1) "Three experienced tornado chasers actual meteorological scientists were killed when their truck (one of the vehicles depicted above, probably) was destroyed by the tornado." In the freezer some people were freaking out and crying, while some comforted others and few told jokes, revealed Beverly Allam, 57. The update from the National Weather Service means the Oklahoma City area has seen two of the extremely rare EF5 tornadoes in only 11 days. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. 'Tim was not a cowboy, he was as cautious as possible about his approach to studying these dangerous storms.'. North Atlantic hurricanes sometimes do unexpected things as well, such as acquire a forward speed of nearly 100 km/h (the 1938 "Long Island Express" hurricane) or cross Florida twice (I'm forgetting which of the hurricanes in the last ten years did this). It would have taken out everything. This is not about them, it is about their death, which at the time it happened, was claimed to have been caused by a traffic jam caused, in turn, by thrill seekers jamming the roads, and thrill seekers jamming the roads is a thing that happens. 'I'm wondering if the tornadoes from a couple of weeks ago didn't frighten people so badly that this time they were taking no chances and trying to evade it by car,' said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. 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. Samaras, his son Paul, and colleague Carl Young died in late May in El Reno, Okla. while chasing an EF5 (winds above 200 miles per hour) tornado, which was later estimated to the be the widest . Flash floods: Two pickup trucks are pictured stuck in high water along NW 23rd Street in El Reno. 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. A two-and-a-half mile wide tornado would not look like a tornado to a lot of people, Smith said. His pioneering work has made it easier to warn people about tornadoes. I think the only way to deal with these weeks-long tornado outbreaks is to build high-quality shelters in every community and make sure people know where they are. 'They were screaming, "We're going to die, we're going to die,"' she recalled to USA Today. 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. The roads need to be kept open and clear for the REAL scientists out there gathering data and for the safety folks to do their job. I think this tornado did some stuff we didn't expect. That's really all I have to say on that issue. The men spent years capturing and sharing storm videos with TV viewers and weather researchers. Samaras, 55, his son Paul, 24, and Young, 45, were all killed while trying to document and research the storm. There was just no place to go. Photograph by Carsten Peter, National Geographic. Flash flooding accounted for some of the deaths, such as that of a 65-year-old man who died on Saturday when his car drove off a damaged bridge in eastern Oklahoma County. The unqualified version of that advice is If there is a tornado coming your way now, get in your car and drive away fast. That is also bad advice. But that brings in another issue doesn't it? I've been in a tornado, when I was six! Long story short, I and many others took cover in the hotel bathroom as the tornado headed straight toward us (to hit at 7:05). (MORE: Tornado Hunt Team Takes Direct Hit by Tornado). The KFOR anchor should have said "if you are in your vehicle (head south). NBC News reported that the passengers were herded to the basement and told to put their hands on their heads as they waited out the storm. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. 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. I was in the northern part of the metro and we were nervous because most tornadoes through here track NE eventually. Big blue trash cans were being tossed around like a piece of paper in the wind. A Carrollton High School Claims Employee Gave Student Prescription Drugs, Rep. Nate Schatzline, Under Fire for 'Drag' Video, Accused of 'Doxxing' Keller ISD Mom, Another Carrollton Fentanyl Arrest and an On-Campus Overdose at R.L. Your freedom ends at my nose if your presence endangers me. I don't think the scientists who died in this storm would agree with you on that. These skeletons may have the answer, Scientists are making advancements in birth controlfor men, Blood cleaning? "We're trying to collect as many observations as possible, both from outside and from the inside. The one thing in your article I see that you failed to address is the number of chasers in the past that have been killed by the storm while chasing them. Bats and agaves make tequila possibleand theyre both at risk, This empress was the most dangerous woman in Rome. But that. These animals can sniff it out. I decided to let the comments speak for themselves, because, after all, this post was written three or four days after the event, and the comments reflect more recently available information and analysis. In fact, one could argue that a new law is not needed and this power is already available to police and emergency response agencies. I am hereby referring you and all readers to the comments. (KFOR TV). Drivers were encouraged to stay off the roads on Saturday, as emergency crews started to repair the flood-damaged roads and bridges, and began clearing trees and other debris from roadways to make it easier for first responders to get to the areas hit by the tornadoes. Would one less car have been on that particular road had your proposed law been in place? The Oklahoma City metro district has about 1.3 million people. Samaras was killed along with his son Paul and storm chaser Carl Young in Friday's tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma. You have to sensor the state. Not sure what happened with Tim. 