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June 15 and 17th videos finally uploaded!! PDF Print E-mail
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Written by Reed Timmer   
Monday, 22 June 2009 07:32

Here are the videos from the June 15 Macksville, KS tornado and the June 17 tornadoes north of Gibbon, NE and west of Aurora, NE, as shot from the TornadoVideos.net SRV.  The June 15 tornado was definitely one of the strongest of the year, ripping trees out of the ground as it crossed the road in front of us, and then turned southwest and headed straight toward our location!  I tried to back up away from this tornado as it was too strong for intercept, but encountered a minor obstacle...  The Radiance Technologies/TornadoVideos.net RC Plane successfully deployed a parachute probe into this tornado from the southeast, and it was lifted from 400 feet where it was dropped to an altitude of above 3500 feet before being carred for ~6 miles!

The first video below from June 17 is of the first two tornadoes produced by this supercell just north of Gibbon, NE.  We attempted to intercept the first tornado but it roped out just as it reached our north-south road, and the second tornado was just as short-lived.  Still though, the RC Plane was able to deploy 5 parachute probes into the inflow region of the second tornado (aerial video coming soon) as we in the SRV Dominator were attempting to collect vertical wind data near/in the tornadoes with the mobile radar.

And now for the grand finale...  Below is video from inside the Aurora, NE tornado as it intensified on top of us.  Note the mini suction vortices rotating around the vehicle inside the parent tornado, with the strongest one slamming into the left side of the vehicle and blowing out the driver's side window.  The bubble cam captured this vortex the best as it rotated around the front of the vehicle and approached from the left...  A 138.8 mph wind gust was recorded just as this mini-tornado slammed the vehicle, and our ears popped as the pressure dropped inside the circulation.  We were scanning the vertical winds with the Close-Range Vertical Radar (CLOVER) for nearly 30 seconds as this tornado passed directly overhead, and captured incredible measurements of the updrafts inside a strengthening tornado.  This moment was captured by our dashboard cams perfectly, so be sure to watch Storm Chasers on Discovery this Fall for INSANE footage of the window imploding inside the tornado.

 
Discuss (22 posts)
June 15 and 17th videos finally uploaded!!
Jun 23 2009 00:56:44
Reed you should have been back home in Grand Rapids Friday the 19th. We had an EF1 and two EF2 tornadoes in Allegan and Barry counties Friday evening. Plus Holland suffered 7.38 inches of rain. B93 Birthday Bash still has cars parked in areas flooded by the Grand River in Ionia. Quite a mess back home.
#15185
Re:June 15 and 17th videos finally uploaded!!
Jun 23 2009 08:41:20
thats intense footage right there i dont know what the rest of you guys think on here but i think reed should be nominated for an oscar i take my hat off to reed and co.

goosebumps all over watching that footage and no special effects anywhere! just the awesome power of mother nature

jp
#15204
Re:June 15 and 17th videos finally uploaded!!
Jun 24 2009 00:20:16
All I can say is WOW! I was nervous as heck watching that stuff! And is it just me, or does that vortex seem to make a sucking sound as it passes by? Again, WOW! I am EAGERLY awaiting the 3rd season of Storm Chasers!
#15278
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Comments  

 
+2 #1 briancam54 2009-06-22 08:11 Unbelievable, you guys! Keep up the great work! Fantastic footage and great data! Stay safe and stay insane (Reed )!
 
 
+2 #2 liftofflady1 2009-06-22 08:15 My God Reed that was flippin awesome!!!! Can't wait to see the show this fall.
 
 
0 #3 jaxND 2009-06-22 08:26 Twister insanity…
 
 
+1 #4 Amara9 2009-06-22 09:43 Wow, first, excellent footage inside! Sorry there was a sacrifice to that. And I'm also glad that Discovery was there, that has got to be one of the best intercepts yet! Cant wait for this fall!
 
 
-10 #5 solidpro1 2009-06-22 10:10 Holy crap. You guys are Kamikazeees! Nice work. It's fantastic to be able to experience this thru you guys. Unbelievable toward the end when something came back at you…was that one of the smaller vortices? More! More!

EDITED FOR LANGUAGE BY MODERATOR.
 
 
+1 #6 txvegas8ball 2009-06-22 10:11 Dear Heavens Reed!!! I think you need a paramedic for sure now!… I will work cheap!! LOL! I'm so glad that your injuries were relativley minor and that all of you guys came out ok! Unbelievable footage! I can't wait to see more footage of this amazing event!
please be careful out there and holler if you need me! Tammy
 
 
0 #7 Lunatiki 2009-06-22 10:21 Simply outstanding footage! Man, I can't help but feel sorry for Sean Casey after watching this video. Anyone know if he has had any luck?
 
