OpenTube

The 10 Important Rules of Storm Chasing

June First

1,480,750 views

Getting hit by a tornado while storm chasing is extremely rare, but not impossible. Looking back in the history of storm chasing, I looked into the events that resulted in chasers hit by tornadoes and found 10 learning lessons that I condensed into 10 practices to keep yourself safe while storm chasing.

Note this is NOT A STORM CHASING TUTORIAL. While the information in this video is useful, please further educate yourself before attempting storm chasing.

Special thanks to the following folks for making this video possible:
Original Inspiration: ‪@skiptalbot‬ 's Chaser Safety Discussions
Additional Inspiration: 10 Bullets ~ Tom Sachs/Van Neistat
‪@CameronJNixon‬
‪@LandandSkyPhotography‬
‪@highriskchris‬
‪@MaxOlsonChasing‬
‪@ChaserChat‬
‪@ReedTimmerWx‬ / Mike Scantlin

(yes, I'm aware the Roman Numeral for 9 (IX) was backwards in the zine)

SUPPORT JUNE FIRST:
Patreon: Patreon: junefirst
Merch: https://www.junefirstweather.com/shop

FOLLOW JUNE FIRST:
https://www.junefirstweather.com/
Instagram: junefirstweather
https://twitter.com/junefirstwx?lang=en
Twitter: EMoriartyWX
@may_third
@junefirstshorts

JOIN our DISCORD SERVER:
discord.gg/VrXjXcFH3f

JUNE FIRST PODCAST:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1Pj1SAV...
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1860666/
@junefirstpodcast

0:00 - Intro
2:26 - I. Caution in the Notch
4:11 - II. Beware of Deviant Motions
7:50 - III. Maintain Situational Awareness
13:06 - IV. Keep Visibility
14:37 - V. Avoid Radar Fixation
18:40 - VI. Minimize Task Saturation
21:24 - VII. Quality Escape Routes
24:48 - VIII. Mindful of Mindset
27:11 - IX. The Tornado is Larger than it Appears
29:09 - X. Evade Debris Entrapment
30:31 - Conclusion

#StormChasing #Tornado #Weather #Documentary #ElReno #twisters #twister #twistex #stormchaser #supercell #adventure #extreme #safety #stem #roadtrip #cars #photography #film #videography

20 Comments

@CitizenPrime-tb7rp 1 year ago

These are also good advice for non-chasers that simply want to avoid tornadoes.

@andyshriner5443 2 years ago

It's wild that if you show me just that slug shaped blob I'll recognize it as El Reno.

@ollerutgersson 1 year ago (edited)

do i storm-chase? no. do i live somewhere where theres a risk of any tornadoes or major storms? no. am i gonna watch this video? yes.

edit: please stop blowing up my computer with notifications

@ryanlong6758 2 years ago

I feel like ‘Twister’ nailed it in terms of showing you always need a map guy. Roll the maps

@adamsvette 2 years ago

It would be really cool if someone made a storm chasing simulator. Just get a giant world map like flight simulator did. Put you in a little driving simulator inside of that world. And then just generate weather based off of existing historical storm data and let people "try" to chase a storm or drop some intercept equipment in the path. I I think it could be relatively easy to make, but also really awesome

@layytonn 2 years ago

Not sure if you say it in the video as I’m typing this as soon as I saw it, but that first clip is someone I watch, high risk chris. Insane video to watch. Fortunately he got out alive that day.

@willowingwhispers2612 2 years ago

Tornado chasers nowadays are insanely reckless. Too many I've seen drive under or into a tornado as it begins to drop in order to get footage and pictures. When some of us try to call this out, people jump in to defend this because "they're experienced so its okay".

There's a rule that if you're in the debris field, you are TOO close. Another rule is that you don't test mother nature; all the experience in the world won't save your ass if she catches you in her clutches.

