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. Television images showed downed power lines and tossed cars as the storm systems dumped at least three inches of rain, stranding motorists in flood water. According to meteorologists about six to eight inches of rain fell in a 12 hour period between 7 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday. We all see our own causes as noble don't we? Hail and heavy rain pelted the metro area to the point that emergency workers had trouble responding to 'widespread' reports of injuries. So maybe take the time to authorize a few specialists that take recreational tours storm chasing, and keep the rest of them off of the roads. For those suggesting regulation on storm chasing. Storm chasing by amateurs needs to be outlawed. Unauthorized use is prohibited. That's why safety experts say you need a plan. It wasn't what I would consider a traffic jam under normal circumstances, but when you have a tornado coming straight at you those seconds are important. You can read the preliminary version here. state by state the possibility that some kind of adjustment must remain open. He knew what to look for. Yes, lets get the facts straight, which the comments below and the information added here help do. The bodies of another motorist and the Discovery Channel storm chasers, Tim Samaras, his son Paul, and Carl Young, were found in a three-mile diagonal path near N.W. Pete, Born: I think this is a difficult question. The authors conclude, "it is likely that no clear direction to safety was apparent.". Public safety workers already enjoy wide latitude in the execution of their jobs. Meteorologists had warned about particularly nasty weather Friday but said the storm's fury didn't match that of the tornado that struck Moore. The Life and Death of Legendary Storm Chaser Tim Samaras - D Magazine Was the chaser causing harm? Though the state's transportation authorities strongly advised citizens not to drive, some interstate highways in Oklahoma were jammed with stalled traffic, as heavy rains drenched roadways and flooded low-lying areas. This is a free country and public space is public. 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. I have suggested that such a thing should be worth, at least, a parking ticket. You argued that your car could become a dangerous projectile if you intentionally drive into a strong tornado, but so could cars in parking lots. So, that apparent fact was part of the underpinning of the original post (below). If you watch the Discovery Channels Storm Chasers show, you will notice that as the seasons progress the professional storm chasers encounter more and more traffic as they try to move to the predicted path of oncoming tornadoes to drop data collecting probes or carry out direct intercepts (where the specially modified vehicles equipped with data collection devices are directly hit with a tornado). A small tornado in Kansas, photographed during Tim Samaras's lightning expedition in August 2009. Most new laws seem to be rehashes of existing laws that can be adapted. The storm path could have gone many other directions. ISBN 978-1426203022 Did you know Edit #1. the storms path was extremely erratic and it made a sudden turn that surprised even veteran forecasters. Well before Oklahoma's first thunderstorms fired up at late afternoon, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman was already forecasting a violent evening. Laws are really challenging to enforce. Also we MUST push for adqueate shelters. The tornado was unpredictable. Tim Samaras, 55, along with his son, Paul Samaras, 24, and Carl Young, . Tim Samaras's Instagram, Twitter & Facebook on IDCrawl Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency. More than 210,000 customers lost electricity in the areas affected by the storm. Tim Samaras - News - IMDb The groundbreaking promise of cellular housekeeping. Discovery says it has been updated with 'Stormchasers' footage of the researchers. please note that I did not claim in my post what you claim I claimed. "Though we sometimes take it for granted, Tim's death is a stark reminder of the risks encountered regularly by the men and women who work for us.". Like diving into the bath tub with a mattress on top for cover. 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. Tim Samarass strategy was never to get into the direct path of a tornado. In fact, while writing this post I wondered what the three scientists were thinking as their car, and other cars, were hemmed in with a traffic jam that seems to have been caused by inappropriate reactions by a large number of people. Helium is a precious, non-renewable resource. At 6:23 p.m. on May 31, 2013, Samaras, his 24-year-old son Paul (a photographer), and TWISTEX team member Carl Young (a meteorologist), 45, were killed by a violent wedge tornado [19] with winds of 295 mph (475 km/h) near the Regional Airport of El Reno, Oklahoma. https://twitter.com/SenJeffMerkley/status/, While perusing the New York Times over the weekend, I was disturbed to see an article by Paul D. Thacker that basically advocated using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to request e-mails from scientists in search of undisclosed industry ties. 'Everyone acted differently in this storm, and as a result, it created an extremely dangerous situation,' said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. Christopher, I've heard from their own lips complaints by professional storm chasers about the looky-lous that clog up the roads, so probably both. So, lets go back to the advice again. On the one hand, researchers have to pay the bills somehow, and this is one way to do it. Following their passion: Storm chasers Tim Samaras (right), his son Paul Samaras (left) and Carl Young (second left) were killed on Friday by a tornado. Two other victims were found in a car in Union City, another was found on a road in El Reno. The comments below have not been moderated. I doubt that it would even have a measurable positive effect. This would make it so a chaser has to stop to render aid along his path. He designed, built, and deployed instrument probes to measure atmospheric variables such as pressure and wind in the path of tornadoes. It is unfortunate that when such behavior becomes a problem society sometimes needs to make a rule of some kind. The National Weather Service said the severe weather threat would shift into neighboring Illinois and Missouri, where Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency on Friday. The tornado then hurled the light Chevy Cobalt to the ground, leaving it looking as though it had been rammed through a trash compactor, police said. 