Was El Reno a giant tornado populated with powerful subvortices? Nooooooooooo!!! Same is true for Safety officials and storm chasers and officil spotters doing their jobs. With better data, we could get better forecasts of Southern Hemisphere storms. Even if we could predict hours in advance that the storms would hit a particular county (and as you correctly point out, this is not true--there may be several distinct tornadoes in a single outbreak, so it's quite possible that Oklahoma City and Enid could both be hit the same day), this would not help in a major metro area like Oklahoma City. Nine were confirmed dead in the Oklahoma City area on Friday evening, though the death toll has since risen, and flash floods in Arkansas caused additional fatalities, including a sheriff trying to rescue people from rising waters. From the Texas border to near Joplin, Mo., residents were told to keep an eye to the sky and an ear out for sirens. What was that point that I missed? Sometimes accidents happen. Tim Samaras of Storm Chasers 5 7 (1.70 m) Born November 12, 1957 Lakewood, Colorado, USA Died May 31, 2013 El Reno, Oklahoma, USA (tornado) Spouse Kathy Samaras? We need sensors in place, in advance of the storms. Here's a new law we can make: Whenever there is an emotional tragedy, no laws related to it can be made for at least 5 years. Tim Samaras was a pioneer and great man," he wrote. - May 31, 2013 (his death) Other works book: "Tornado Hunter: Getting Inside the Most Violent Storms on Earth". Thus the bigger the projectile you will make, the worse the fine. Pre-school teacher, 29, who lost one of her legs in Boston TIM SAMARAS: THE VALUABLE LEGACY OF A STORM CHASER, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' This is not an especially enforceable regulation but having such a thing on the books would probably encourage amateur storm chasers to think twice about putting others in danger by contributing to blocked roads. I was in the northern part of the metro and we were nervous because most tornadoes through here track NE eventually. That's two more vehicles going into the danger zone. You are absolutely right, that this tornado was a particularly monstrous one. Early aerial images of the storm's damage showed groups of homes with porches ripped away, roofs torn off and piles of splintered wood scattered across the ground for blocks. I doubt that the new law would save lives. A National Geographic team has made the first ascent of the remote Mount Michael, looking for a lava lake in the volcanos crater. I've literally sat bumper to bumper with chasers on a five mile strech of road. But before their stalking of the dangerous vortex turned deadly, their cries could be heard by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Betsy Randolph. When the storm passed between El Reno and Yukon, it barreled right down Interstate 40 for more than two miles, ripping billboards down to twisted metal frames. Three veteran storm chasers were among the 10 people killed following Friday's EF3 tornado in El Reno, Okla. They eventually revised this policy I'm assuming based on what has happened to folks in their stores during a bad storm. A man's body was found about 1 p.m. on Saturday in a creek just east of Dobbs Road in Harrah, said Mark Myers, a spokesman with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's office. Greg is definitely right about the distinction between researchers who need to be close to the storm to do their research (people like Samaras) and people who are doing it just for fun. When the amateur storm chasers descend upon the same area they create a real hazard for the professionals by blocking escape routes. A new law or regulation merely needs to specify that tornado-related disasters that have not happened yet (because the tornado hasnt formed or has not yet arrived) can be considered in this public safety action. They did not discuss the details but I would suspect you would want a helmet that comes down to the jaw line, which sort of eliminates a lot of bicycle helmets, although likely the bike helmet is better than a bare head. I assume those are passed to make legislators feel good about their jobs. All rights reserved. I do find it sad that that few if any of your statements regarding how the Twistex team was killed was accurate. The kitchen windows blew in and Pa slid across the kitchen floor and we hid down under the stairs! The forecast quality will always be better than for small-scale phenomena like tornadoes. Rather, they are jamming roads in the very places where a traffic jam can be deadly if a tornado happens to pass over the gaggle of cars stuck in place. "Tim was a courageous and brilliant scientist who fearlessly pursued tornadoes and lightning in the field in an effort to better understand these phenomena," the society said on its website. Note the comments that 22% of the fatalities at Tuscalousa were head injuries and in general a majority of tornado fatalities where head injuries. I've always been told never to try and outrun a tornado, it is one of the most