I would like to see some repercussions for the idiotic weather personalities who suggested running away. 528 people were killed by weather in 2012, of which about 200 were a result of high velocity air. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? 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. Contrast that, as bad as it was, with Dan Robinson's video from the El Reno, OK tornado that killed Tim Samaras, his son Paul and his long-time chase partner Carl Young. Tim Samaras, 55, along with his son, Paul Samaras, 24, and Carl Young, 45, died on Friday in El Reno after a tornado that packed winds of up to 165 mph picked up their car and threw it,. We have strong public service announcements for months before and during fire season about making a fire safety plan for your household and how to listen for public safety messages on high fire risk days - and those announcements for the duration of the fire are very cautious about advising people to get away only if it is safe to do so. The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported on Saturday that Oklahoma City-area hospitals treated 104 people. Numerous vehicles were damaged in the storm and that many motorists were left stranded. He set a world record in 2003 which still stands today when he recorded an 100 millibar pressure drop from an F-4 tornado. It truly is sad that we lost my great brother Tim and his great son, Paul. These devices, which he . Chaser traffic, maybe. 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. One of the first rules you hear about what to do in a tornado is "Do not try to outrun it." Oklahoma City has a similar population level to Cairns and Brisbane. When told to seek shelter, many ventured out and snarled traffic across the metro area - perhaps remembering the damage from May 20. He earned his Master of Science degree in atmospheric science from the University of Nevada. 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. He skipped out on chasing the massive tornado that flattened Moore, Okla., because it was too dangerous. Or, amateurs could get to a good viewing area well ahead of anticipated severe weather, and then stay put and off the road. It is emotional to posit "people died, let's make a law" without really identifying a true cause. Like diving into the bath tub with a mattress on top for cover. As of this writing, the death toll stands at 13 with another 6 (though Ive also heard 7) people still missing. He gave direction to leave if in the path. For example, it used to be hard to catch motorists running red lights in NYC. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Alex Murdaugh unanimously found GUILTY of murder of wife and son, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Do not sell or share my personal information. With the severe weather knocking out power to nearly 120,000 customers in Oklahoma, according to electricity provider OG&E. Storm chasers should absolutely pull off the road and yield to emergency vehicles as well as people trying to escape. They sheltered at St Anthony's Hospital which was only about 1/4 mile from where the tornado touched down. "

, The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? Two and half miles has been the widely accepted dimension, but if you measure wind speeds, the tornado could have been anywhere from three to 4.5 miles across. As we wrote a while back, the National Weather Service downgraded the tornado from an EF-5 to an EF-3. What was that point that I missed? And what of its width? 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. Here is all you want to know, and more! Of the 60 EF5 tornadoes to hit since 1950, Oklahoma and Alabama have been hit the most - seven times each. Apply that technology to license plates instead of faces. His graduation was at Alameda International High School in 1976. 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. Birth Name: Tim Samaras Occupation: Meteorologist Place Of Birth: Colorado Date Of Birth: November 12, 1957 Date Of Death: May 31, 2013 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Unknown Nationality: American Tim Samaras was born on the 12th of November, 1957. Scientists just confirmed a 30-foot void first detected inside the monument years ago. It would have been a major problem. The men worked as a team and Tim Samaras had received 18 grants from the National Geographic Society for work in the field. Carl Young, Timothy Samaras and his . All rights reserved. And we cannot "go to the sun" or other planets where it's abundant and "scoop it up and bring it back to earth". I've been in a tornado, when I was six! On May 13, 2012 Norman PD blocked off roads and literally put me in the path of the tornado. In many cases, a law is unenforceable at face value, but when something goes wrong it suddenly becomes part of the equation. I doubt that it would even have a measurable positive effect. Tim Samaras, 55, his son Paul, 24, and crew member Carl Young, 45, died in El Reno on Friday They were heard on Oklahoma Highway Patrol radio screaming before they were killed The elder Samaras was. This is a reasonably important job that concerns many aspects of the environment. Join the Observer community and help support 'The car was probably about 60 to 70 per cent of its normal size because it had been pushed and mauled and compacted as it was tumbling down the road. 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. 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. Same is true for Safety officials and storm chasers and officil spotters doing their jobs. That wasnt the only broadcaster telling people to evacuate instead of hunker down. Why not outlaw sky diving too? These things will always be unpredicable and its good to hid under the basement steps! I know cyclones are slightly more predictable than tornados (but much less predictable than hurricanes) they also have the habit of suddenly randomly changing direction. Even if we could predict hours in advance that the storms would hit a particular county (and as you correctly point out, this is not true--there may be several distinct tornadoes in a single outbreak, so it's quite possible that Oklahoma City and Enid could both be hit the same day), this would not help in a major metro area like Oklahoma City. See also: The Last Ride of Legendary Storm Chaser Tim Samaras). Perhaps, the day before tornado-warned storms are expected, you could fly to France, but that is not really an option for most people. 