Stormchasers Close Call In Infamous Tornado Alley | The Weather Files | Earth Stories

The state of Nebraska is no stranger to tornadoes. Located within the infamous Tornado Alley, Nebraska gets 57 tornadoes per year on average. Tornadoes are something that have been studied for a long time, occurring in what we call tornado belts, where a predominance of tornadoes materialize. Tornado tour guy George has been chasing tornadoes for over 20 years, living like a nomad, crisscrossing the Great Plains of the United States for 4 to 6 weeks every Springtime.
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#EarthStories #tornado #stormchasing #naturaldisaster

[@Og-Judy]

El Reno. Jeff was Lucky. So was Mike Bettes and his crew. RIP Team Twistex. Several people died that day

[@kellybee1935]

I live in AZ and tornados are very rare here. It was about about midnight when the sounds of items being tossed around outside woke my husband and I up. We were about to go outside and secure and retrieve our items but were stopped when it felt like all of the air was sucked out of our house and the pressure felt like my house was going to explode. In a split second everything in our back yard was literally picked up and smashed against our block wall and a tile smashed through the window as the power went out this was around two a.m. in August. I didn’t understand the gravity of what had happened until I went in our back yard and realized that our above ground pool was torn in half and blown into the neighbors yard. These things even on a small scale are very powerful, God bless all that live in tornado alley.

[@deannamarie3746]

That's scary. I live near the Tucson area, and there have been times where small tornadoes have popped up but it seems like news stations here are terrified of even mentioning it. "It was a downburst" they usually say, but I don't buy that sometimes.

[@kellybee1935]

@@deannamarie3746 They downplay the power of these things and I don’t understand why. I suppose a small neighborhood getting ripped up without deaths isn’t worthy news. Stay safe.

[@janledford3010]

Aren’t you thankful tornadoes are rare in your area? I love love were I live in Tennessee. It’s beautiful here. It’s so lush and green and we mostly don’t have the extreme in weather as far as the temperatures getting over 100 degrees in summer, and below 0 in winter. But we have a lot of tornadoes, and we have earthquakes. It’s not just all the time like it is in the middle of our country, but bad enough. My home was destroyed in 2016 by not one, but two EF3’s, one about 5-10 minutes behind the first. And I’ve lost count as to the number of tornado warnings, and tornadoes that almost got me again. I live only 30 minutes from Chattanooga, when in 2020 this city was hit so hard. And there were tornado warnings all that day. Three went right over me that day, hitting on all sides of me, but I only had minor damage. I can’t imagine., like you, if I loved where that is a daily things certain times of the year. I would love to be able to build a home like many did in Greenburg, Kansas after they were hit horribly in 2007 with an EF5, that wiped out the entire town. But I haven’t been able as I’d yet to do this. But then I have to think of the blasted earthquakes!!! 🤔🥴🙄😬😬 Oh well, God is good and he’s in control, even when it don’t look like it! Gosh bless you, and may you never have another tornado… or anything near one…. Or earthquakes!!!!🙏🙏🙏😁😁😃

[@janledford3010]

I meant God bless you!!!! I really don’t know a Gosh!!!😂

[@kellybee1935]

@@janledford3010 I’m so sorry that happened to you

[@DeltaForce_vs_ShowTime]

Meteorologiy is treated like long forgotten philosophy. Many people don't see the expansive research that goes into what looks like an adrenalin junkie out on a crazy drive. These people save lives, and learn what is happening with our earth with the intention to make this world a safe place to live .

[@erinobrien8408]

"Tornado Tim" has had so many close calls that you'd never know he's only 23 years old in those interviews...

[@candikatchmar5515]

😢😢

[@candikatchmar5515]

😢😢😊

[@zombiebanana0573]

I remember that Mother’s Day, I was just a kid. So many tornadoes. One EF3 being in my backyard and destroying a family friends farm. Maybe the tornado this guy at the beginning was talking about was that one which would be cool! My dad evacuated us that day, he’s a storm lover but he was not trusting that house surviving a tornado😂. So he knew how to get us out of there

[@ellenbryn]

In some ways you can tell which chasers are the real pros by th fact that, if they were old enough, they ALL were there for El Reno. They read rhe signs and knew where to be to see a tornao tht day. And as terrible as it was losing Tim's Twistex team, the videos snd data collected from so many different angles by so many good storm chasers make it possibly the most studied tornado ever, a fitting legacy for them, Nowadays there's just too many chasers and too many storm tourists, to the point I really worry about people fettibf caught in a chaser traffic jam.

