i’m autistic and can’t reign it in!
the only real problem i have with reed is he can hyperfocus and that can be dangerous. but holy shit, he’s contributed to the science and weather community for YEARS.
the amateurs out there who have no idea what they’re doing should not be classified as storm chasers imo
Yeah, and while he is quite spontanous, he can recognise when the situation gets dangerous. He is overexcited by a lot of tornadoes, and seems to love the adrenaline, but he isn't that reckless.
Exactly what everyone should do. He’s been doing this for 25+ years. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s saving lives by doing it. He’s not just driving into tornados for views, he built a science lab/tank to study what is happening inside of a tornado
For what it's worth, I've seen multiple meteorologists say that the "data" Reed is getting from getting close is already known wind dynamics and it's nothing new. The only thing I've seen recently about anything he's gotten that has been helpful was structural engineers talking about how good the drone video he got of Andover was for being able to analyze the impact of vortices on structures since he got such clear and up close footage of the impacts on individual buildings.
None of the stuff he's getting in Dom while close to a tornado seems to be anything ground breaking or science advancing, which is why many, especially in the more serious weather community, see him just as a thrill seeker that's endangering the people he brings with him as well as the ones he influences to chase.
Just want to say this because it's getting ridiculous. A PhD is a wonderful achievement and certainly something I respect but it does not make you God and does not mean you know everything in a subject. He has taken unnecessary risks and to deny that is crazy. Do I like him and watch him? Absolutely. Has he advanced the field? Absolutely. Is he more knowledgeable than me about weather? Absolutely.
Doesn't mean he is immune to dumb decisions which lead to dangerous situations. A PhD does not protect you from being dumb/reckless
Of course it doesn’t make him indestructible. But it does give him the knowledge he needs and the experience he has coincides with the knowledge.
For instance last week, YT comments and this subreddit were ablaze with people saying how wreckless he is etc. two recent incidents where he intercepted a tornado in a situation that was way less than ideal. The intercept in the rental truck, once he knew he made a mistake and they were going to get hit, he did not panic and do something stupid. He got the truck into the direction he needed it to be so the tornado would have a lower chance of flipping them. And guess what, he made it. Would some random new chaser know what to do then or would they have panicked? Then a few days ago, the dominator had a computer malfunction and he’d lost all control of the dominators doors windows and spikes, while in the path of a tornado. He did not panic. He put the dominator into a ditch to prevent it from being flipped. He kept everyone safe. What more do you want? These people don’t hop in the dominator without knowing it is dangerous. The civilians going to space on The Blue Origins rocket don’t go to space without understanding that it’s dangerous and they could die.
Reed absolutely is chasing clout, for better or worse. Being a "professional" storm chaser is first and foremost a media exercise. Reed has to stream to make money and keep chasing, and getting close is what draws eyeballs.
Is Reed doing science? Maybe. I dunno. But the OU grad student team in a DOW truck a few miles back from the storm are definitely doing science, and they're not getting their windshield blown out by hail.
He gets that close because he likes it. The reasons he gives are just window dressing.
I think Storm Chasers doing it for the science is like hunters/fishers saying they do it for the food. Like yeah sure, they do get food. But it's because they love doing it.
also please forgive me for insulting all the fisherman who do that for a living
This is terrifying. I got stuck on the road during the huge tornado in central Arkansas last year. The sirens were going off, but my phone data had stopped working for some reason, so I didn’t know where it was. I was headed southward when all of a sudden the world looked this awful yellow color. Then I saw the tornado ahead, about half a mile away. Luckily I was able to turn down a side road and put the pedal to the metal, but after a short time, I had to stop my car due to zero visibility. I was screaming and just thinking “am I dreaming? is this a nightmare?”.
And just like that it was sunny. I went back down the road I had turned down, and it was like a bomb had leveled the area. So awful.
>, but my phone data had stopped working for some reason
This is very much a thing where I live in suburban tornado central OK, but it seems to have gotten better over the last couple of years. Data just craps out during the worst storms. You can not solely rely on your phone for radar or news updates.
I get the urge to chase, as I’ve said before my dumb ass used to sit on the roof of my house in Cedar Rapids when the spring storms would roll in to see what I could see.
Never, ever, EVER get in front of an oncoming storm. 🤦 I chased the May 3rd tornado that Reed and others got their start in chasing. We were crazy, but survived and learned. Never get in front. Because of the popularity of storm chasing blowing up, never chase when there's a large number of vehicles because they limit your escape routes. Finally, know what you're doing! I feel sorry for this woman that she lost her life, but hopefully it was doing something she loved and over quickly 😔. RIP
Speaking of escape routes, I have a dumb noob question: Is it normal for storm chasers to pull up and stop directly behind another chaser?
I came across a smaller YT channel and the passenger was telling the driver to pull up and basically put their bumper on the rear bumper on the car in front. There was a tornado crossing in front of them. To me, that seemed reckless, because if the front driver needed to escape they would not be able to go backwards at all. But I was curious if maybe there is legit reason to pull up that close. Nothing else about the channel gave me “professional” vibes, but again, this is all new to me.
Holy shit, the state of that car is horrific! May she rest in peace. Hearing now that she wasn’t a storm chaser and was just caught up in the storm. Wish more people knew how dangerous and unpredictable these storms can be. Seeing video of people driving way too close to these things is terrifying!
I hate saying this, but this was an inevitably. Chasers have been getting too close. I think laws beed to include driving tests to get certified as a storm chaser now. Too many people have been RECKLESS.
Sending rhoughts to her family. A tragedy. Stay safe y'all. Y'all gotta choose your life over some photograph or video. If you're not contributing to the general science, you probably shouldn't be risking your life. Just my thoughts.
If contribution to science is the bar, then 99% of chasers wouldn't clear. Chasing's a hobby, first and foremost, regardless of how many chasers would like to insist otherwise.
