Who here has survived a proper tornado?

[RJ2kWJ]

I’ve done the Hurricane thing (sucks but great for boarding).

Ive done the volcanic eruption thing. Scary as fuck.

I know someone here has dealt with one of these.

 

[poke2001]

I had that view in about 2000 on my way home from work in Stillwater while in college. Got home, cracked a beer and watched it go North of me.

 

[SmokeHouse423]

Tornado last April came through my neighborhood

 

[Pillow Pants]

Been "in" 4 tornados. All were legit, but 1 leveled my hometown and did a ton of damage. Fortunately nothing really happened to me or my people in any of them except for some light damage.

I've been in multiple hurricanes. They suck, but it comes with where I live.

I've also been in an earthquake while in South America. That shit was terrifying. None of the others scared me nearly that much.

 

[RJ2kWJ]

Been "in" 4 tornados. All were legit, but 1 leveled my hometown and did a ton of damage. Fortunately nothing really happened to me or my people in any of them except for some light damage.

I've been in multiple hurricanes. They suck, but it comes with where I live.

I've also been in an earthquake while in South America. That shit was terrifying. None of the others scared me nearly that much.

One got us while living in Nicaragua. A good one will scare the bajeezus out of you. Still have dreams.

 

[Srufiopunk28]

Yes and here is my video to prove it.


We got into a real bad situation while chasing the El Reno, Oklahoma tornado in 2013. For those that don't know about El Reno, this tornado was the widest and some say strongest tornado on record. My video isn't great because at a point I told my buddy to stop filming because I was sure it was over and I didn't want that on camera. We somehow managed to literally get south of it just as it passed behind us. I've watched videos from that day with chaser GPS super imposed on the radar sweeps and my GPS icon was basically in the tornado at one point. After we got out of the way the tornado went on to kill 4 storm chasers including the legendary Tim Samaras. Definitely will never forget that day.

 

[shiv]

I’ve done the Hurricane thing (sucks but great for boarding).

Ive done the volcanic eruption thing. Scary as fuck.

I know someone here has dealt with one of these.

View attachment 20617

Please describe your scary as fuck volcano eruption experience!

We have tornados a couple times a year in Huntsville, but I’ve never had one directly in my path

 

[imprimis]

One came through my neighborhood years ago. At the time, I could hit a 7-iron to one of the destroyed homes. It would take two drivers now. I lost one shingle but my yard was the receptacle for 2x4's and other stuff. Sounds exactly like a train only without the clanking of the wheels on the rails.

 

[tiderollsonu]

Have been through several twisters living north of Bham growing up and half a dozen or so hurricanes..... I will take the hurricanes all day long

 

[GarnetPild]

Was at my parents' house in Spartanburg 2 years ago and one went by about 5 blocks away. We didn't know until afterwards, but the wind was scary loud, and it was just a little f1/2.

The thing I remember most is that even listening for them, we never heard the tornado sirens. The wind noise was too loud. Will never again wait for sirens to get my ass to the basement, because you'll likely never hear them in a tornado.

 

[WestcampTX]

I was driving home late one night in high school, and drove either through or very very close to one. It was dark, so couldn’t see anything, but a mile away from the house, my pickup ended up doing a complete 180, but stayed on the road somehow. When I finally got to the house, it had completely destroyed our back fence.

 

[TJHall1]

Yes and here is my video to prove it.


We got into a real bad situation while chasing the El Reno, Oklahoma tornado in 2013. For those that don't know about El Reno, this tornado was the widest and some say strongest tornado on record. My video isn't great because at a point I told my buddy to stop filming because I was sure it was over and I didn't want that on camera. We somehow managed to literally get south of it just as it passed behind us. I've watched videos from that day with chaser GPS super imposed on the radar sweeps and my GPS icon was basically in the tornado at one point. After we got out of the way the tornado went on to kill 4 storm chasers including the legendary Tim Samaras. Definitely will never forget that day.

Smaras' vehicle. He was found still buckled in the driver seat. His son was found a half mile away and his friend was found a half mile away in the other direction.

 

[Edgehollow]

My cousin was literally IN the 1974 tornados that ripped thru the southeast. They found him a mile from his house, still sitting in his high chair. Had a broken leg. My Grandmother had a pic of him sitting on our Papaw's lap in the hospital when they set his leg and put the cast on it.

 

[TJHall1]

My cousin was literally IN the 1974 tornados that ripped thru the southeast. They found him a mile from his house, still sitting in his high chair. Had a broken leg. My Grandmother had a pic of him sitting on our Papaw's lap in the hospital when they set his leg and put the cast on it.

Where was this? Surely there has to be a news article about this.

 

[Edgehollow]

Where was this? Surely there has to be a news article about this.