dangerous things you can do. I have not suggested that storm chasing be illegal. The breathtakingly fast subvortex -- the tornado within a tornado -- is visible to the south in footage captured by fellow chaser Dan Robinson's rear dashboard cameras as he fled several hundred yards ahead of Samaras. Public safety officials have the right and responsibility to restrict access to Main Street and areas nearby in order to save lives and property. One might argue that if someone wants to drive their car into the path of a tornado they should be allowed to do so because it is a free country. Any house would have been completely swept clean on the foundation. I hold a degree in atmospheric and oceanic sciences. We MUST conserve every bit of helium that we can get our hands on. One of the first rules you hear about what to do in a tornado is "Do not try to outrun it." Were looking at extremes in the rare EF5 category. We are still burying children and victims, so our emotions are still strong,' he added. That was the sound of nuance rushing by your libertarian ear. state by state the possibility that some kind of adjustment must remain open. Apply that technology to license plates instead of faces. Large, long-lasting thunderstorms known as supercells are responsible for producing the strongest tornadoes, along with large hail and other dangerous winds. Take note at 3:09 - that's the edge of the tornado visible in the right side of the frame as it grows to nearly 2.6 miles across - the largest ever recorded. ScienceBlogs is a registered trademark of Science 2.0, a science media nonprofit operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is probably true that Samaras abandoned attempts at dropping probes more often then strictly necessary, cautiously avoiding rain-wrapped tornadoes where they would not have been able to see where the tornado was, in order to be extra safe. Sheriff Cody Carpenter and a wildlife officer had been checking on houses that were in danger of being flooded. These things will always be unpredicable and its good to hid under the basement steps! Photograph by Carsten Peter, National Geographic. Oklahoma City has a similar population level to Cairns and Brisbane. The storm was headed toward Oklahoma City, which has more than a million people in the metro area. Rather, his team would predict the path and drop machines on the ground designed to directly measure variables such as temperature, humidity, wind and so on, but with the team and their vehicles getting out of the way before the tornado comes. Long-time friend of Tim Samaras, meteorologist Mike Nelson, told the Denver Channel: 'I have known Tim for over 20 years, he was the most brilliant and most careful severe weather researcher of them all. His video consisted of really high quality camera work of weather and the focus wasn't on him. In this country, if a cyclone alert is issued, all roads are closed. The officers had to contend with hail and strong winds as they worked to help motorists. This story has been shared 160,448 times. 'Everyone acted differently in this storm, and as a result, it created an extremely dangerous situation,' said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. Also we MUST push for adqueate shelters. In a tribute, Mr Samaras' brother Jim wrote on Facebook: 'Thank you to everyone for the condolences. It is fairly safe to say, that Mr. Samaras, his son, and Mr. Carl Young, sustained injuries when the sub-vortex of the El Reno storm directly impacted their vehicle on Reuters Road, west of the intersection with Radio Road. They need to better forecast for a chaser convergence and prepare to block roads. I think it's an abomination that news forecasters suggested people drive away that temporally close to a suspected tornado touchdown. Tim Samaras was found inside his car with his seat belt still on. Humans enjoy challenges that involve risk and admire those who "cheat death". On Tuesday, Storm Chasers star Joel Taylor died at 38. The KFOR anchor should have said "if you are in your vehicle (head south). 'Our hearts also go out to the Carl Young family as well as they are feeling the same feelings we are today. Just then the power went out and I heard what sounded like a freight train. Of the 60 EF5 tornadoes to hit since 1950, Oklahoma and Alabama have been hit the most - seven times each. In some but not all cases, this advice was qualified; If you know several hours in advance that there is a high probability that a tornado will come through your area, then it is a good idea to just go away and be somewhere else. Privacy statement. For those suggesting regulation on storm chasing. When the winds were at their most powerful, no structures were nearby, said Rick Smith, chief warning coordination meteorologist for the weather services office in Norman. Education may help, but first we need to educate Meteorologists in the media, the brilliant minds out there need to come up with a set of definitive standards on what to do and what not to do and hold the TV weather accountable, develop an educational