[@jenniferfuller2254]

I agree. I find it interesting just as much as a lot of these chasers. But now it's being made into more of a spectacle, rather than for scientific research and safety purposes. There are too many people young and old, searching for the next "viral" video, and end up putting everyone, including themselves, in more danger than they even realize. It's just not a good idea and it's for the wrong reasons.

[@janledford3010]

I totally agree. There are sone great storm chasers, and boy am I a fan of sone of them!! But there are so many adrenaline junkies, and people, especially young ones, that do not know what they are doing and make it so dangerous for the really professionals, and the scientist who’s out there trying to gain data, so meteorologist can better understand those whirly things!!! I have the same nightmare as you. That a terrifying thought.. Another thing, didn’t see Tornado Tim getting out to see if he could help folks. The good storm chasers stop chasing, and are first responders.

[@sieman78]

LOL, damn that first story was like ''Lemony Snicket's A Stormchasers Unfortunate Events''

[@MyKirbyBlue]

I kind of feel like they left out the ending of the story! What happened to the tornado? They got hit with the farm equipment and then they wait for the dust to clear and get out to check the damage . Did the tornado pass them? Did it go behind them? Did it lift? I mean it kind of sounds like getting hit with that farm equipment might’ve saved them from actually crossing paths with the tornado. It might have stopped them from continuing to go forward into the path of the tornado itself.

[@roguefamily7630]

rip tim samaras

[@christipton7588]

It's the widest tornado on record, not the second widest

[@randometeo]

Great movie, I recommend it to everyone! Several professionals share their knowledge and observations of tornadoes in one story. Great. Thanks for your work.

[@mikeveis6393]

Tornado Tim is good at playing Russian Roulette.

[@lpotts75]

It might catch up with him one day though. Tornadoes are nothing to be played with.

[@danlhart]

ANYTHING that is not moving left and not moving right but is getting bigger is headed towards you.

[@HikaruYamamoto]

this is way over dramatized lol

[@brendamoon2660]

I love that he had his windshield wipers on while being hit with tornado debris.

[@scottmeredith3359]

“And if you’re REALLY lucky you’ll see a tornado” said the guy running around trying to get a live look at people’s homes and lives being destroyed

[@NerdyGamerGirI]

They dont get to choose where the tornado goes. They do get to choose to be there for the thrill and the science. Their contributions are pretty numerous, and i can't count how many times I've seen a storm chaser be the first responder.

[@CastleMc]

2 weeks each spring, are you kidding? The professional storm chasers are out there 24/7 and I think their experience is an important reason that they remain safe for the most part-as this guy says, relying on knowledge. I would never sign up for tornado tourism with someone who does it 2 weeks a year no matter how many years he's been at it

[@davashorb6116]

I don't like the excessive risk taking by this guy.

[@SassafrasPaul-cq7uw]

You don't like the lives he has saved?

[@davashorb6116]

@@SassafrasPaul-cq7uw Didn't say that.

[@dharmaofdog7676]

What Lives does "Tornado Tim" save? He admits playing Tag with a Tornado because he likes the Adrenalin Rush. According to him, it's his IDENTITY. ? weird. Tim Samaras was a Chaser that actually saved Lives.

[@JohnnyH71983]

At 46:55 Did that guys says El Reno was 2nd largest tornado on record? I always thought it was the first. He never says the first. Only person I ever heard say 2nd.

[@keir_exe1312]

It is currently the largest, they got some of their details tangled up

[@spcoll4348]

Officially, it's considered the widest. Unofficially, there's evidence that the May 3/99 Mulhall, OK twister, (not to be confused with the Bridge Creek - Moore on the same day) may have had tornadic winds in excess of 4 miles across.

[@JohnnyH71983]

@@spcoll4348 yeah but that was in the upper levels measured by radar. When you measure ground level width, which is what makes a tornado, the El Reno is double the width of Mulhall. This is based on what I've learned of both. If measuring in the upper levels, then width is debatable. Thanks though, I forgot about Mulhall and it seems to get forgotten a lot due to the Moore nader

[@spcoll4348]

@@JohnnyH71983 you are correct. I just guessed that they were referring to Mulhall when they said el reno was second widest.

[@Hondeer]

Baffles me how these people don't have something like a Garmin Montana 700i to help navigate or InReach check in...