3) "I suggest that law makers in tornado alley states consider legislation making it a violation to intentionally drive into or near the path of known or likely tornados." All this about tornadoes is very reminiscent of fires in Australia. Plan for a lifetime, like I did. When does spring start? Paul is right. But that is not a reason to not have the laws. It will NEVER happen. He also starred in the Discovery Channel series Storm Chasers. He attempted to take his own life and spent several days in intensive care before ultimately succumbing to his injuries. I agree, we only need laws if we need laws. People were going southbound in the northbound lanes. I appreciate that, it is a good idea. Yes, lets get the facts straight, which the comments below and the information added here help do. Mike Bettes, a member of the Weather Channel Tornado Hunt Team, was driving in his SUV when it was picked up and thrown 200 yards by the monster rain-wrapped tornado near El Reno. 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. 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. 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. "We're trying to collect as many observations as possible, both from outside and from the inside. "They put themselves in harm's way so that they can educate the public about the destructive power of these storms," he said. >>> What they're doing is seeking fame and fortune by selling their videos to various websites and television stations. And, I've argued that telling people that the safest thing to do is to get in their car and drive is wrong. 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. National Geographic explorer and storm chaser Tim Samaras devoted his life to unlocking the mysteries of extreme weather. Tim Samaras was a pioneer and great man," he wrote. Okla. tornado chasers' final screams: 'We're going to die' The Last Chase: Remembering Tim Samaras | National Geographic A man's body was found about 1 p.m. on Saturday in a creek just east of Dobbs Road in Harrah, said Mark Myers, a spokesman with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's office. Lucky escape: A meteorologist from The Weather Channel was injured after his car (seen here) was thrown 200 yards by the storm, Waterway: A man uses a jetski to travel between his home and Osage City, after Missouri was affected by severe flooding, Storm damage: Navy veterans inspect the washed out road where they pulled a woman and her daughter to safety after their car flooded, A family in El Reno, Oklahoma inspect what is left of their home after Friday night's tornadoes battered the local area, Rain: Parts of Oklahoma City experience extreme flooding after multiple tornadoes passed through Central Oklahoma, For more videos, please go to the Long Center Austin. I was streaming the weather warnings at work throughout that afternoon, and the KOCO weather forecasters distinctly advised driving home if you could make it by 4pm and if you had a sturdy shelter at home. And now I do find it sad that that few if any of your statements regarding how the Twistex team was killed was accurate. I can only assume that Tim Samaras had no intention of being in the path of the the tornado that killed him, his son, and his colleague, but was unable to get out of the way because of the traffic jam. Oklahomans can handle a day or two of this, but after a week plus of watching families with lost loved ones on the news they start getting jumpy. 'They were screaming, "We're going to die, we're going to die,"' she recalled to USA Today. Storm Chaser Timmer Reflects on Deadly Tornado Common sense will tell you to collect the data that meteorologist have had for years about how tornado's form and come up with an idea that makes these conditions less favorable maybe even do tests on a smaller scale. category. I have a feeling that Scienceblogs will not last long without me. 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. I'm one state north from tornado alley, and I can't imagine anyone from my state saying that it's okay to drive during a tornado alert. When she realized she was a sitting duck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Ms Black turned around and found herself directly in the path of the most violent part of the storm. Renowned researcher and storm chaser Tim Samaras, 55, his son Paul Samaras, 24, and his chase partner Carl Young, 45, passed away after they were overtaken by the multiple-vortex tornado, which appeared to be in the midst of a sharp change in direction. Too many words! . But if the Acme Office Building, on Main Street, is on fire, broken glass is blowing out of windows and fire trucks and other emergency vehicles are trying to gain access to the building and nearby fire hydrants, and ambulances are trying to get in to pick up injured, and out to bring them to hospitals, you cant walk down Main Street. Car left in tornado with dash cam on : r/videos - Reddit I dont think they realize how lucky El Reno was.. The EF5 storm that hit Moore decimated neighborhoods. This advice sounds reasonable, but it really isnt. Discovery says it has been updated with 'Stormchasers' footage of the researchers. I have not suggested that storm chasing be illegal. Education may help, but first we need to educate Meteorologists in the media, the brilliant minds out there need to come up with a set of definitive standards on what to do and what not to do and hold the TV weather accountable, develop an educational program for the public, but most of all give people a place to go, public shelters or something for safety, if people have a shelter they more than likely wont get in their car in the first place. Chasing Tornado's. After a large and violent tornado went through Moore Oklahoma a few days ago, several people in various media outlets including CNN mentioned that given the (seemingly enigmatic) lack of good shelter in homes and public buildings in Oklahoma, that a good option to protect yourself in case a tornado comes your way is to drive away. He almost certainly didn't know that the rain-shrouded vortex was hooking toward him, to the northeast, and that he had entered its circulation. It may well be that entirely different approaches are better. Samaras attended Lasley Elementary and O'Connell Junior High in Lakewood.

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