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. El Reno Mayor Matt White said that while his city of 18,000 residents suffered significant damage including its vocational-technical center and a cattle stockyard that was reduced to a pile of twisted metal he said it could have been much worse had the violent twister tracked to the north. Oklahoma County sheriff's office has identified the victim as James Talbert, according to NewsOk. When told to seek shelter, many ventured out and snarled traffic across the metro area - perhaps remembering the damage from May 20. In 2012, storm chaser Andy Gabrielson died while driving home from a chase when a wrong-way driver struck his vehicle on Interstate 44 in Sapulpa, Okla. 'What got me scared was being stuck in traffic with sirens going off,' she said. That was the sound of nuance rushing by your libertarian ear. In a separate incident, Brandon Sullivan and Brett Wright captured heart stopping footage of their exploits getting too close to the powerful twister near Union City, in southwest Oklahoma City. ", In reply to by Danny Caputi (not verified). 'He was either washed off the road or tried to get out of his car. I assume those are passed to make legislators feel good about their jobs. It's a valuable industrial & research gas. Tim Samaras, his son Paul and colleague Carl Young died Friday night when an EF3 tornado with winds up to 165 mph turned on them near El Reno, Okla. After years of sharing dramatic videos with television viewers and weather researchers, they died chasing a storm that killed 13 in Oklahoma City and its suburbs. It gets logistically harder to do this if the affected area includes Cairns or Brisbane, because if you are evacuating people from low-lying areas you have to leave the roads open long enough for them to get out. More than 200,000 were left without power in the impacted areas. Also, hurricanes tend to follow predictable paths and show up on sattelite. Its very scary I dont think a normal person can fathom just how scary. And, how exactly is an officer supposed to know the area to keep any car (stormchaser or not) out of? Photographed with a wide angle lens, the mile-wide tornado, is seen near El Reno, Jack-knifed: Traffic slowly moves around a semi tractor-trailer that was blown off the highway by the tornado on Oklahoma Interstate-40, Stranded: Vehicles trapped by flash flooding sit underneath on the road in Oklahoma City after severe thunderstorms brought tornadoes, high winds, heavy rain and hail to the area. Probably many thing contributed to what happened. The comments below have not been moderated. Oklahoma City has a similar population level to Cairns and Brisbane. Most new laws seem to be rehashes of existing laws that can be adapted. Unless you wish to legislate God, I recommend you rethink your proposal. Good day to you sir. It is emotional to posit "people died, let's make a law" without really identifying a true cause. All rights reserved. I hope that newscasters are better informed about the advice they should give and that this tragedy is never repeated. Hard to know what to do. Smith said the storms 2.6-mile path besting a record set in 2004 in Hallam, Neb. Keith: I know, I hate words! I've literally sat bumper to bumper with chasers on a five mile strech of road. Standing water was several feet deep, and in some places it looked more like a hurricane had passed through than a tornado. This one didn't. It's just news. Though the tornadoes were not as strong as the EF-5 twister that killed 24 on May 20, fear drove many people to attempt to flee the area in their cars only to get caught up in heavy rains and flash flooding. So in a free country, it is possible to do as you suggest. Hoadley has been in the business for 57 years and pursued the El Reno twister. Public safety workers already enjoy wide latitude in the execution of their jobs. This storm changed track. Since I wrote this post, I've received many emails telling me that the premise is wrong, that traffic from too many storm chases did not contribute to the death of Samaras and others. The deaths of Mr. Samaras, his son, and Mr. Young had absolutely nothing to do with the horrendous traffic affecting other parts of Oklahoma on May 31. Tens of thousands were without power, and only eight minor injuries were reported. I have suggested that such a thing should be worth, at least, a parking ticket. One of the first rules you hear about what to do in a tornado is "Do not try to outrun it." I dont think the scientists who died in this storm would agree with you on that. Storm chaser Tim Samaras observes a blackening sky in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. Three veteran storm chasers were among the 10 people killed following Friday's EF3 tornado in El Reno, Okla. People who chase storms need to back off a little bit. Video taken by a number of storm chasers showed debris pelting vehiclesFriday. They all unfortunately passed away but doing what they LOVED. When does spring start? @Hamish: One reason that can work in Australia is because most of the region that is vulnerable to tropical cyclones (a hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 64 kts/74 mph/118 km/h) is sparsely populated. #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. 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. Invoking the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, a federal conspiracy law devised to ensnare mobsters, the suit accuses the organizations, as well as several green campaigners. We all see our own causes as noble don't we? I've had several police hop in my car to look at radar and ask for opinions while chasing because they are not equipt with it. Carl Young, Timothy Samaras and his . I've also suggested that traffic jams which could be caused by either of these effects can trap people where they don't want to be and that is dangerous to those in the vehicles. Tornado watches tend to cover a larger area, and the lead time is much shorter. Furthermore only a tiny handful of "trained" spotters have ever been killed either and the only two I know of was back in 2011 on a single tornado. I also agree that people should not be allowed to drive through tornadoes for the safety of others, however if people were not allowed to escape I believe that more shelters should be provided for individuals in the path of the storm. Samaras shows probes he