[@J3TT420]

Man I would be blownin through people's backyards if I was stuck on a dead end road and a tornado was coming

[@joycebarker1488]

Great movie and information [], Thank you! I'm glad that Tornado Tim survived, and like watching the husband-wife team too !

[@nenblom]

These storm chasers are true heroes! ❤️❤️💙💙

[@RadiantRiv]

heroes? Really? I wouldn't call them heroes at all

[@CianAngelo]

​@@RadiantRivIt's a good thing that noone asked you for your opinion nor cares enough/respects your input enough to even consider doing so. Opinions are like a-holes.. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@joycebarker1488]

I used to want to be a storm chaser! I would figure where a storm would hit then go there!

[@racheljennings1688]

Pivot irrigators are not good things! It’s great you survived that encounter ☺️

[@Chompchompyerded]

Tornado Tim likes to tickle the tail of the dragon.

[@Jones4Leather]

Tornado Tim is ignoring the most basic truth about tornadoes: They form ANYWHERE, ANYTIME inside "the bear's cage" - the large rotating wall cloud. He has chosen to play with his own life for the sake of an adrenaline rush. He is likely a person who needs a higher level of stimulation to get that rush and in the moment is willing to take high risks - sounds like maybe he has untreated ADHD. A terrible example of foolish disregard for avoidable risk level that he had turned into his identity. That's one solid way to be in the running for a Darwin Award.

[@Sam590ss]

47:27 R.I.P. TWISTEX😢

[@johngoguen361]

Me and my wife are riding down a farm rode when quarter size hail starts pinging off the windshild then branchs and leaves and dirt a tornado goes by behind the car and sucks the air out of our lungs this lasts about twenty secondsmy windshild wippers are out stright out and i stop to see it cross the road behind us tearing trees up then its gone

[@CianAngelo]

"sucks the air out of our lungs.." 😭😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂👍🏽😁

[@carolh8825]

Sounds so scary ! Glad you’re ok

[@garyabbott3861]

If I were young, I think I'd enjoy storm chasing. There were hurricanes and blizzards where I live decades ago. The weather has been milder in more recent years.

[@sydneysomer9958]

Love Jeff!!

[@jasethesmiff5683]

Josh Morgemann rocking the beard. George K, should remember Myself n Mike O'Neil

[@deejohnson2352]

Yeah well if it wasn't for people like this storm prediction wouldn't be what it is today

[@lorrainecleere7110]

I would love to be a storm chaser I know it looks dangerous and puts lives at risk but they look so interesting how they form

[@daBEAGLE1017]

Ive been through a few tornadoes and they werent as dramatic as this guy.

[@aquariusthompson8212]

Count your blessings

[@sheldonmurphy6031]

Tornado Tim Is My Kind Of Guy!!! Heck Ya!! That last couple is how i would love my wife and i to be like if i ever get married. 😁

[@user-mq1pq3nr8y]

I bet it was a horrifiying experience for the guests

[@Notoriousyourdad]

why does the second stories actor look older then the person who is telling the story 😂

[@JohnStephens-vv3qe]

Bring a compus or on your phone widget

[@user-mq1pq3nr8y]

Tornado Jim!!!! Really!!!!!

[@MadeInCrypto.]

He runs the Ocean gate of severe weather

[@lpotts75]

Sure Tornado Tim start respecting mother nature after that.

[@davespicer3647]

It was a dramatic presentation all right, but there must have been a lot of recreating scenes where outside-the-vehicle cameras weren't present during the actual event. So how much was real and how much was staged? Are documentaries supposed to be staged at all?

[@WanderingRoe]

Re-creating scenes is common and it’s been done in documentaries for decades. And you’re right it’s usually because a camera wasn’t present (kinda thought that was common knowledge, or am I misunderstanding your question?)

[@johngoguen361]

You have to recreate stories that happened before you were born or on the other side of the country 😊

[@stephanielloyd4053]

Erm.. that's how documentaries are made! I thought that was something that was obvious. There's obviously going to be reenactment when their trying to tell a story of an event so we the viewer get the whole picture. Otherwise, documentaries would be pretty short! 😂

[@renardramonfoxx]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@PM-vv3uc]

​@@stephanielloyd4053absolutely no. Documentaries should be made with original recordings or own videos. Otherwise it's just a report. A documentary should show stuff you've never seen before.

[@susanhodson3235]

Cover pic is of monsoon, not tornado.