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. Trooper Randolph said roadways quickly became congested with the convergence of rush-hour traffic and fleeing residents. On the other hand, if you calculate its width by how much debris was lofted into the air, we may be talking about a mile and a quarter to nearly two miles in width. They all unfortunately passed away but doing what they LOVED. After the devastation of the Moore tornado, many residents who had experiences the storms before decided to ignore advice to stay home and tried to seek shelter elsewhere. 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. The men spent years capturing and sharing storm videos with TV viewers and weather researchers. There is a large university team with a NASA/NOAA grant that I know of, and a number of professional chasers are grad students at a university, but that is not the same thing. 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. Please be respectful of copyright. If you are worried about the roads being clogged during a tornado then don't drive or don't live in tornado alley. I have not suggested that storm chasing be illegal. would have made the storm hard to recognize up close. News casters were telling people in the direct line of the tornado do drive south. But then the tornado made a turn and headed straight for the south that people were being told to drive to. Sometimes accidents happen. Also dead were Tim's son, Paul, and Carl . He was found hanging in his Wichita, Kansas home. That would stop several people right there. The elder Samaras' body was still belted into their Chevrolet Cobalt, which was found on an unimproved county road parallel to Interstate 40. Storm chasing is definitely in the "Don't try this at home, kids!" He turned and saw at me peering up from the basement steps! 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. Waiting: Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport was evacuated. The region was fortunate because the storm touched down mostly in rural areas and missed central Oklahoma City. As you come closer to a cloud you don't get something smooth, but irregularities at a smaller scale." 'They were screaming, "We're going to die, we're going to die,"' she recalled to USA Today. We cannot separate it from other compounds on earth (like we can, say, hydrogen), we cannot combine other elements to manufacture it (like we can, say, gasoline). In fact, one could argue that a new law is not needed and this power is already available to police and emergency response agencies. Police believe the woman was driving an SUV near El Reno when the powerful twister flipped the vehicle over. It's even worse if you are an amateur tornado chasing on your own--at least the tour groups have an experienced person to warn them that the tornado is coming straight at them and they need to hit the dirt NOW! Winds swept one vehicle with a crew from The Weather Channel off the road, tossed it 200 yards and flipped it into a field -- they escaped major injury. Shooting tournament: People search a field for guns near a destroyed RV at a state shooting tournament that was destroyed in El Reno, Weapons displaced: Shotguns recovered from a field lay against a overturned trailor at a state shooting tournament that was destroyed in El Reno, Devastation: 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. Many still believe mountains and rivers save towns. The Oklahoma City metro district has about 1.3 million people. As we wrote a while back, the National Weather Service downgraded the tornado from an EF-5 to an EF-3. Enough said. Just then the power went out and I heard what sounded like a freight train. He attempted to take his own life and spent several days in intensive care before ultimately succumbing to his injuries. 528 people were killed by weather in 2012, of which about 200 were a result of high velocity air. I remember Pa wearing this Civil Defense helmet and he was chirping on this big ol' walky talky! The KFOR anchor should have said "if you are in your vehicle (head south). You are absolutely right, that this tornado was a particularly monstrous one. This is a free country, or at least we want it to be a free country, and being able to freely travel on public thoroughfares is part of that. Friday night's victims included a mother and a baby sucked out of their car as the EF3 hit near El Reno. I'll take my chances sheltering in place, thank you. Gone. 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. It may be only a matter of seconds before you have time to find shelter. Flood waters up to 4ft deep hampered rescue attempts and frequent lightning roiled the skies well after the main threat had passed to the east. 'Somebody driving along really not familiar with what's going on can basically drive into it.'. We are part of Science 2.0,a science education nonprofit operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Though we sometimes take it for granted, Tim's death is a stark reminder of the risks encountered regularly by the men and women who work for us. A total of five tornadoes struck the Oklahoma City metro area, the National Weather Service said. In many cases, a law is unenforceable at face value, but when something goes wrong it suddenly becomes part of the equation. Dan Robinson had a clear view of their white Chevy Cobalt in his rear facing dash cam as they pulled up to and crossed Hwy 81 until their headlights fade behind the outer wall of the suction vortex that killed them. 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. Among the injured was a meteorologist from The Weather Channel. It is not inforceable. I did not make the argument that storm chasers cause cars to fly through the air and hurt people (though that could happen) I made the argument that amateurs who are just out to see the tornado jam traffic this is not something I've discovered, it is something that professional storm chasers have claimed to be true. Take multiple pictures of vehicles "in the way" of emergency responders at tornado or other emergency sites. The shredded pieces of the car hook to the south then across the road to the northeast: I have difficulty fathoming the violence implied in that paragraph. Until I see good evidence to the contrary, I will be strongly against regulations on this activity. Driving away several hours ahead of time is one thing, but this guy was telling people to drive at the same time he was saying the tornado was impending! I made the decision to go home since I have a shelter, and i was able to leave work and be home close to 4pm. He will be missed. In Canadian County, Okla., where the men died, Undersheriff Chris West noted the three were hoping to help understand violent storms. Because of your action, your car has become a very large and dangerous projectile. Certainly broadcast public service announcements discussing the danger of chasing storms. Okay, fair enough. Several parents in the group I was with decided to drive south, away from the storm. The interstate was shut down due to the storm, with multiple crashes and injuries. 