Brandenburg KY. April 3rd-ish 1974 (Although I'm thinking he was in the April 1st one, 2 days before). April 3rd there was well over 100 tornadoes stretching from Ohio to Alabama. I'm looking to see if the pic is online somewhere. It was in the local paper, I think. Looking thru Google Images now.

HIs mom, my aunt, was in it as well. She ended up with a fractured neck. I know he doesn't remember any of it, as he was 2 at the time. She does.

April 3, 1974 tornado Brandenburg KY - Google Suche

www.google.com

 

[Srufiopunk28]

Smaras' vehicle. He was found still buckled in the driver seat. His son was found a half mile away and his friend was found a half mile away in the other direction.

View attachment 20729

View attachment 20730

Yeah pretty horrific scene to be sure. I guess there is footage of their final moments that will never be released. I guess Carl remarked on how still and rain free the area they were in was, and then Tim says something along the lines of actually we might be in big trouble. Couple seconds later the tape cuts out.

They were probably hit with one of the major sub-vorticies that were dancing around inside the parent circulation, which at that time was probably close to 2 miles wide. One of the doppler trucks was measuring sub vorts packing winds up to 275-300mph. That day was fucked. Honestly surprised more chasers didn't die, because we all have similar stories from that day and we all got too close for comfort.

 

[RJ2kWJ]

Thank you all for your stories. Incredible stuff

 

[RJ2kWJ]

Please describe your scary as fuck volcano eruption experience!

We have tornados a couple times a year in Huntsville, but I’ve never had one directly in my path

We had volcano boarding in Nicaragua.



Got done one day and back to the mainland and I guess Mother Earth needed to fart. The shockwave is freaking incredible. Condos windows and smaller restaurants were destroyed 40 miles away.

 

[Cre8ive]

I’ve done the Hurricane thing (sucks but great for boarding).

Ive done the volcanic eruption thing. Scary as fuck.

I know someone here has dealt with one of these.

View attachment 20617

Are you British? Only a British person would use the adjective "proper" in front of the word "tornado."

 

[imprimis]

Holy Moly on the El Reno one. I remember the tornado and have seen several storm chaser programs on TV over the years. I seem to recall them talking about 2-3 storm chasers killed---probably the fellow mentioned above. The ones I recall more vividly are the two that went through Moore, OK. My Aunt and Uncle lived in Midwest City and had stories of tornadoes which went through OKC over the years but before El Reno and the 2 Moore ones. The 50th anniversary of the Lubbock tornado was the other day. That was a nasty one as well...Hell, they all are.

I went through the 1957 Dallas tornado but was unaffected. That went from Oak Cliff northeast through Addison. Mostly farm land then. Now it would be a massive disaster. The song, Little Darling, was playing on the radio that day as Mom was driving us to "rescue" my Dad.

 

[22*43*51]

Lived almost all of my 48 years in the upper Midwest. I’ve never seen one in person.

Sorry OP.

 

[GPSooner]

I just got home from work one day and was getting a couple things done before I picked the kids up from daycare. Suddenly I hear the tornado sirens going off. As any midwesterner would do I walked out on my deck to look towards the southwest to see if I could see anything. Nothing. So I go out in my front yard and look up. There as a tornado swirling just a short distance away but hadn't touched down yet. It finally came down about a half mile away. First one I had seen in person.

 

[WestcampTX]

Yeah pretty horrific scene to be sure. I guess there is footage of their final moments that will never be released. I guess Carl remarked on how still and rain free the area they were in was, and then Tim says something along the lines of actually we might be in big trouble. Couple seconds later the tape cuts out.

They were probably hit with one of the major sub-vorticies that were dancing around inside the parent circulation, which at that time was probably close to 2 miles wide. One of the doppler trucks was measuring sub vorts packing winds up to 275-300mph. That day was fucked. Honestly surprised more chasers didn't die, because we all have similar stories from that day and we all got too close for comfort.

You’re a chaser?

 

[Pillow Pants]

One got us while living in Nicaragua. A good one will scare the bajeezus out of you. Still have dreams.

I have actually been in 2 in Lima, Peru, and 2 in the US. Only one was bad enough to note and it sucked. I was on the 10th floor of a building during the quake and I was sure it was over. Fortunately - like virtually everywhere else in the world - they build for their common natural disasters. So, everything was mostly fine.

 

[BigBucnNole]

Have been through several twisters living north of Bham growing up and half a dozen or so hurricanes..... I will take the hurricanes all day long

Those aren’t real Hurricanes. I was about 35 miles east of Michael and that shit looked like a weed whacker was taken to pine trees as far as you could see. Awesome amount of power. Nothing can compare.

 

[Pfft]

That is a 4 year old me in front of our house in 1964 in Port Washington WI. My family had just gotten home from a wedding, looked out the back window and watched a swing set fly away. My dad rustled us into the basement.

 

[tiderollsonu]

Those aren’t real Hurricanes. I was about 35 miles east of Michael and that shit looked like a weed whacker was taken to pine trees as far as you could see. Awesome amount of power. Nothing can compare.