uses to measure. If you must call out Mike Morgan, then you must also call out Marc Dillard and Reed Timmer from KFOR for also suggesting people drive south. Damage from Friday night's severe weather was concentrated a few miles north of Moore, the Oklahoma City suburb pounded by an EF5 tornado on May 20 that killed 24 people. Note the story of the HS football team that was viewing videos when the storm approached and the coach said put on your helmet. For example, a highly irresponsible storm chaser endangers an innocent bystander, then that danger comes to fruition. Vented to the atmosphere, it eventually makes its way to the exosphere and is light enough to escape to space. One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. Most of the difference in predictability of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic and the waters around Australia is that the North Atlantic has both a longer climatology base and a higher density of surface observations. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? We have many many laws that are more or less unenforceable. Storm chasers being killed by storms isn't even a problem. But telling everyone to leave their homes and drive is not advised, if that is actually what the newscaster did. The spot a few yards off Reuter Road where the body of Tim Samaras was found inside the crushed vehicle (his son. Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. There was no place to hide.'. Pay attention to what he says. A tornado could hit Oklahoma City, or it could hit Enid. The elder Samaras' body was still belted into their Chevrolet Cobalt, which was found on an unimproved county road parallel to Interstate 40. Sometimes accidents happen. But what I would really like to ask is this. The debris field created by Samaras' wrecked car, the report concludes, corroborates the footage, which shows the subvortex moving across the face of the larger tornado at about the time Samaras' headlights disappear. 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. 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. They should not drive where they will not be able to pull over safely to allow emergency traffic and other traffic to flow. Actually there were other comments that could even make an above ground room safer. And for several minutes you car is shoved around on the surface like you were a puck in a game of air hockey, with the car slamming into other cars and other cars slamming into you, and each car being turned over now and then. The morning after: Wilburn Shaw looks for personal items in the remains of his kitchen the morning after Friday night's storm that passed through St. Charles, Mo, Power outages: Tornado-damaged power lines hang separated from its pole after tornadoes that swept through central Oklahoma on Friday, Shattered dreams: A couple in St. Charles embrace as they look over their destroyed home after a violent burst of thunderstorms and tornadoes swept across the Midwest, Together: A mother holds her three children after fans at the Barons game were evacuated to the parking garage under the Cox Convention Center due to severe storms in Oklahoma City on Friday. Emergency officials reported numerous injuries in the area along I-40, and Randolph said there were toppled and wrecked cars littering the area. October 31st 2015, 7:11 PM PDT. Chaser traffic, maybe. Then he yelled "get your ass back down there, boy!" I've heard horror stories about the attempt to partially evacuate Houston in advance of Hurricane Ike. Note the comments that 22% of the fatalities at Tuscalousa were head injuries and in general a majority of tornado fatalities where head injuries. 'We're never going to know, because they're not here to tell us,' Mr West told The Post. >>> They were in a car, not a truck. National Geographic explorer and storm chaser Tim Samaras devoted his life to unlocking the mysteries of extreme weather. 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. Yes, they died, but there is ZERO evidence this law, if passed, would have prevented even one of them. (MORE: Reaction from Dr. Jeff Masters of Weather Underground). Rather than wishing for the cops to block storm chasers from going to work or giving untrained hayseed sheriffs deputies the responsibility of predicting tornado behavior and rerouting traffic accordingly, maybe instead of getting stuck in traffic the next time an F5 rolls through town how's about using that time digging a nice cozy little family sized hole in their back yard and stocking it with a weather radio and a couple of 12 packs of whatever passes for beer in Oklahoma. Turner High School, Texas Bill Would Make Illegal Voting a Felony, City Council To Discuss Allowing Neighborhoods To 'Opt-In' for Short-Term Rentals in Dallas. 'The trees were leaning literally to the ground. The apparent fact that individuals don't take on the personal responsibility of doing the sensible thing is a tragedy. The article was entitled, disturbingly, Scientists, Give Up Your Emails. I refer you'all to this: http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/06/19/pilger_nebraska_torn, I think the only thing storm chasers should do is be apart of the new pioneering field of tornado disbursement, its a idea I had years back in the field of weather modification using scaled up drone quad copters to deliver large quantities of helium gas to new forming tornadoes. It airs at 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday. Watch: It is known to be BAD advice and they directly contributed to the deaths that occurred. According to Mr West, their vehicle looked ' like it had gone through a trash compactor' when it was found. Damage: An Oklahoma home destroyed, its roof partially torn off after the tornado rips through, Salvaging: Residents retrieve belongings from a home destroyed by the tornados that tore through central Oklahoma. Large, long-lasting thunderstorms known as supercells are responsible for producing the strongest tornadoes, along with large hail and other dangerous winds.
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