program for the public, but most of all give people a place to go, public shelters or something for safety, if people have a shelter they more than likely wont get in their car in the first place. Hail and heavy rain pelted the metro area to the point that emergency workers had trouble responding to 'widespread' reports of injuries. And what of its width? Or, amateurs could get to a good viewing area well ahead of anticipated severe weather, and then stay put and off the road. The comments below have not been moderated. National Geographic explorer and storm chaser Tim Samaras devoted his life to unlocking the mysteries of extreme weather. It was NOT caused by a traffic jam. Tim Samarass strategy was never to get into the direct path of a tornado. An image taken from video shows the vehicle that longtime storm chaser Tim Samaras, his son Paul and colleague Carl Young were killed when a powerful tornado hit near El Reno, Okla. on May 31. Of those areas mentioned in this quote, Downtown OK city has about 7,600 people living in it. But yes, I agree that people deliberately in the wrong place at the wrong time should be penalized. His website Twistex has been integral to understanding how tornadoes work and improving warning times for those living in Tornado Alley. The other, which according to professional storm chasers is a problem, is the increased number of people crowding roads (including but by no means limited to) highways in or near the paths of storms. He knew what to look for. Later analysis of the situation indicates that there was indeed a traffic jam enhanced risk for several storm chasers, caused by the ill advised comments from local media (as described below) but that this happened after Samaras and his crew were killed, in a different location, and that this happened to not cause any deaths. Samaras submitted this footage to National Geographic in the weeks leading up to his death,. #2. the storm went from a mile wide wedge to a 2.6 mile record breaking monster in an extremely rapid time, usually people 1 mile away from the storm would be safe or even 2 miles away but in this case it dropped on people 2 miles away, more so i don't believe it was a traffic jam as opposed to the rapid size increase and the sudden change in course. A mans world? Tim shared data and results. In Missouri three people died in three counties after rivers rose to dangerous levels, and in Arkansas a sheriff was killed by flooding in Scott County on Friday. If you want to make this about Tim Samaras, how about you contact his family, colleagues, or friends and ask them what he would have wanted. I will not comment at all in regardess to the death of Tim, Carl, or Paul, as they were close personal friends of mine and I am not reading to speak on that subject currently. It would have been a major problem. But, the idea of outrunning instead of staying home was on people's minds because of things that had been said earlier in various media. On May 13, 2012 Norman PD blocked off roads and literally put me in the path of the tornado. All rights reserved. This report indicates he's more right than he could have known. For example, most storm chasers are individuals or small teams, and they benefit with direct contacts with actual tornadoes, and often fund their work this way as they sell their video to news outlets. A tornado could hit Oklahoma City, or it could hit Enid. I could not agree more with the statement in this article saying that driving away is not the best option. What do you think? You can also shop using Amazon Smile and though you pay nothing more we get a tiny something. They never follow the same track. To me the real imperative is to get a tornado shelter in most homes and businesses and educate the general public about what to do and what not to do. But that brings in another issue doesn't it? Del City has 21,000 people in it. The scene was eerily like that from last week, when blackened skies generated a top-of-the-scale EF5 storm with 210 mph winds. Television cameras showed debris falling from the sky west of Oklahoma City and power transformers being knocked out by high winds across a wider area. Or was it a rotating thunderstorm (a supercell) with small- to moderate-sized tornadoes swirling about one another? There are some similarities to people doing volcano research, in that people doing it know they have a high risk of death if they happen to be on duty when the eruption occurs. I've had grown adults that have lived in Oklahoma their entire lives ask me what the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning is. See also: The Last Ride of Legendary Storm Chaser Tim Samaras). I dont think the scientists who died in this storm would agree with you on that. Since this post went live Jeff posted about another storm chaser, an amateur, who was killed in this tornado. 'Somebody driving along really not familiar with what's going on can basically drive into it.'