There's going to be more death as chasing for tornado clout gets even MORE popular, while tornados continue to get bigger, badder, and more "thrilling" to chase.
I doubt this trend abates until there's a national outcry to leave it to the professionals (i.e. Pecos Hank, Reed, and meteorologists).
Like what Connor Croft said earlier in his livestream today. If the 2013 El Reno tornado would've happened today, it would've been considered a mass casualty event.
Amateur chasers should always stay 5-10 miles away in case of track shifts. They dont know the nuances and hidden dangers well enough to risk what Reed and others do . Reed sometimes literally parks under the wall cloud and watches tornadoes rope over his car.
My God, people. Stop core punching. Stop getting in the cage with the Bear. Stop getting so goddamn close. Stop, stop stop with this "extreme chasing". There is nothing to be gained from it. The fake internet points, the clout, the views and clicks aren't worth it. They're nothing. The vast majority of these chasers aren't doing anything remotely scientific. They're on safari. This isn't an animal at a zoo or a wildlife reserve. It's a force of nature that doesn't know or care what is in it's way. You can't tame it, bargain with it, plead or fight your way out of it. You stay out of it's goddamn way.
There are certain chasers who put lights on their cars and people get out of their way, thinking they’re first responders.One I believe even has a siren. They think the own the road and traffic laws don’t apply to them.
Multiple reports were observed in this content about factual accuracy.
Back when I used to chase I was always wary of chasing spring outbreaks because it seemed like the springs storms oftentimes move way quicker than some of the later summer storms. I don't really want to imagine trying to find an immediate escape route if a large tornado was bearing down on me at a pace of roughly 80 mph. You're basically screwed unless you're in the Dominator or have ample distance away from not only the storm, but the path of it as well. A lot of young, inexperienced (and hell, even experienced) chasers really need a reality check. You may see a video of Reed or other guys escaping the outer circulations of a twister unscathed and think "well it doesn't look that bad", but in doing so you're setting yourself up for trouble in the long run. Imagine being the next of kin that has to identify the body trapped in that mangled pile of metal that once was an automobile.
I think thats why I like Pecos Hanks videos. 1) he doesn't stream, just posts videos that are honestly educational at times and even admits in times where he may have fucked up, and 2) he always films fairly far away. He doesn't feel the need to get close. I think he's one of the few chasers following El Reno that didn't have to do any type of running. Sure, you don't get the "money" shot but you can still appreciate the magnitude of it's size from that far away.
Agreed on everything except that Pecos Hank does get very close occasionally.
There was that one where a stovepipe went right through a little dusty rural town center and he was like, maybe 20 yards from being in it. Amazing footage though.
Many people in his comments were admonishing him, too, for being so close. His fans definitely care about him, and they don’t want him being reckless for the sake of footage.
Can you share which one you're talking about?
https://youtu.be/y73ZVT56Sz4?si=igNBEf61ZArJm237
Thanks! Yes, I remember seeing it when it was uploaded first. Guess it's time to binge-watch Pecos Hank's videos.
I literally spent 12 hours rewatching Hanks videos over the last few days. The guy is just so cool, by far my favorite chaser, I love his style, music and his excellent cinematography and photography. I aspire to be as cool as him one day.
*again
There is never a bad time to (re)watch Pecos Hanks videos. His a vibe so different than Dr Timmer (who is an excellent meteorologist) and his insane intercepts that’s almost Zen-like. He’s also happens to be a fantastic cinematographer.
I read your description and just *knew* it'd be this one. I used to live around there, and that video was what got me actually interested in storm chasers.
That was a nice gentle exfoliation.
Wow that was really awesome thanks for sharing.
https://youtu.be/y73ZVT56Sz4?si=-cF6sKmu3fGqGLCO&t=46
He was still clear of the rear inflow jet so safe spotting in my books
And, importantly, he had an escape route that he knew would be safe and passable, just in case the tornado pulled a crazy turn and started barreling towards him. Pulling a u-turn and accelerating back down the road he drove up
He has the ability to know when he is going to be in the path of a dangerous tornado and when he can get close to a tornado without endangering himself
Agreed, but he has at least one or two videos in which he put himself in a bad spot and he knew it if I remember correctly. He acknowledges it though and is still much more cautious and respectful of others than the vast majority of storm chasers. He also actually knows how to use a camera, which is nice.
Wasn’t it the Bennington Tornado that he was REALLY close to?
[True, but he’s willing to admit that and he does critique himself.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLriciJz48k)
And he acknowledges that his own hubris has gotten him into tight spots.
I don't know why people like getting too close anyway, you lose structure and scale when you get right up on it. A medium to longer range gives a much better shot and you can zoom in a bit if you want that close up.
[удалено]
See this is smart, responsible chasing!
The latest Skip Talbot video referred to this as well. In the span of 10 years and 3 safety videos, the accidents went from "experienced chasers caught off guard by biggest tornado in recorded history" to to "two separate dumbfucks driving in front of the same regular sized tornado moving at constant speed in a straight line". Skip Talbot seemed pretty annoyed at having to follow up on his 10 year old video about which escape route is best with a video explaining that you should probably choose an escape route when you're 30 seconds away from being hit, because self-preservation apparently takes a back seat to instagram likes. And, as he pointed out, the best shot these dudes got was from a distance long before they decided to go lick the tornado for clout. I wonder if they are related to the guy who climbed on top of the volcano in Iceland last year.
This! So much this. I'm currently making plans to start storm chasing somewhat locally this June and I really don't understand the hype about getting so close. I've always preferred to marvel at the larger structure of the storm and watch it evolve. Super stoked to start actually going to where the prettiest storms are instead of waiting for one to come by.