[@Cokercole]

The most interesting story in this show was the El Reno husband and wife team. I couldn't imagine being caught up in that storm. Scary stuff .

[@Og-Judy]

These are so old already. NONE of these have been recent

[@joelrivardguitar]

Almost no tornado footage. El Reno was not the 2nd widest tornado on record.

[@jennifersnell3488]

Watch them separately if you want all tornado footage.

[@joelrivardguitar]

@@jennifersnell3488 I expect some tornado footage in a tornado documentary, not all.

[@huntersatterfield1820]

There’s definitely better tornado docs. Earth Stories pumps out docs about natural disasters all the time. I’ve watched about 4 tornado docs from this channel alone so you should just look up a different doc. Maybe a different channel but the info here is fine.

[@CianAngelo]

El Reno 2013 is in fact the 2nd widest tornado of the modern era(since the science has evolved to the point of recording such data..) to Mulhall 1999. The Mulhall tornadic wind field is estimated to be at or around 4 miles diameter.

[@joelrivardguitar]

@@CianAngelo "It all has to do with the method used to estimate the width. The Mulhall tornado width was estimated around 1 mile based on the damage path. The El Reno tornado, on the other hand, was estimated at 2.6 miles based off of radar data. Some arguments have been made that Mulhall could be estimated at 4+ miles using the radar data method. My best guess, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, is that radar data back in 1999 wasn't high enough resolution to make an accurate estimate. So the damage path width was used."

[@victoriaobrien2324]

I remember when tim stafua died

[@renardramonfoxx]

Who

[@Tracywhited2]

Tornado tourism isn't a great idea. I've seen too many times when actual weather researchers get delayed by tourists traffic etc. it's just a bad idea.

[@sherryblanton2029]

Part #1) That kind of experience is when you Really Know just how Great it is to have a Praying Mother! Part #2) Thou shalt Not Test God! Part #3) See part #2.

[@user-xz9wn2ox3d]

Some people are a bit crazy Snd suicidal to Play tag eith a tornado. Yoj kniw you will nake a mistake snd die.

[@cindylively9544]

Why would anyone want to themselves in that position makes no sense to me must have death wish crazy

[@aquariusthompson8212]

Passionate about science, the earth, the weather love doing it... Several reasons and plenty you went understand. Do what you love and support others doing what they love as long as they not bringing harm to others

[@ericascali5427]

😢😢😢😢😢😢😮😮😮😮😮

[@amydavis4945]

Tornado "tours" should be outlawed, and storm chasers should require special licensing. At the very least, they need to be reminded they have to follow traffic laws just like everyone else - no matter how many flashing lights they put on their vehicles.

[@tshaffer9681]

I'm sure our first responders hate Storm Chasing season.

[@SassafrasPaul-cq7uw]

I hope you realize storm chasers are often the ones who first spot tornados and call in to get warnings out. They save hundreds of lives every year and rescue victims until first responders can get there. Storm chasers are already on the scenes!! Your comment is ridiculous and uneducated.

[@SassafrasPaul-cq7uw]

​@@tshaffer9681they don't

[@SassafrasPaul-cq7uw]

Your comment is uneducated! Storm chasers are often the ones that first spot the tornado that gets warnings out saving hundreds of lives every year! They also become rescuers because they are already on scene! Educate yourself! 😮

[@SassafrasPaul-cq7uw]

Your comment is uneducated! Storm chasers are often the ones that first spot the tornado that gets warnings out saving hundreds of lives every year! They also become rescuers because they are already on scene! Educate yourself!

[@UPLIFTEDLAMB]

Jeff and Cathy are too cute. 😊 awesome video ❤

[@RichardM-nu5tw]

Other way its risk

[@nataliemadrigal899]

Being from Texas and knowing how dangerous this is I don't know if being a 'tour guide' is really a good idea. JS Reed Timmer has the DOMINATOR. very cool.

[@hairstoyou7248]

This video is exactly why I like reality shows documentary type shows more. You create more drama stealing the spot light from the actual star the tornado. You don’t need the story telling. Editing the video like a music video so the viewer can’t focus on anything. Bye

[@jogirl836]

In Kansas our average is almost 100 Tornados every year and I have unfortunately been in everything from an EF0-EF4. My daughter was an an EF5 and almost got sucked up w her feet in the air while hanging onto dear life and next you know she was in the eye of the tornado and she made a sudden move then ended up saving her life as she ran under the stairs when the calm from the eye dropped her and next you know the whole entire house was ripped to shreads and sucked up BUT the staircase. It was all over the news. These things are no joke. I’ve had two EF4’s hit my neighborhood in just a few years as it seems to be a sweet spot for the strong ones to hit. You gotta be crazy to be out filming these things lol. No thank you! .

