The mobs are ruining storm chasing

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

The mobs are ruining storm chasing

And they’re making it more dangerous than the tornadoes themselves.

By Matthew Cappucci May 21 at 11:13 AM

I had heard grumblings about the downsides to storm chasing for a long time: poor driving habits, traffic jams as cars converge near violent storms, and the dangers of rogue chasers and hobbyists. It had always been on my mind, but four years of venturing to the Plains had taught me it was just something with which I’d have to live. I always brushed it off as an unavoidable byproduct of chasing.

But Monday was different. I witnessed firsthand the practices that will drive me away from the sport I once loved with my entire being. The past week of storm chasing has been eye-opening. In just seven days, I’ve encountered:

• Chase vehicles parked perpendicular to roads blocking major intersections
• Multiple chasers with red/blue police lights “pulling over” others to clear their path to the storm; in 70 mph winds and egg-size hail and less than a mile from a tornado, this could have been deadly
• Traffic jams 200 cars deep
• Chasers parking on/in the road to take pictures, blocking traffic
• Chasers barreling down a one-lane road at 90 mph
• Chasers driving on the wrong side of the road

The dangers speak for themselves.

There’s a reason my biggest fear about storm chasing isn’t weather-related; it’s not the softball-size hail, it’s not hurricane-force winds, and it’s not even lightning or the tornado. It’s other chasers. On Monday, when a large tornado passed by Mangum, Okla., the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported just one injury, not from wind but “involving two vehicles with storm chasers.”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/05/21/mobs-are-ruining-storm-chasing/

[msongs]

1. well if the complainers would quit and stay home the mob would be smaller :-) nt

[dewsgirl]

2. I wonder how many storm chasers, the movie Twister spawned? I read an article years ago about this

subject and I am very curious about it. The movie holds a special place in my heart, my husband and I went to see it on our first date. We even have pics of us, with the blue van from the day the ride opened at Universal Studios.

[MuseRider]

3. That movie was based on a true story about Sam Samaras.

https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Man+Who+Caught+the+Storm:+The+Life+of+Legendary+Tornado+Chaser+Tim+Samaras&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAGVSvW4TQRjMRhiRdSKZsyIhQ2FZKEJRpPOeb892GgqUDgsJpz9l9369e7e-203W5wfgAXgEahqegQqXENEgUVAg8QaUxAneS5RyvplvZqTve9To7dmxjVCEyqJI8sx5ylOpuiLqSiXKrEuTM5nmcZcIweQKQDuz-16gWJyswO560yHZLHadK3jXqKazZM64gTm6SJb5f1gFGlHMxptlOnQJJcFtNeKLuPZa5APFNmri9TFTChuMM9f1tXGLkTsuZ2NUrxdzno9MGCZlsnAGG7o_YPoi1kZdLNmSGdadeXQYmyq67-GKm2jq-ZpgVNbFRzrxozoZj3Q1r9lqPJq7preOlO-ipTGTJUJaFr_AJWi2_vz92e6swPuPX76DzwC2XgshQ169DfmZCoNTYR3Ahye5SlVlPYN7nZ31hZwh8qMXW50mrKH1DsDmNFSnYiKCNKosbZ3DnUmYkbCUbyLrGMJXgvOQqlTk1hHc7zy2qRnY1w9wZdmG98e9I-fw6-8fnxrPYeN6cNOCKJ8ODh-0tp8ALL8dvDy-IXc_NNrT-8_1D9sEn-SLAgAA&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiS9uHzq63iAhUOT6wKHUwrApwQ-BYIMjAN&biw=1506&bih=706&dpr=1.25

It was loose with it's info and was not close to accurate about what Sam did but what they were doing, working inside storms to help all of us who have to deal with them, is what his life was all about.

Interesting book about an interesting guy.

P.S. I love the movie too and I am not at all certain why but I do.

[dewsgirl]

4. When you would be in line at Universal, Helen Hunt and

Bill Paxton did a special speaking about the movie and tornadoes and there were artifacts from the movie everywhere, it was awesome (unfortunately it closed last year). I probably literally have experienced the Twister ride it out attraction, at least 100 times and had no idea it was based in reality. Thank you, I love when I learn something that truly surprises me.

[MuseRider]

6. It is always so much fun

to have so many ties to something. I did that ride not long after it was built, the one you stand in? Anyway, I live in Kansas and am waiting for this afternoon to get busy here. Lived through a whole lot of them, seen some of them and watched an F5 tear through my town when I was 11. Rather than hating them I really enjoy the feelings of the pressure changes etc. that happen before they form, it does make you fee excited. Never wish for one but I sure can understand people wanting to be close and see them.

[dewsgirl]

8. To me that sounds absolutely terrifying....but extremely similar

to the feelings before a hurricane, I've experienced to many of them to count. There's like an electrical excitement in the air...mixed with a healthy dose of fear and worry.

[MuseRider]

9. Exactly the same.

Our sirens went off this afternoon, not for us so I was confused. The NOAA site is completely down now, before just the radar was down. I wrote them another letter. It is inexcusable to not be able to get radar during an outbreak of tornadoes. I counted 21 sightings around where I live this afternoon but was only able to find out about it by using Facebook for my local weather.

[Blue Owl]

5. A buncha Jim Cantore wanna-bes

n/t

[3Hotdogs]

7. The plan is simple. They'se gonna get the best video and sell it to Weather Channel

and be $50.00 richer.

[defacto7]

10. One of these days nature is going to look back at the

insignificant mob. Then there will be less chasers. Humans can only taunt nature so much before it shows us our insignificance. Unless of course we destroy ourselves first running around in our little toys that make us feel invincible; we are not.