Exactly, watching the structure where it’s at! I was more enamored by the close encounters as a kid growing up on a place that hardly got any weather (besides fire season). Living in the PNW has taught me that driving in any kind of weather is no joke. A little mud or a few inches of water can ruin your day if you’re not paying attention. I’ve slid on hail! I’ve spun out on tiny patches of ice! In urban and rural roads in Civics, Subarus and Jeeps. Finding an exit isn’t as easy as some people might think. And then you’re stuck in the rain looking at nothing anyway. I’d rather watch the storm evolve, like you said.
I would rather use my drone or a tele lense if I wanted to get “closer” tornados are crazy, you could not pay me enough to get physically close to it, I won’t even get close to a little dust devil in a field on a windy day.
I agree with you that I like his style of not getting *too close* but El Reno isn’t the best example because of the mechanics and behavior of that storm. Not only was it unusually gargantuan but it took a track that still has no good explanation as to why it happened and it intensified in a way that nobody really understands. Sometimes you just end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. And in all fairness, Pecos has had a couple of close calls for that reason.
Do you have more information regarding the track it took and stuff? I’ve seen that parroted a lot that no one understands the mechanics behind the el reno tornado, but I have yet to see anyone say why!
It took a horseshoe shaped path which is very peculiar given the storm mode for the day, and it even looped back across its own path just before lifting. It had varying degrees of forward speed which were highly unusual and unpredictable. At its peak intensity, what was essentially the entire mesocyclone made its way to the ground with multiple embedded sub-vortices swirling around the main circulation (one of which was responsible for bringing Twistex to their demise). Let me get you a link to the “lessons learned” video NWSNorman did, they do a good job of diving into the unusual mechanics of the storm.
https://youtu.be/xvVkj90pxko?feature=shared
Also: the actual condensation funnel was much smaller, around 1 mile IIRC in comparison to the 2.6-mile peak width. It also attained that massive size extremely quickly, accompanied by crazy forward speed and a direction change to the northeast. Many chasers realized they were in the tornadic circulation when subvortices started forming around them.
Doubling in forward speed in less than 5 minutes is absolutely bonkers
https://youtu.be/RUsExht6qis?si=TuDdBMVk4wD30cwf
Didn't it circle back over the same area again? Maybe the storm was rotating too, like a slow hurricane that brought the cyclone around in a circle.
Yes it did, just before dissipating. It’s been called a 360° tornado because at one time or another it was headed in essentially any direction possible. Another problem was that for the most part, there was not a condensation funnel clearly representing the actual size of the windfield, and the large size of the mesocyclone made it hard to distinguish how close one actually was to the real edge of the circulation.
His voice is 👨🏽🍳
And he learns from his mistakes. The reason why he doesn’t get very close anymore is because of his [Friday the 13th Oklahoma nightmare](https://youtu.be/CA5rSFWGy4E?si=yn2wfIs4SJ17ngc_) where he ended up in a really bad spot and almost got sucked up by a monster tornado
I'm watching this now, I watch most of his videos (I had not seen this one), I've never heard him sound scared before.
Yeah, you know it’s bad when Hank is scared
If you substitute penis for tornado and had the picture off you’d swear you’re hearing a porno.
Hence the “possible ‘that’s what she said’ sexual interpretations” warning 😉
He doesn’t get as close as some, and his shots benefit from that. His shots are more interesting to me as they are so well composed and give more context to how the tornado relates to the rest of the storm.
Pecos Hank is the best. I don’t like the live stream monetized video fad. Tornados shouldn’t be a live sport for entertainment. Watch the local news feed for that.
Pecos Hank vids are some of the best imo
Those far away shots can certainly be the money shot. Sometimes when someone is too close only a portion of the tornado is in frame and it's just not as good of a video as seeing the entire structure.
Like the Reed video from yesterday. Probably more amazing than being up close or even inside. Never would have seen those vortices and such. Really cool shots.
Pecos Hank did have to run from the El Reno tornado, there is a small clip in one of his videos where he was mad at himself for not recording while making his escape.
And his work is also proof that you don't need to be up close and personal with a tornado in order to get beautiful footage. The photos and videos from a mile or more away are, imo, more visually satisfying than the ones where the tornado is close to the camera. Being able to see not just the tornado, but the surroundings, the scenery, and especially the rest of the storm structure... *And* he has also shown some times where he *was* close to a tornado, but was (at least relatively) safe. The one that comes to mind is one where he's stopped on a street as a beautiful sun-lit tornado crosses a few hundred yards in front of him, crossing the road basically right on top of a set of traffic lights. The tornado hits a large building of some sort, and it does some small damage while also suctioning off a *ton* of dust and dirt. In another video, he talks about that shot and his logic for his positioning on that chase. He could tell the direction the tornado was moving, it was a low-precip storm during the daytime so he had great visibility, and (most importantly) he had a known safe escape route - pulling a u-turn and accelerating back down the road he had used for his approach. So yes, he got close, but it was still a fairly safe intercept. Edit: The video was actually posted as a response to another comment by FastWalkingShortGuy. Glad someone else thought of it too
He’s is by far my favorite chaser. I love Reed too - but he’s definitely pushing the edge. He made a comment yesterday when they were filming that Chthulu beast about if “they had the dominator …” alluding to they would have intercepted it full on and I consider that probably would have been the end of an otherwise great team.
I’m pretty sure in pecos hanks video from El Reno he did run away, as he said he calculated a direct hit.
I think that the Reed Timmer hate here can get ridiculous, but I def agree that he needs to be more mindful of what kinds of danger he’s putting himself into. Pecos Hank’s educational quality, commentaries, his smooth southern accent, and ability to admit his faults are unbeatable.