[@CianAngelo]

Are you 7 year's old or have you simply watched the movie Twister a few too many times? "she was in the eye of the tornado" 👈🏽😭😂😂😂🌀🌪️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃‍♂️👍🏽😁

[@ryanglass1008]

You don’t have to lie on the internet to be cool. In fact, lying on the internet makes you less cool. Your daughter was not in an EF5 tornado with her legs dangling in the air holding onto whatever magical structure you’re imagining

[@Cokercole]

Wow !! Some folks are simply amazing.

[@bryandraughn9830]

Filler

[@steveholley9508]

Put on the brakes and stop and wait

[@dharmaofdog7676]

Hey Tornado Tim? Playing "Tag" and taunting Mother Nature can only increase the odds of ending up with Dead becoming part of your Identity. I found your Story & reason for chasing irritating.

[@schadenfreude2555]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[@MrBill34786]

What do you know?

[@ragestorms1942]

It's completely possible to chase safely

[@MrBill34786]

@ragestorms1942 Your absolutely right. I have intercepted the Palmer IA EF2, and Hedrick IA EF4.

[@ragestorms1942]

@@MrBill34786 I believe that traffic is the biggest danger as long as you're not lose your situational awareness

[@OayxYT]

@@ragestorms1942more than you think. those long drive are by far the most dangerous thing chasing imo

[@user-mq1pq3nr8y]

There is a little girls's gymnastics class also named for the imfamous tornado called Twisters

[@tshaffer9681]

If I was stuck in a car I would probably crawl to the back seat and lay the back of it down so I could take cover in the trunk and still be able to see what's going on around me.

[@aquariusthompson8212]

And you're gone

[@dianegalston100]

For someone that seems to know a lot about tornadoes and says”I’m keeping us safe” how and why would you put yourself in the path of a tornado? That’s why storm chasers are more dangerous to the public because they do nothing but clog the roads! The middle aged couple are prime examples. Prime example as they said other storm chasers died. May they Rest In Peace 🙏

[@aquariusthompson8212]

To help science

[@QuinceaneraDanceStud]

“it could have taken out one of the paying customers…”. I know he doesn’t mean it this way, but it sounds like he was worried about losing an income resource, rather than a person in the vehicle.

[@aquariusthompson8212]

The plans customers were ppl in the vehicle. Seems you trying to make something out of nothing

[@calvinthestormfreak]

global warming lessoning number of violent tornadoes

[@smerk429]

If people KNOW that tornados ALWAYS hit their area, WHY DO THEY LIVE THERE ? Not smart ?

[@intrepidexplorer306]

I plan on living somewhere like this FOR the intense storms because my lifelong passion is weather - but why anyone else lives there untrained is beyond me.

[@CianAngelo]

"Stewpid is as Stewpid.. posts?" 👍🏽😁

[@keir_exe1312]

Home is home! The likelihood of being hit by a tornado is very small, and even then a little less than 5% of them are rated EF3, EF4. or EF5 (highest ratings on the Enhanced Fujita scale's damage index). The EF5 is the most dangerous and uncommon, making up .01% of all recorded tornadoes (thankfully there hasn't been one rated this high since 2013). Does this answer your question?

[@angelsgranny]

Where else would we go? Hurricanes, volcano's, earthquakes, tsunami's, flash floods? Been to all those places and ended up right back where I started, in tornado alley. Blizzards are the worst of all.

[@smerk429]

@@keir_exe1312 kinda. Thanks 😃

[@bookcat123]

Wait wait wait storm chasing TOURISM? Yes let’s go see the Titanic in an unapproved sub as well. Why is this allowed to be a thing? 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@aquariusthompson8212]

Bc ppl pay for it and allow it

[@brandonjackson8962]

18:10 donald trumps trailer park cousin

[@ambersteele9855]

Tornado Tim we all thought Steve Irwin would be killed by crocodile but we were all wrong lol be thankful and change your ways!

[@gorillafacewastaken]

5:20 This is the most BS explanation. Does he actually know anything? ( upto 5:48 )

[@tallenwilliams9515]

This show is horrible 😂