So Ivan cat4, Katrina cat4, Danny cat3, ,Opal cat3, were not real hurricane's?

Not knocking a hurricane they are nasty but not the same as riding out an f3 flying by your house. I sleep through hurricanes but a twister scares the crap out of me.

 

[TJHall1]

Yeah pretty horrific scene to be sure. I guess there is footage of their final moments that will never be released. I guess Carl remarked on how still and rain free the area they were in was, and then Tim says something along the lines of actually we might be in big trouble. Couple seconds later the tape cuts out.

They were probably hit with one of the major sub-vorticies that were dancing around inside the parent circulation, which at that time was probably close to 2 miles wide. One of the doppler trucks was measuring sub vorts packing winds up to 275-300mph. That day was fucked. Honestly surprised more chasers didn't die, because we all have similar stories from that day and we all got too close for comfort.

There's state trooper audio right before they got lifted of them saying 'we're going to die. We're going to die."

 

[TJHall1]

Those aren’t real Hurricanes. I was about 35 miles east of Michael and that shit looked like a weed whacker was taken to pine trees as far as you could see. Awesome amount of power. Nothing can compare.

LOL

 

[BigBucnNole]

So Ivan cat4, Katrina cat4, Danny cat3, ,Opal cat3, were not real hurricane's?

Not knocking a hurricane they are nasty but not the same as riding out an f3 flying by your house. I sleep through hurricanes but a twister scares the crap out of me.

Birmingham Alabama is in the upper half of the state. They can barely hold their shit together a hundred miles inland. You ever been on the coast with the storm coming ashore?

 

[tiderollsonu]

Birmingham Alabama is in the upper half of the state. They can barely hold their shit together a hundred miles inland. You ever been on the coast with the storm coming ashore?

I live in Gulf Shores, and have since 1995. I was outside in the yard as the eye for Ivan and Opal went over.

 

[BigBucnNole]

I live in Gulf Shores, and have since 1995. I was outside in the yard as the eye for Ivan and Opal went over.

I read BHam and assumed you were still there. To each their own, I'd rather neither.

 

[LGatorsTN]

Had 2 close calls both sitting helplessly on the interstate as they passed by, both of them around a quarter of a mile away. Pounded with hail too.
April 2006, I-65, Goodlettesville, TN
April 2009, I-24, Murfreesboro, TN
I live near the Murfreesboro one and I could see it came from where my home was. It was Good Friday and my family was home and had no idea if they were OK (which they were) until I got home as cell coverage was down. Not a good idea to be in your car when an F4 rolls by.

 

[tiderollsonu]

I read BHam and assumed you were still there. To each their own, I'd rather neither.

Yeah grew up in north Birmingham

 

[BodyByDad69]

89 Huntsville Tornado which sucked.
Katrina and Irma. Also an earthquake in Alaska. I’ll take a Hurricane any day of the week. I played Zelda Breath of the Wild using my generator for the entirety of Irma.
It would be ideal to never be in the direct path of a tornado ever again. My house in the Shoals subsequently has an all concrete safe room with a Browning vault door.

 

[Srufiopunk28]

You’re a chaser?

Yeah, haven't done as much since I got married. We will both go out when we can but, priorities.

There's state trooper audio right before they got lifted of them saying 'we're going to die. We're going to die."

That's brutal. I vaguely remember hearing that. Been to their memorial a few times. Whenever I'm out that way I'll stop by to pay my respects. I assume its still out there off some random road near El Reno. Mike Bettes from The Weather Channel got hit and was pretty lucky to survive.

 

[TJHall1]

Yeah, haven't done as much since I got married. We will both go out when we can but, priorities.

That's brutal. I vaguely remember hearing that. Been to their memorial a few times. Whenever I'm out that way I'll stop by to pay my respects. I assume its still out there off some random road near El Reno. Mike Bettes from The Weather Channel got hit and was pretty lucky to survive.

If its the guy I'm thinking of it threw his SUV 100 yards.

 

[WestcampTX]

I’m kind of a weather nerd, and would love to get into real deal chasing. Would you kind me picking your brain?

Yeah, haven't done as much since I got married. We will both go out when we can but, priorities.

That's brutal. I vaguely remember hearing that. Been to their memorial a few times. Whenever I'm out that way I'll stop by to pay my respects. I assume its still out there off some random road near El Reno. Mike Bettes from The Weather Channel got hit and was pretty lucky to survive.

 

[Srufiopunk28]

I’m kind of a weather nerd, and would love to get into real deal chasing. Would you kind me picking your brain?

Absolutely man. It's really not that hard to get into. If you're committed to learning some basics of meteorology, you can pick the rest up pretty quickly. And if you're living in Texas you've got a big advantage that I don't have which is proximity. I have to basically commit 3-4 days just to chase Oklahoma and Texas.