Close up video of tornado tearing through Wessington Springs, South Dakota - June 18, 2014

[@terrigroves5993]

I am a Wessington Springs resident thank you for stopping to help!!

[@TheHarlequinade]

What an incredible storm. I think videos like these are really important because many people assume that chasers' love for storms is sadistic and dark. In reality while they love the storm and the thrill of the chase, they never ever want it to hit a town or for anyone to get hurt and are often a very important part of helping people immediately after a tornado has hit. Great job, Chad, you're a hero. Also: those mammatus clouds are the end are incredible!

[@jonathanbecker8935]

I'd love to know if there are any cardinal rules of tornado chasing or some code of ethics, such as: don't get in the way of evacuating residents or rescue ops, don't get caught in said tornado and become victims yourselves, stop the chase to render aid when needed- no matter how great the video recording opportunities continue to be, etc ...? It's so good to see these guys jumping right in and searching for victims, given how soon they are able to be on scene. Don't know if they're classically trained meteorologists, but it's always amazing to see them catching the moment when a powerful tornado like this first touches down.

[@jdearing46]

Crazy how calm it is before they hit. I remember back in the late 1990's where I lived at we had severe storms moving through. I had been working on my van when I noticed it getting darker out. Well I collected up my tools and my children and ushered them inside. Heard the forcast and warnings and started making preperations for what was headed our way. I installed the family in our basement and then I went back outside cause I had fogotten to roll up my van's windows. I was heading back in when all went dead quiet. My ears felt the pressure difference then. Then suddenly I felt a major temp drop and the wind began rushing along the ground about knee level. All going one direction and about a half mile away you child see it was going up into the sky. I looked up to see the clouds above the area were turning and slowly picking up speed of rotation. As I hurried back inside the wind speed picked up and large hail began to fall. I watched from my basement window stuff blowing around. The front of the house was in sunshine but the back was darl as night and stormy. It was crazy. I watched the storm move east and we got lucky. The tornado I saw forming touched down in a town east of us that day. A powerful yet beautiful display of nature.

[@jdearing46]

tanese80 Your welcome. The one thing that bothers me about this subject is that they are aware that every year these storms roll in. There should be more education of the public being done. There should be neighborhood shelters built x amount based on population density in tornado alley states, cities and towns. The warning times have greatly improved but I feel there is more that could be done to prevent loss of life than has been already. We may never get that figure to zero but I believe we can get real close to that.

[@Marty933]

Tanese80 I was a storm spotter near Sioux Falls years ago and the instinct about these storms is still inside of me. When the sky takes on a greenish glow and a windy day it suddenly gets still, you start making emergency plans. Where to go? Are the kids in a safe place? Get the pets inside and cars under cover. We have a storm shelter installed in the basement just in case. It's just part of life here like preparing for earthquakes or hurricanes is in some areas. It doesn't happen very often but when it does you want to be ready.

[@joesmith389]

0:23 coolest thunder I’ve ever heard

[@sarahdavidson8527]

Thank you for not hysterically screaming and freaking out while filming this. 🙄

[@christopherhughes5729]

Ever been in one that is bearing down on you with every intention of taking your life and every life you love? Destroy all you own? It tends to upset people. I mean I've been there. Some handle shit better. Just like when I was in combat. Some fight some run. Some do their duty. Some cry for mommy. So chill.

[@yolk3221]

Reed

[@ItsIdaho]

@@christopherhughes5729 Tell me you are a woman without telling me you are a woman. Most men actually accept fate and either pray in peace or just try to think about the best times they had.

[@sylviaross5486]

I always feel badly for the people who lose everything in one of these monsters. Kudos to the uploader & other storm chasers for helping out people in need.

[@TKWkw]

That lighning was amazing.....

[@RobWenzel84]

I also live in wessington Springs and this tornado took out all my neighbors and never touched my house, and I had the only Trailer house on the block, tornados are very strange like that but I thank god for what ever reason it left my house alone not 1 single broken window, my neighbor right next to me never found a single piece of his house

[@synth505]

Wow great footage... you can see the multiple vortices as it starts.

[@fryeguy2000]

Amazing view of the Mamatus clouds there at the end that confirms, "Yes, you indeed have been hit by severe weather."

[@savannahellingson4918]

Lots of tornadoes that day. I lived between Woonsocket and Lane and saw the rope and stovepipe ef4 form right in front of me headed to Alpena. Drove to wessington springs right after that and am sure I saw you. The car dealership next to hwy 34 got hit hard and so did about 2 dozen houses down those 2 streets.

[@rockislandmodeler6802]

That was some sharp lightning bolts!

[@MegaSlowe]

Lived in Kansas for four years back in the 90's. There is nothing quite like big storms in the Great Plains.

[@jproductions6208]

0:10 That's so peaceful when the birds are chirping just before a storm

[@derekwall200]

really the TIV2 was in SD

[@azziebean4773]

Good people helping out like that

[@robertanderson2898]

Wow, pause it between 0:40 and 0:41 (may very because of video speeds).

[@azziebean4773]

Robert Anderson omg thats so cool

[@tomaiken903]

Robert Anderson Amazing. 😱

[@giggles7179]

Is it just me or does it seem during the first few minutes that they were getting no closer no matter how fast or reckless they drove? And how the countryside kept flying past. I'm reminded of when they drove on The Flintstones and the same painted background details went by in a continuous loop over and over.

