May 2008
You are currently browsing the articles from In The Vortex written in the month of May 2008.
As everyone has probably noticed by now, I kind of dropped off the face of the earth mid-chase on Saturday. While standing on the side of I35 shooting a nice elephant trunk tornado back to my southwest, I was inconveniently struck by lightning. There was a loud bang from the strike, and the next thing I know, I was picking myself up out of the ditch.
This wasn’t the first time I have been struck, but it’s the worse. I managed to pull myself together and tried to continue chasing, but I just couldn’t keep going and stopped on the east side of Perry, OK.
While I was sitting in the parking lot there, there was a metal sign about 6 feet high just about 20 feet in front of my vehicle. I had just turned off my dashcam a few minutes before when lightning struck the sign in a shower of smoke and sparks. Evidently a leader from the stroke also hit my vehicle, as the engine immediately died and would not turn over. Fortunately, the remainder of my electronics seem to be fine.
As luck would have it, my chaser friend Steve Miller TX was in the same town chasing, and he as well as Dennis Sherrod came to my rescue. One of the local guys ended up pulling my vehicle down to the local GM dealership, but it would be Tuesday before anyone could look at it being a holiday weekend.
I ended up running for a couple of days with Steve chasing and as luck would have us, we ended up back close to where my vehicle was, and he ended up dropping me off Tuesday in Stillwater, OK to pick up a rental car. So right now I am driving a nice, new Dodge Charger!
Hopefully I will get to pick the chase vehicle back up again tomorrow and can get back to normal again. I just haven’t felt much like posting after getting struck. I’ve had some physical issues, including headaches, short term memory loss, anxiety to name a few.
Fortunately, my other storm chaser friend Steve Miller OK (yes, there are two Steve Millers) let me crash at his place to spare me the agony of a few days in a motel, as well as the expense. I slept so hard the first night I think I could have been legally declared dead at one point. Very comfortable bed!
So I am not exactly sure what chasing in the near future holds for me right at the moment… I’ll keep you posted.
Written by David on May 29th, 2008 with 3 comments.
Read more articles on Storm Chasing.
This day was a mixed bag of great chase success and massive fail. Managed to catch at least 3 tornadoes and yet a couple more MASSIVE rapidly rotating wall clouds. That was the good part.
While shooting that last tornado above along I35, I was struck by lightning and thrown to the ground. I don’t recall exactly what happened during a few minutes there (luckily I had the camera on the tripod and wasn’t touching it), but on the video I said a few choice words apparently.
I felt very odd afterwards and later passed an ambulance out spotting and got them to check my vital signs. Blood pressure was a bit low as was blood oxygen, but I was still operating so that was good. I felt very anxious for a long time, in fact I still do to some degree, and the headache is setting in. Last time I was struck in 2004 I had a horrible headache for a week.
Continued on the chase to east of Perry and finally decided to give up as storm looked outflowish, and went back to the east of town to a parking lot to look over some data and decide if there was something else to chase or if I was done.
While sitting there, lightning stuck a metal sign not 20 feet in front of my vehicle, and my engine immediately died and would not start. Everything electrical appeared to be working, but it wouldn’t crank over.
Luckily Dennis Sherrod and Steve Miller TX were nearby and came to my rescue. A local guy ended up dragging me down the local GM dealership where I abandon my chase vehicle since they won’t be open until Tuesday with the holiday weekend. This is quite depressing, as now I have to find a way back to northern OK to pick it up.
So I will be chasing with Steve Miller TX the next couple of days. I am hoping it’s nothing too serious or expensive with the chase vehicle.
Written by David on May 25th, 2008 with 5 comments.
Read more articles on Extreme Weather and Storm Chasing.
Real quick as I need to get on the road. Tornado Watch issued for northern OK. I am just northeast of those storms and I see one just went tornado warned. There is a triple point of sorts right in that area which is the intersection of two fronts. Doesn’t look like I will be going far today. LIVE ChaseCam should be active within the hour.
Written by David on May 24th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Extreme Weather and Storm Chasing.
I’m sorry I don’t have time to get a pic ready for post. I wasn’t able to get a motel room until 5 a.m. and slept in, and now in northern OK in the middle of a tornado watch, so I need to get out the door. I will update this later when things slow down with a pic…
Short of it was, saw 2 tornadoes in western KS yesterday. A HUGE massive rotating mass that had rotation to the ground but not condensed all the way. How it never turned into a wedge I will never know. Got a long, stretched out elephant truck on the same storm a bit later.
Tornado #3 I never actually saw. It was after dark and I was behind the storm east of Greensburg, KS. I was right behind the hook, was pretty sure from the radar velocities there was a tornado in there, but couldn’t see it. Shortly thereafter I crossed a 3/4 mile wide damage path on the highway where a semi was blown way off the road. Another pickup had been blown off the other side of the road and the guys in it hurt. Major large tree damage either side of the road and a trimatic type irrigation system was laying mangled in the road where myself and a couple of other guys hooked it up to their pickup and drug it off the hwy. Power lines all over the place of course.
Couldn’t find an available room anywhere, ended up dropping into northern OK, where I am at now and finally got a room at 5 a.m. Quick forecast here shortly and out the door…again!
Written by David on May 24th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Extreme Weather and Storm Chasing.
Currently fueling up in Dodge City, KS. (Sometime I would like time to do some site seeing around here!) SPC has issued a PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) tornado watch a little while ago.
Conditions across this area are becoming increasingly potent for another major severe weather outbreak, complete with the possibility of long track, violent tornadoes well into the evening hours. It’s going to be a long day.
Dryline is still a couple counties west of here. I am going to grab some Arbys and get the hell out of Dodge (always wanted a valid reason to say that!) to the west a little I think. LIVE ChaseCam should be active within the hour I think. I expect a long, busy day, so this may be the last chase update until the day is done…watch the cam to see what’s going on!
Written by David on May 23rd, 2008 with 2 comments.
Read more articles on Extreme Weather and Storm Chasing.
« Older articles
No newer articles