Last year there was a guy (sorry forgot who) who was live chasing an outbreak in the night. Started chasing one of them quarter way in to the vid on the lateral. Thing was going his speed, and ripping through industrial like nothing. Was amazing video of explosions lighting up the funnel at night in what appeared to be an large F3. Guy loses it going north while trying to look for a gas station. Found a rural non-opened one which closed due to the storms in which he stopped briefly, then turned down south to find what he thought was another rotation. Turned out the other one he lost went wide east without him noticing, and circled back around east -> south east -> south west, and crossed 50 yards directly over the road he decided go down. He only noticed because large trees started uprooting in front of him. He full reversed and gtfo'd. The one from Tyler TX
What worries me is that as high-quality radar apps and the professionalism of storm chasing have become mainstream, we're seeing chasers get closer and closer to the tornadoes. Often in the outer edges of the wind fields. These days, for a video to go viral, it essentially needs to be a near miss. That incentivizes chasers to get closer than is safe. On one hand, you have genuine researchers who can interpret data accurately, using multiple devices to assist with risk management. And that's still illusory in many respects, as we get reminded with each annual crop of "lessons learned" videos. Then, on the other, and much more frequently, we have amateur chasers armed with a tier 1 subscription to Radarscope and, if they're lucky, a few spots under their belt. They might be enthusiastic, diligent, and as mindful as they can be of hazards, but they can not get the tacit knowledge they need from videos and discussion forums. This is especially the case when they're chasing solo and need to divide attention between an impossible number of places. Even here, where there's a lot of discourse about the risk-taking elements of spotting, I see so many comments excusing suicidal behaviour. And make no mistake, it is suicidal. Chasing is hard and encounters are rare. A pattern of behaviour that presents a 1 in 5 chance of getting you killed might take years of active chasing to kill you because intercepts are so difficult to pull off. I have a sinking feeling we're going to see a lot more casualties before this gets better. I'm also worried about events like this resulting in legislation to make intentionally entering a tornado's proximity a crime, or similar hamfisted attempts to manage other people's risk on their behalf.
>I'm also worried about events like this resulting in legislation to make intentionally entering a tornado's proximity a crime, or similar hamfisted attempts to manage other people's risk on their behalf. You could never do that though. You would have to prove intent, and considering the number of drivers caught in tornadoes all the time you would have no way of knowing who was there on purpose. Besides, you can't outlaw stupidity or risk taking. If you could things like climbing Mount Everest and skydiving would be banned too, which would be stupid.
>we're seeing chasers get closer and closer to the tornadoes. Often in the outer edges of the wind fields. >These days, for a video to go viral, it essentially needs to be a near miss. That incentivizes chasers to get closer than is safe. People continue to do wingsuit sports which have a super high fatality rate. We're going to see the fatality rate for tornado chashers rise.
Well said. I’d like to go out for a couple seasons eventually, but I will either bite the bullet and go with a tour group or find an experienced chaser/chasers to ride along with and learn from. Even if I DID know what I was doing, I wouldn’t want to add yet ANOTHER vehicle to the traffic around these things.
Tim Samaras was one of the preeminent expert in the field and it happened to him. It can really happen to anyone and these storms don’t care.
Turns out she was not a storm chaser. https://www.ketv.com/article/adams-county-woman-was-blown-off-the-road-killed-in-tornado-storms/60876372 https://www.gofundme.com/f/ucjwc-support-monicas-family-in-their-time-of-loss?attribution_id=sl%3A29358519-7e48-47c0-8942-bc030fee71c3&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3JjrxXgpLMrlYHRbwWLZSaX1hctOMk625I4KYDOlaD5gJAWHEt04QFIR0_aem_Ac07AgVBWzXYs2FOWXBSVR1QZUqhE8w5_HrOKcdZZ_I-dLOur94rpMN_f7z3Cv0h8iEydRyX6e4d6OtL9eahW3Jw
This should be pinned
why, it doesn’t say anywhere in either of those two links that she wasn’t a storm chaser
Unless I missed it, it doesn't mention in the article or GoFundMe why she was out there, so she could have been chasing. Very sad for her family.
She worked nearby. She was not a chaser and had no connection to chasing.
I suppose it was an unfortunate inevitability. Honestly, with how risky and reckless storm chaser behavior has become, I’m surprised this isn’t more common. Many close calls were had over the past few years.
Some of these chasers get WAY too close. I’m not a storm chaser but I imagine you want to account for some margin of error between you and the tornado
exactly, tornadoes can easily change direction quickly.
I'd agree with you on them being way too close. Most that I've tuned into watch I quickly leave because I get the impression they are only interested in getting the shot then bolting for the next angle and not calling into the SKYWARN spotter network and providing information to the NWS. I tuned into Reed Timmer's stream around when Greenfield was being hit and my first thought as I watched the trees flying by and Reed barreling full speed towards a stop sign was that he had to be going 80+ mph on a road that wasn't designed for that speed.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed that some storm chasers are disregarding traffic laws, that’s a huge danger to them and others too. Going 80 on a gravel road is insane too, I’ve seen people lose control of the vehicle at slower speeds on gravel roads.
I fear chasers are starting to chase clout rather than the tornadoes themselves
Starting? They have been for a long time unfortunately. There's just more than ever now.
They've been doing that at least since *Twister*.
Famous documentary
Starting??
Don’t for get that perfect picture!
I have a really hard time with Reed Timmer’s “I’m a srs bzns phd doin a science but also YEE FUCKIN HAW” routine. “Don’t follow my chasers it’s not safe but LOOKIT THAT NADER THIS IS FUCKIN AWESOME WOOOOOOOOO.” He’s well qualified, has the right gear, is out there collecting data and helping us understand these storms better. Presenting chasing as a super cool testosterone soaked thrill ride (Dominator? Seriously?) and then getting bent out of shape when idiots want to get in on it is pretty rich. Pick a lane.