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. That is not my argument either, it is simply what all the experts say. Oklahoma wasn't the only state hit by violent weather Friday night. However, people are not immortal and sometimes die doing the very thing live for, you simply can't legislate that human desire for adventure out of existence, nor should you try to. 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. It truly is sad that we lost my great brother Tim and his great son, Paul. So it's quite the conundrum we find ourselves in. Officials in St. Charles County also reported that local schools suffered some damage. Tim Samaras' Death - Cause and Date Born (Birthday) Nov 12, 1957 Death Date May 31, 2013 Age of Death 55 years Cause of Death N/A Place of Death May 31, 2013 Profession Meteorologist The meteorologist Tim Samaras died at the age of 55. The fact that they did so while committing a crime allows the system to hold their feet to the fire in a more meaningful way. I would say to such folks the same thing a fire chief would say to people who are not trained, qualified, or equipped to study burning office buildings but feel that somehow being close to one would help them provide insights about fire safety: "Move along, you're not helping but just getting in the way here. Three veteran storm chasers were among the 10 people killed, Dallas Area Storms Cause Power Transformer To Explode. Meteorologist Mike Bette is nursing minor injuries after his 'tornado hunt' car was thrown some 200 yards by the storm. In his writeup of this event, meteorologist Paul Douglas made this point: Every time I went down to Oklahoma [with storm chasers] I was struck by the number of people tagging along. category. In the case of the El Reno tornado, traffic in combination with road bottlenecks (over a river) did in fact cause a number of storm chasers (and go watch the video to get an idea of how many storm chasers there were!) When the amateur storm chasers descend upon the same area they create a real hazard for the professionals by blocking escape routes. 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. And, as I think I've said several time, Tim and his crew were professionals, making an important contribution. Is it possible that Tim Samaras and his Twistex team were - Quora They are acting in the interests of public safety. "We're trying to collect as many observations as possible, both from outside and from the inside. On the other hand, it means they are intentionally bringing civilians into the danger zone, and these civilians don't always know how to react if the situation gets out of hand. "
, The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? Salvaging: A chef at Gilmore's Kitchen at the OKC-West Stockyards, is framed by the kitchen pass-through window on the only kitchen wall still remaining as he checks tornado damage in El Reno, Childcare center: The devastation caused by Friday's storms included a wind turbine blade crashing into a daycare center, fortunately no children were inside, Remains: A man looks for items in what is left of a house in El Reno, Oklahoma on Saturday, Damage: A family inspect the office of what is left of the livestock auction business near El Reno, Oklahoma. But I'll just say that I think there are less extreme solutions than putting a ban on all amateur storm chasing. and help keep the future of the Observer, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, Dallas Observer's The Morning After Brunch, The Last Ride of Legendary Storm Chaser Tim Samaras. These conditions being a tornado being the widest in history (with only one other tornado in recorded history coming close to the same size) and the abnormal path the tornado took. The US has several cities along hurricane prone coasts which are larger (including Houston, Miami, and New York). When the NWS uses phrases such as "You will not survive, neighborhoods will be flattened" no one in their right mind is going to stay at home and wait out the tornado in their bathroom or closet above ground. Second, the point is still valid. Tim Samaras sits with instrument probes he used as part of his TWISTEX field research program. 10th St. and Radio Rd. I would like to point out that Mike Morgan, the meterologist at KFOR, did what he's done successfully many times since May 24, 2011. Injuries that were INCOMPATIBLE WITH LIFE. I think that Tim Samaras knew what he was doing. The network said though Betts was hurt, he and the car's two other occupants were wearing safety belts and were able to walk away from the banged-up vehicle. 'It's not even close to anything like what we had last week,' Smith said. >>> What they're doing is seeking fame and fortune by selling their videos to various websites and television stations. Terry Garcia, executive vice president of the National Geographic Society, said: 'We were shocked and deeply saddened by the news that longtime National Geographic grantee Tim Samaras was killed in a tornado in Oklahoma on Friday, along with Tim's son Paul and their colleague Carl Young. But the agency upgraded the ranking after surveying damage from the twister, which along with subsequent flooding killed 18 people. 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. And now But seriously, I'll be talking about the story of the current, In every area of life, but especially in the overlapping realms of technology, science, and health, misunderstanding how things work can be widespread, and that misunderstanding can lead to problems. But a law or explicit regulation, or even a well publicized set of best practices in the interest of public safety, might make the point that needs to be made, thus discouraging people from making decisions that endanger others. Yes, chaser convergance has been a huge problem over the last few years. 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.Beachfront Homes For Sale Under $300 000 In Florida,
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