. This, in turn, would require storm chasers to make their case that they are professionals that are doing something worthwhile, and that they take appropriate action related to their own safety and the safety of others. ', Danger: A series of violent storms and tornadoes have killed nine people as they swept through Oklahoma City and its suburbs on Friday, Damage: People survey the damage at the Canadian Valley Technology Center's El Reno Campus after it was hit by a powerful tornado on Friday, Crash: An airplane from the Aviation Technology department lies upside down on the lawn at Canadian Valley Technology Center in El Reno. Eye of the storm: Tornado researcher Tim Samaras monitors the radar (left). Video taken by a number of storm chasers showed debris pelting vehiclesFriday. Enough said. I remember my wife telling me a few years ago about her retail stores tornado policy which was contrary to everything I knew about safety during a storm. On one hand, there's a robust set of predictions for what the behavioral motion of these bodies ought to be, while on the other there's what we actually observe. Today three brave, highly experienced, storm chasers were honored in El Reno. Belongings: A woman finds personal photos for a neighbor from the remains of her home destroyed by violent thunderstorms across the Midwest, Ruins: People walk near cars and trees damaged by a tornado at the Canadian Valley Technology Center in El Reno, Oklahoma on Saturday morning. Also my brother was forced to move to Oklahoma for a job just last week only days after the tornado in this article struck Oklahoma city. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. 1:50PM. They are pictured along with fellow storm chaser Tony Laubach, Avid explorer: Emotional tributes have been made to scientist and storm chaser Tim Samaras, who died doing what he loved, friends said, Destroyed: The Chevrolet Cobalt, pictured, driven by Tim Samaras was thrown half a mile in the terrifying storm, Tragic: Tim Samaras was found dead inside the car, pictured, while the other storm chasers' bodies were discovered half a mile in either direction. Looking at where he was, I don't think evacuation traffic would have had much of an impact, if any. The fact of the matter is, you just never know where they're going to hit. Friday night's storm formed out on the prairie west of Oklahoma City, giving residents plenty of advance notice. To make this point, here are photographs from major media of a handful of examples of cars that got hit with the vortex, most but not all from this latest tornado: I admit that a flattened house may look pretty bad, may even look worse than a mushed up car, but generally speaking the interior lower floor room in a house that is badly messed up by a tornado is a survivable shelter, while there is no such shelter in your car. So, I think this particular weather caster did come up short in his responsibilities to provide good safety information but I'm not sure that his comments in and of themselves constituted explicit instructions to leave one's house, get in a car, and drive. The . I havent seen any good arguments yet that storm chasers and others on the road during a tornado are posing a danger to anyone but themselves. In the freezer some people were freaking out and crying, while some comforted others and few told jokes, revealed Beverly Allam, 57. Now that would be an effective law. I realize you say in general terms such laws probably aren't enforceable and my question is then why make the laws? Good day to you sir. Academic Postmortem of Tornado that Killed Tim Samaras Is Chilling Brantley Hargrove October 1, 2013 1:50PM The American Meteorological Society has released a preliminary version of its. Now they've got cameras that take a picture showing the red light, showing your car going through the red light, and showing the license plate on your car going through the red light. It would have taken out everything. Tens of thousands were without power, and only eight minor injuries were reported. 'They had no place to go, and that's always a bad thing. All rights reserved. That area might include three or four of the several states that make up Tornado Alley. However, within that area, the exact location of a killer tornado isnt predictable at the scale of several hours. #1. the storms path was extremely erratic and it made a sudden turn that surprised even veteran forecasters. It is emotional to posit "people died, let's make a law" without really identifying a true cause. People who chase storms need to back off a little bit. As for the accuracy of the cause of death of the Twistex team, I report here what was said at the time. The apparent fact that individuals don't take on the personal responsibility of doing the sensible thing is a tragedy. Please be respectful of copyright. Even if the people who are at risk of vehicular projectiles are innocent bystanders, chances are they're at more risk from the tornado than the cars in them. The weather service initially rated the Friday tornado that hit El Reno as an EF3. However, the men's deaths have shone a spotlight on the dangers of storm chasing.
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