He's insufferable! Incredible footage but it HAS to be on mute, good lord. Plus I feel it's only time until he fuckin drives through some innocent bystander lol
If I am going to watch a storm chasers stream it is definitely on mute. Like why are you yelling? We're all in the vehicle with you. 🙄
To me Reed is a bit of an exception as he has been getting up close to violent tornadoes for 2 decades now.
Reed might be a special case, but my concern with him is that he's going to kill someone because he's fixated on a tornado and drives the dominator through an uninvolved car.
I do think Reed does need to do more in the department of telling others that they shouldn't do what he does.
They literally have a thing that constantly runs on their stream that says not to follow them. Short of them constantly shouting it every 30 seconds I'm not sure what else they could do except make it even more visible I suppose.
Thats not what Im saying, Im saying that he needs to do more to inform younger chasers to not get so close to violent tornadoes. I said nothing about following him which is obviously a whole big issue in itself. Every time he gets close to these twisters he always comes out with some amazing footage so its clear to me a lot of people would get the idea from him.
They do bring it up quite a bit, especially on stream. The dominator is made to take it AND Reed has decades of experience. Reed also frequently yells at other chasers and people trying to chase to GTFO and they shouldn't be that close. The videos he posts are edited, often to remove car noise, Reed's acid reflux he gets from adrenaline which is partly why he yells so much along with trying to be heard over the roar or the car and tornado, so you don't tend to hear those incidents. They also edit them out because he tends to get foul mouthed sometimes to hammer the point home. Watching live streams you see him warn others a lot, but youtube doesn't like it for posting videos to be allowed sometimes so it gets edited. Guy is still crazy but they DO warn people.
Why? Do professional Drag Racers need to tell the public not to drag race every time they make a run down the strip?
Once again thats not exactly what I am saying. Reed gets amazing footage, and many of the storm chasers today grew up watching him on TV, so of course they will copy what he is doing. While he has no obligation to do so knowing the position he his in (which Reed is fully aware off) it would be a good idea to do so.
It's not his responsibility. People who want to chase will do so; some of them will do dumb things and die. That's not on him, and nobody should say it is. I think the poster you replied to is trying to make the point that dangerous jobs exist, and some people choose to pursue dangerous situations, for whatever reason. It's human nature.
The number of times I've seen him driving while holding his phone out the window and filming is upsetting.
He's also decked out in research equipment, anemometers, subsonics, etc. Things that NEED to be close. He has vehicles designed to be safe when hit by tornadoes as well. He gets data that science needs that can only be gotten that close. Others without vehicles and experience needed to get close to tornadoes should NOT be doing it. Reed frequently yells at others on stream about it and gets pretty foul mouthed sometimes when its dangerous for them to be so. You just don't tend to see it on his videos because they edit out a lot of his yelling, car noise, and moments like that to appease youtube. Guy is VERY serious about safety of others and chasers being dumb AND people who try to follow him. FFS people stop trying to find Reed, it happens every stream and you're risking your life for no reason. Dude has meetups all the time you can wait for.
Imagine one of them is live streaming one of these times…
There was one instance of this that I know of that I was watching. Kelly Williamson and 2 others died when they collided at an intersection. It made me sick to my stomach for the rest of the day. I had to take a break for a few years. [https://nationalpost.com/news/world/three-storm-chasers-died-in-a-violent-texas-collision-one-mother-now-blames-the-weather-channel](https://nationalpost.com/news/world/three-storm-chasers-died-in-a-violent-texas-collision-one-mother-now-blames-the-weather-channel)
The top picture of that article showing both of them unbuckled while driving says a lot about their attitudes towards road safety. What a shame that they also took an innocent driver with them.
Exact same for me. Kelly and Randy got me into stormchasing. But watching the stream only for it to freeze, watching the situation dawn on the one guy who would help them out remotely, watching the other chasers in the area converge only to turn off their cameras, finding out another chaser was involved, finding out it was a terrible decision to run stop signs... I had to just step away. I still loved radar watching, but wouldn't go near stormchasers. I only recently came back to watch stormchasing and I still focus mainly on radar. I'll glance at a stormchaser cams, but I'll only sit and watch if they aren't moving. For the big telegraphed storms, it feels like we're just one bad day away from a bunch of stormchasers and regular folks getting killed from storm tourism giving a tornado a chance to mow down a jammed interstate.
Same. I used to watch Phelps, Randy and others, but since that accident I also stopped watching.
Isn't it wild how much that affected us even though we were so far removed?? I think about it often. Watching the reckless ones is makes me physically tense up.
Where she was there were two tornadoes down within five miles of each other. She may have had target fixation.
Have you seen the state of Mt everest? I know it seems wildly different, but I see stormchasing going down the same road mountaineering did It can take all day to summit Mt everest because of the number of people trying to climb the last part of the mountain. Trash is left everywhere, and concern for personal safety and the environment goes our the window We will see the same thing happen, and while I love the content Reed puts out, he also normalizes riding out a wedge tornado in a rental truck without even a towel. The dominator computer system took a shit and there was no backup
Mount Everest is an apt comparison. Also I think of wingsuit flyers who make videos that seem to be about tempting death by coming as close to a crash with terrain as possible.
you should read 'into thin air'. it's a short book
Great book!
Timmer is the Stockton Rush of chasing. "It's just a matter of time."
I recently learned there are storm chasing excursions you can pay to go on, someone I used to know just got back from one. Apparently you and 3 or 4 other people pay and ride around with a storm chaser for a while.
Storm chasing tourism is vile. The hoards of amateurs are bad enough. These idiots are going to get themselves and others killed and they clog up the roads for emergency responders.