@RinzlerIsTron123 1 year ago

Bullet IV-a. Don’t chase Dixie. I feel like it’s also worth adding know your limits, but also… know your vehicle’s limits. Not all cars are built equal, unless you’re reed timmer your car is not the dominator.

Most importantly; live to chase another day. There will always be another storm, another cell, another tornado; but there will never be another you.

@kunahic8512 2 years ago

Another great example for Bullet 7 of dead end roads is the Bowdle SD tornado of 2010, around a dozen or so chasers went down a dirt road and it just ended even thought the online maps showed it didnt, the chasers decided to go off road into a field as a last resort to where they would get suck in mud as tornado vortices pass 40~ feet away from some chase vehicles

@charlayned 2 years ago

Chasing has come a LONG way from back in the 1970s. My husband did some volunteer chasing for University of Oklahoma's Weather Research Center when they were working on calibrating the Doppler radars for tornadoes. Back then, it was CB radios, a clip board for notes and observations, a map you could pick up at the corner store, and binoculars. He knew what tornadoes did, growing up in Oklahoma, and where to stay safe. But it was radio in with the report, "I see where it should be, it's out here somewhere close, on a dirt road outside OKC, I can hear it but it's in the rain...." He graduated OU in 1978 and he loves watching the chases now and would love to go, but he's in his late 60s and as he said, I have no business chasing my Sheltie, never mind a tornado."

And, those rules you have make perfect sense. I hope chasers memorize that stuff.

@AlphaNevada123 1 year ago

“Violating several bullets” is what’s termed the Swiss cheese Model in health and safety. You won’t or are extremely unlikely to have a fatality if only one or two holes are breached but as soon as you pass through more the risk intensifies

@cmw12 2 years ago (edited)

As I was listening to your bullet about maintaining situational awareness, I was like, “ Ok, but how…”, and you made your real point here: if you think you’ve lost SA, get out of dodge! That at least should be easy to do.

@ajdomer92 2 years ago (edited)

Thank you for mentioning the Lawrence KS storm in 2019. I was working the front desk of a hotel in Topeka, not too far down the road from the tornado. That tour group (Silver Linings) came into the hotel for the night; they all looked like they’d been through hell. The tour managers were shaken. Roger Hill (tour leader) had cuts and scrapes all over his face and arms. They were incredibly lucky. I’m definitely referencing this video in the future!

@ThePhantomRocket 2 years ago (edited)

The reason it is blowing up in population is because all the kids who grew up watching "storm chasers" on TV are now becoming adults.

Source: I was that kid. I still hold that interest and have gone several times but am using my in-progress aerospace degree to make a device I hope to distribute to storm chasers to gather data on tornadoes themselves in a safer manner than normal.

@TitaniumTurbine 2 years ago

From a safety standpoint and I don’t know if this is still the case for you, but don’t mount your phone on your dash for storm chasing. Get an iPad and mount that, then hotspot it using your phone’s connection. First of all, you don’t have to squint as much/you’ll see a great storm area - but more importantly, your phone should be on your person in case of an emergency. You might even prevent neck/tension related injuries.

@johnmaxwell8655 1 year ago (edited)

Well this is a nice primer, for any amateur chaser. There is an eleventh bullet: The "Stupid Check!!!" When chasing Tornados, every few moments look around and make sure you aren't inadvertently wedged between the main funnel and a forming/ developing satellite vortex that you don't see coming up behind you!!!

@The-wind-420 1 year ago

5:21 the crazy deep voice caught me off guard 😅

@laurentic 1 year ago

One of the issues with Reno and the third point is the fact that there was so much debris, dust/rain, hail and other things obscuring the view of the main funnel, that Twistex assumed it was continuing its current path, they didn’t realize it had changed directions until it was right on top of them.

@dahuskycat 1 year ago

That clip of High Risk Chris getting hit by a tornado is very terrifying

@jennteal5265 2 years ago

I'm sure the physical graphics take a lot of time but I love them. Unique but not distracting. It's so fun to watch your channel grow since the Parkersburg video. :)