[@smurf58]

Nice video! You caught some amazing lightning strikes!

[@GeoStreber]

What kind of damage is this? EF-3, possibly 4?

[@tinman678]

NO !!! Not the bar !

[@jdearing46]

tin man Talk about some mixed drinks. A martini violently shaken and stirred! 🍺🍷🌀

[@sonnyroy497]

@@jdearing46 😂!!

[@The-GreenHornet]

That long line of clouds is the beaver tail. It's feeding the storm

[@jerryhamer]

Damn that lightning was about as scary as the tornado

[@racerx3866]

Wow, what a storm. 😳

[@alabamared2568]

Just by me seeing this would have to be low EF-4 high EF-3 damage at least!!

[@jadsr69]

Finally a tornado video without someone screaming like a total idiot at the top of his lungs. Every other video you have someone screaming tornadoes on the ground. A violent tornado on the ground. First of all no shit!! I can see for myself there is a tornado on the ground and second of all someone tell me what tornado isn’t violent? I’m pretty sure all tornadoes are violent in one form or another but why do they have to scream like idiots throughout their videos?? I have to turn them all down. Oh and one more thing these storm chasers are all the same. Hootin and hollerin all excited about a tornado that is destroying someone’s life as it’s ripping their houses apart. What kind of moron gets excited about the destruction of someone’s home or even losing their life or a loved ones life. I find it very disturbing to watch a video made by these so called storm chasers that find that exciting.

[@JP-kb4yi]

Apparently you’ve only seen Reed Screamer and he is very annoying. Watch Pecos Hank. He is amazing!

[@raphmaster23]

I second pecos hank

[@lesshrubb203]

There was a lot of positive CG lightning at the start of the video. Quite spectacular, I thought.

[@sonnyroy497]

That lightening is crazy!

[@garypoland5288]

Looks like the TIV-2 at 3:01

[@manandhisbestfriend764]

Wow the way those clouds went through when he put his camera down to go help, and the way the clouds looked at the end was creepy

[@dianefarley37]

Can you upload that on real time so I can see the lightning better? It's great--I just love to see storms in real time. Thanks!

[@juiceybananas5489]

As small as that town is I'm shocked it could even hit the town. If you blink when driving by you probably would miss it.

[@curlyanneb1973]

Oh my sweet lord. That’s devastatingly sad.

[@EthanBWeather]

Wow that's amazing!

[@sirgilbert605]

I remember hearing about that, lots of homes destroyed and families had to move

[@KatieCatWalker]

Thank you for staying calm and not shouting like some jock on red bull needing attention. This was a very informative video from beginning to end. Thank you

[@tribulation138]

Makes me not want to move out west

[@eltigremadre]

So frightening

[@josephastier7421]

3:15 "Tornado sirens do not mean go outside and look".

[@MrGyngve]

@3:15 "Tornado sirens does not mean ' go outside and look'. Sirens....." 'click' "Unless you are a storm chaser"

[@Airchex-ct5oh]

MrGyngve Storm chaser: Hold my beer.

[@jonimichalski9193]

Understand been there Almost PS I think Storm chasers are crazy or weird

[@patrickeh696]

And then the people will rebuild a NON tornado proof house.DERP

[@disturbeddemons1]

Patrick EH you can't build what doesn't exist.

[@CJW0056]

Probably not wise to go broke just to avoid a highly statistically improbable occurrence

[@carasmussen27]

some wicked lightning strikes.

[@johnnyfrancois9491]

I know

[@robertbenton6649]

5:48! Just one little spark in the wrong place! Woooof!

[@MK-ht9br]

poor people! lost the houses!

[@supertornadogun1690]

jeez it was roping out when it hit good thing it wasn't full strength

[@sarahmccormack4379]

0.22 omg

[@user-ek6jw7cf5x]

Sarah McCormack 0:22

[@davidca96]

"ill goto the left you goto the right" "ok" (guy runs to the left) lel

[@eledhwenmare2403]

The other left I guess 😉

[@yolk3221]

Wow

[@nicolecooper560]

Can’t belive u can see the tiv in the video xx

[@brandonsmith4361]

Kinda crazy in the video is kind of long

[@JoeyB7473]

i remember you! my sister’s ex. terrific video!

[@miniena7774]

JoeyB7473 Why did they break up?

[@blackrose-je1lq]

😥😥😭😭😭

[@ВадимАнтипов-ш5я]

ШТО ЖЕ ЕЩЕ ХОТЕТЬ..ДОМА ИЗ ПЛАСТИКА,,ДЕРЕВА ИЛИ ГИПСОКАРТОНА...КАБЫ БЫЛИ ИЗ БЕТОНА ИЛИ КИРПИЧА---НЕ БЫЛО БЫ ТАКИХ РАЗРУШЕНИЙ...

[@Vincent98987]

American houses are cardboard .......... nowadays

[@tomaiken903]

It's crazy how the sun comes out after this horrible tornado. 😱

[@jdearing46]

Tom Aiken Yes it is but most tornados are on the back end of the cells,with the clouds and heavy rain etc...out in front of it. I've seen it storming on one side of the road and the other is in sunshine dry and calm.

[@PeacefulThoughts303]

The sun didn't come out. The storm left. Why would you find it crazy? The sun never moved.

[@wbuttry1]

if you wanna make a good video ride a bicycle into the cirruclation naked