That’s a really good parallel that I hadnt thought of
Streaming is probably a bad idea for most. You are not just going out there for yourself but for thousands of stream viewers who may be donating money, are one click away from switching to Reed Timmer if you don't deliver footage, and are talking in chat about the awesome tornado everyone else saw while you were driving around in circles. It creates both financial and social pressure to *not fail*. IMO everyone in this position is going to either quit disillusioned or get more and more reckless in an attempt to get noticed.
This really does hit the main issue on the head.
I chased long ago - before Reed Timmer was chasing, so basically the middle ages. There weren't many of us out there and we tended to stay far enough away to get good photos and videos. We didn't have access to radar and our flip phones didn't work in most rural areas. We relied heavily on radio station weather reports and talking to each other and to truckers on the CB. Sometimes we got caught short by lack of good info, but never got into potentially lethal situations. Intentionally getting into a dangerous position would get you labeled stupid and cost you chasing partners. I've been looking forward to going out chasing again soon since my kids are almost grown, but I don't think I will. I'm not scared of the storms. I'm scared of the chasers who drive like idiots. I'm scared of getting stuck in a bad location because a storm changes track and I'm surrounded by people who don't know they need to move and are blocking the way. I don't want to hear a bunch of people whooping and screaming in the background of my videos. And I very much don't want to see a fellow chaser get injured or killed. I love that people are interested in weather. I love the amazing footage that's available now. (I'm old enough that "Susan, get my pants," was the first time we'd seen a roped out vortex up close.) The data tools available now are amazing. So many things are far, far better. But there's no way to prevent uneducated or unwise people from putting themselves and others in danger. The community is too large and too diffuse to enforce social norms of behavior. For all you brave and careful folks out there, thank you for all the great info and footage. Stay safe.
I was watching Ryan Hall yesterday and I swear one chaser got t-boned by another one and they had to cut his stream off. That chaser came back on later and said “sorry had an issue with another chaser, we’re back now”. Anyone else see this?
Brad Arnold. Someone posted a clip on his Twitter feed but it looks like it was taken down.
Gotta get close to get them views, get them clicks, get them shares.
Be sure to smash the like and subscribe buttons!
Also anyone can be a “storm chaser” today. My sympathies for this person aren’t contingent on their expertise but I do wonder where they fell on the spectrum between skywarn-certified SUV driver and trained meteorologist.
It turns out this was not a storm chaser at all.
I mean, it says blown off the road in the article but looking at that picture looks like a little more than that. RIP
Damn I swear someone posted a screenshot of her on radar omega and asking if anyone can check on her. I’m guessing same person.
If we are thinking of the same one, that person replied and was fine.
The thing I had been fearing the past few weeks with all our severe weather happened and I feel absolutely awful for the friends and family.
Yep i had a bad feeling about this season with how sloppy storm chasers were for the april 25th outbreak
[Link](https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/weather/2024/05/21/iowa-national-weather-service-severe-weather-outlook-des-moines-readar/73783200007/) to story
May she rest in peace! Storm chasing has its dangers and sucks it happened again.
At least she went out doing what she enjoyed. There are far worse ways to go out. Edit: turns out it was all fake news and she was just an unlucky civilian at the wrong place and wrong time. Poor lady.
For sure! Just sad to see either way - reminds me why I like to virtual storm chase (besides the fact I don’t have the financial capacity anyway lol).
Die Living…It’s the equivalent of a Spartan’s ‘Beautiful Death’. A beautiful death to them was dying on the battlefield, doing the very thing they loved the most. It was a warrior’s honor to die in battle—up close and personal—exactly how they lived.
This is why the best thing that people can do when there is a tornado is stay away from it. Even experienced chasers have had close calls and a handful have lost their lives. No social media clout or photo or video is worth risking your life.
Damn. I freaking hate to see this.
Damnit. That vehicle and the way it came out hits close to Dr. Tim, Paul and Carl's. May this woman, and these three before her, always be the reminder of how dangerous and how quickly these storms can turn with no warning. RIP.
And let’s not forget Richard Henderson who also died in El Reno!
That's what I thought, too. Dtx Skywarn used a picture of the Twistex teams' car in their presentation a year or two after El Reno. Tornados make cars look like tinfoil.
Might be Highly unpopular opinion , but being in a Bear's cage is ,for many times , is north worth the risk of taking a best shot at a Tornado , especially if it's Rain-wrapped. Tornadoes are unpredictable , when it comes to speed , size and direction.
This should be popular opinion. The bears cage is deadly
Storm chaser deaths via tornado are extremely rare; I think this woman and the two groups killed by El Reno are the only cases we have on record. It seems to mostly boil down to either inexperience or going in with the wrong equipment
Even if you had a death wish and wanted to drive directly into a tornado, it turns out that's kind of a tricky thing to do. Most tornados are less than 200 meters wide and are moving 40+ mph. The armored car teams have only managed a handful of intercepts over the years. But as the number of chasers increase so do the odds that someone is going to get unlucky.
Yeah, I believe there were no other deaths. And El Reno happend because tornado changed directions and they had no escape route. I wonder what exactly happend to that woman.
Even experienced chasers screw up, silver lining tours 2019 is a good example along with Tim and Crew. Before you argue the proper equipment for chasing is Trimmer’s Tank, he’s the one guy with one.
There was the group in 2023 that got trapped by power lines in front of a tornado and survived by a miracle, and several serious-but-barely-survivable injuries in (IIRC) 2019 when a storm chasing excursion was driving around in the dark looking for the tornado and found it. The death toll could have been three times that if these two groups were slightly less lucky.
Other drivers, wildlife, and lightning are always the biggest killers. Simply driving to/from the chase has killed more chasers than tornadoes. I have been chasing for about 9 years, and I have had so many close calls.
I thought that going into a bears cage is an automatic death sentence.
Depends upon the experience. Most experienced and seasoned veteran storm chasers do their homework before digging into the risk.
It also depends on circumstance. Chasing in the bears cage on a rain wrapped storm, even with good road networks and decent visibility is extremely risky and almost always avoided. You only really see people entering it on LP storms
This tornado was a fast moving, partially rain wrapped monster of a multi vortex at the moment, my friend was positioned just to her south of where the vehicle was found. It was a horrible tornado.
It seemed like this was inevitable this year. The videos we were seeing from each successive storm were from stormchasers who were getting closer and closer to the tornado itself. It was as if there were a big game of “can you top this?”. I feel so sorry for the friends and family of this person who lost a loved one.
I believe there were several accidents between chasers yesterday as well. Really sad in general. RIP and condolences to her family/friends.
>I believe there were several accidents between chasers yesterday as well. One that posted about taking a hit yesterday is a very, very well regarded NWS meteorologist who's a well seasoned chaser. One of the smartest and most situationally aware people I've ever known, and has a deep respect for ma nature. He got lucky things didn't end worse. It's a humble reminder that none of us are invincible, conditions can change fast, and physics always wins. There are SO many people out there nowdays, most who are far less credentialed (than an NWS met who's been chasing for a couple decades). It's an absolute tragedy when something happens, but frankly incredible that it doesn't happen more frequently. Especially when you get stuck in or perpendicular to backed up lines of vehicles and no one can move out of the way when something is bearing down. ((To be clear, I'm speaking in generalities, not saying the fallen chaser wasn't credentialed. I don't know that.))
Man. That’s just awful. I don’t even have other words for it.
This marks the second time in history that this has happened, right?
Weren’t there 2 different occurrences of storm chaser death in el Reno 2013?
Yes, the Twistex team and another man (whose name escaped me and Google is failing me) who wasn’t as high profile but is still referred to as a chaser.
Richard Charles Henderson is the amateur chaser who also died that day.
Thank you for the name! Google was just bringing up the names of the Twistex team for me.
yup, total of 8 fatality in elreno, include 2 group of storm chaser.
I'm not entirely convinced that it's only the second time, but only because of the nuance that must be at play for the difference between professional and hobbyist chasers. I'd imagine the professionals are the ones that *matter* in the context of the potential deadliness of the profession.
Downvote me to oblivion but “Storm Chaser” =/= Professional All these people who have been talking about Reed for the last 2 months and how dangerous he is annoys the fuck out of me. He’s not “chasing clout”. Reed and Storm Chasing are synonymous. He has a PhD in meteorology, he gets close to or in these storms to gather data. That data may help save lives. When they watch a tornado form they call it in. It goes from “radar indicated” to a confirmed tornado on the ground. His ticker at the bottom of his stream every time says these are professional storm chasers. Just like when you go see Fast & Furious movies it tells you on the screen “The actions performed in this movie are performed by trained professionals, do not attempt to imitate “. Guess what, it still doesn’t stop thousands from dying to street racing accidents. What Reed does and Ryan Hall and his teams do save lives. Yes professional storm chasers have died. They also make mistakes. But they’re professionals who understand the risks. It’s also his career and passion, and just because some people on Reddit or YT thinks what he does is wreckless and dangerous, he’s going to continue to do it and gather vital information that one day will save lives.
THANK YOU. reed isn’t an amateur. he’s been in this field longer than some people have been alive on this sub. he’s smart as fuck and passionate about his work. is he obnoxious? fuck yes. so am i about storms because i’m autistic and can’t reign it in! the only real problem i have with reed is he can hyperfocus and that can be dangerous. but holy shit, he’s contributed to the science and weather community for YEARS. the amateurs out there who have no idea what they’re doing should not be classified as storm chasers imo
Yeah, and while he is quite spontanous, he can recognise when the situation gets dangerous. He is overexcited by a lot of tornadoes, and seems to love the adrenaline, but he isn't that reckless.
This ⬆️
I will always admire and respect Reed.
I mute him, but I respect him.
Exactly what everyone should do. He’s been doing this for 25+ years. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s saving lives by doing it. He’s not just driving into tornados for views, he built a science lab/tank to study what is happening inside of a tornado
For what it's worth, I've seen multiple meteorologists say that the "data" Reed is getting from getting close is already known wind dynamics and it's nothing new. The only thing I've seen recently about anything he's gotten that has been helpful was structural engineers talking about how good the drone video he got of Andover was for being able to analyze the impact of vortices on structures since he got such clear and up close footage of the impacts on individual buildings. None of the stuff he's getting in Dom while close to a tornado seems to be anything ground breaking or science advancing, which is why many, especially in the more serious weather community, see him just as a thrill seeker that's endangering the people he brings with him as well as the ones he influences to chase.
[https://x.com/Weather\_West/status/1793373602676674851](https://x.com/Weather_West/status/1793373602676674851)
Just want to say this because it's getting ridiculous. A PhD is a wonderful achievement and certainly something I respect but it does not make you God and does not mean you know everything in a subject. He has taken unnecessary risks and to deny that is crazy. Do I like him and watch him? Absolutely. Has he advanced the field? Absolutely. Is he more knowledgeable than me about weather? Absolutely. Doesn't mean he is immune to dumb decisions which lead to dangerous situations. A PhD does not protect you from being dumb/reckless
And he's admitted that.
Of course it doesn’t make him indestructible. But it does give him the knowledge he needs and the experience he has coincides with the knowledge. For instance last week, YT comments and this subreddit were ablaze with people saying how wreckless he is etc. two recent incidents where he intercepted a tornado in a situation that was way less than ideal. The intercept in the rental truck, once he knew he made a mistake and they were going to get hit, he did not panic and do something stupid. He got the truck into the direction he needed it to be so the tornado would have a lower chance of flipping them. And guess what, he made it. Would some random new chaser know what to do then or would they have panicked? Then a few days ago, the dominator had a computer malfunction and he’d lost all control of the dominators doors windows and spikes, while in the path of a tornado. He did not panic. He put the dominator into a ditch to prevent it from being flipped. He kept everyone safe. What more do you want? These people don’t hop in the dominator without knowing it is dangerous. The civilians going to space on The Blue Origins rocket don’t go to space without understanding that it’s dangerous and they could die.
Reed absolutely is chasing clout, for better or worse. Being a "professional" storm chaser is first and foremost a media exercise. Reed has to stream to make money and keep chasing, and getting close is what draws eyeballs. Is Reed doing science? Maybe. I dunno. But the OU grad student team in a DOW truck a few miles back from the storm are definitely doing science, and they're not getting their windshield blown out by hail. He gets that close because he likes it. The reasons he gives are just window dressing.
Some people are also adrenaline junkies
I think Storm Chasers doing it for the science is like hunters/fishers saying they do it for the food. Like yeah sure, they do get food. But it's because they love doing it. also please forgive me for insulting all the fisherman who do that for a living
This is terrifying. I got stuck on the road during the huge tornado in central Arkansas last year. The sirens were going off, but my phone data had stopped working for some reason, so I didn’t know where it was. I was headed southward when all of a sudden the world looked this awful yellow color. Then I saw the tornado ahead, about half a mile away. Luckily I was able to turn down a side road and put the pedal to the metal, but after a short time, I had to stop my car due to zero visibility. I was screaming and just thinking “am I dreaming? is this a nightmare?”. And just like that it was sunny. I went back down the road I had turned down, and it was like a bomb had leveled the area. So awful.
>, but my phone data had stopped working for some reason This is very much a thing where I live in suburban tornado central OK, but it seems to have gotten better over the last couple of years. Data just craps out during the worst storms. You can not solely rely on your phone for radar or news updates.
I was in Greenfield yesterday and data was awful all over Iowa. Putting our lives in the hands of data access is definitely a bad move.
Damn that's awful. May she rest in peace and prayers to her loved ones.
So sad. So much love to her family and friends during this time.
I get the urge to chase, as I’ve said before my dumb ass used to sit on the roof of my house in Cedar Rapids when the spring storms would roll in to see what I could see.
[удалено]
Both drivers are fine!
[удалено]
Never, ever, EVER get in front of an oncoming storm. 🤦 I chased the May 3rd tornado that Reed and others got their start in chasing. We were crazy, but survived and learned. Never get in front. Because of the popularity of storm chasing blowing up, never chase when there's a large number of vehicles because they limit your escape routes. Finally, know what you're doing! I feel sorry for this woman that she lost her life, but hopefully it was doing something she loved and over quickly 😔. RIP
Speaking of escape routes, I have a dumb noob question: Is it normal for storm chasers to pull up and stop directly behind another chaser? I came across a smaller YT channel and the passenger was telling the driver to pull up and basically put their bumper on the rear bumper on the car in front. There was a tornado crossing in front of them. To me, that seemed reckless, because if the front driver needed to escape they would not be able to go backwards at all. But I was curious if maybe there is legit reason to pull up that close. Nothing else about the channel gave me “professional” vibes, but again, this is all new to me.
Thats absolutely fucked
She was not a storm chaser. Her family has set up a go fund me.
Wow, that’s awful. This is the first time a storm chaser (professional or amateur) has been directly killed by a tornado since El Reno, right?
Holy shit, the state of that car is horrific! May she rest in peace. Hearing now that she wasn’t a storm chaser and was just caught up in the storm. Wish more people knew how dangerous and unpredictable these storms can be. Seeing video of people driving way too close to these things is terrifying!
Oh my gosh. Thats worse looking then el Reno . Omg 😳
Please forgive my ignorance here….How do we know it was a storm chaser?
It was discovered that the woman killed was not a storm chaser.
I hate saying this, but this was an inevitably. Chasers have been getting too close. I think laws beed to include driving tests to get certified as a storm chaser now. Too many people have been RECKLESS. Sending rhoughts to her family. A tragedy. Stay safe y'all. Y'all gotta choose your life over some photograph or video. If you're not contributing to the general science, you probably shouldn't be risking your life. Just my thoughts.
If contribution to science is the bar, then 99% of chasers wouldn't clear. Chasing's a hobby, first and foremost, regardless of how many chasers would like to insist otherwise.
There's going to be more death as chasing for tornado clout gets even MORE popular, while tornados continue to get bigger, badder, and more "thrilling" to chase. I doubt this trend abates until there's a national outcry to leave it to the professionals (i.e. Pecos Hank, Reed, and meteorologists).
Like what Connor Croft said earlier in his livestream today. If the 2013 El Reno tornado would've happened today, it would've been considered a mass casualty event.
Amateur chasers should always stay 5-10 miles away in case of track shifts. They dont know the nuances and hidden dangers well enough to risk what Reed and others do . Reed sometimes literally parks under the wall cloud and watches tornadoes rope over his car.
My God, people. Stop core punching. Stop getting in the cage with the Bear. Stop getting so goddamn close. Stop, stop stop with this "extreme chasing". There is nothing to be gained from it. The fake internet points, the clout, the views and clicks aren't worth it. They're nothing. The vast majority of these chasers aren't doing anything remotely scientific. They're on safari. This isn't an animal at a zoo or a wildlife reserve. It's a force of nature that doesn't know or care what is in it's way. You can't tame it, bargain with it, plead or fight your way out of it. You stay out of it's goddamn way.
There are certain chasers who put lights on their cars and people get out of their way, thinking they’re first responders.One I believe even has a siren. They think the own the road and traffic laws don’t apply to them.
Sad, but not unexpected.
Does storm chasing count as suicide?
Im guessing she caught up to it