 
+1 #8 Michele 2009-06-22 10:26 AMAZING ! ! ! !
Great footage! Thankyou for doing this amazing job so people like me, Just a Mom in Florida with a passion for these Awesome forces of nature to be able to experience such a wondrful entercept !!!
Who would have ever thought about such an event many years ago!! Again B safe out there!!! you are in my thoughts & prayers!
 
 
0 #9 JC Surfs 2009-06-22 10:41 Awesome video mates !!! Just INSANITY.. I was a bit freaked on being close to the destruction in Kalvesta… You guys had to have a bit of adrenaline rockin when the Nebraska tornado hit you.. What a great year of intercepts. Cheers..
 
 
0 #10 justintime2989 2009-06-22 11:44 good job on everything reed. and glad your all right. but question i dont hear joel in videos anymore where did he go?
 
 
-28 #11 Gawdang 2009-06-22 12:18 Not only foolish, but irresponsible to post this video. How many other Jr. Stormchasers will decide to sit in their car and ride out a tornado because you were dumb enough to do it? Even that vehicle leaving the scene looks like a smarter part of your "team". How is this encounter making any kind of contribution to science or helping to save lives? Foolish, irresponsible, and downright stupid behavior! What would your momma think? Still wonder if it's better to keep my windows up or down when I get in the tornado saddle. YEEEEEEEHAAAW!!!
 
 
+2 #12 Luv 2 Chase 2009-06-22 12:28 You guys are amazing,keep chasing:)
 
 
+2 #13 keltonhalbert 2009-06-22 13:31 Amazing! Great video!
 
 
+2 #14 bigrockhunter 2009-06-22 13:33 That was fan-freakin' tastic you guys! AWESOME! First video I've ever seen that capured the inside of the vortex like that!!!! Whoooooopeeeee for you!!!
 
 
+6 #15 TBone1082 2009-06-22 14:19 Great stuff Reed! Like people have said before, good to hear they were still filming for Storm Chasers this year. And as for Gawdang, yeah, because every Jr. Chaser has an armored Tahoe built specifically to do what is being done in this video.. Save the lecturing for class.
 
 
+7 #16 txvegas8ball 2009-06-22 14:33 Quoting TBone1082:
Great stuff Reed! Like people have said before, good to hear they were still filming for Storm Chasers this year. And as for Gawdang, yeah, because every Jr. Chaser has an armored Tahoe built specifically to do what is being done in this video.. Save the lecturing for class.

^5 TBONE…classy way to deal with…ummm…naysayers?
 
 
+2 #17 kenegg 2009-06-22 15:32 I'am From Nebraska about 15 miles from Aurora That is some great video the best I've seen great job keep it up
 
 
0 #18 txvegas8ball 2009-06-22 17:02 hmmmmm…not worth it…just keep my comment to myself…
 
 
+5 #19 TBone1082 2009-06-22 17:46 Quoting txvegas8ball:
hmmmmm…not worth it…just keep my comment to myself…


/agree. It still amazes me that people who have no idea what theyre talking about still manage to spout stuff off thinking they look important. Again tho, Great stuff Reed, hope you can get more and more info from this and the other intercepts youve had.
 
 
+3 #20 JustinC 2009-06-22 22:27 I lol'd when I heard Reed scream BACK UP!
 
 
+1 #21 mttmcg76 2009-06-23 00:14 You da man Reed!!! You da man and you are officially insane!!!
 
 
+2 #22 TexarkanaBaby 2009-06-23 00:21 HOLY MOLY!!! I agree with what EVERYBODY said - especially about the helments! Maybe add some goggles, too?

Aren't there actually two windows? The regular (inner) window and then the super duper strength (outer) window? I cound't tell from the video if both were blown out or if just one, which one.

Was the person riding "shotgun" steering while you filmed? If so, have ya ever thought about installing a steering wheel, brakes, & gas on the passenger side, like what they use in driver's ed?? Just saying…

Doesn't that production crew driver know to watch out where YOU are driving?

Yeppers, sure glad y'all are fine and live to chase another day. God Bless & Keep Ya Safe.

T-Baby

PS: TBone1082, ^5 from me, too, for telling that dumba$$ Gawdang how the cow ate the cabbage!
 
 
-2 #23 StormChaser12 2009-06-23 09:46 Jesus holy c!@p…You guys…Reed joel,the team…JUST pushing the boundaries with some insane footage from inside the Tornado!…I only wish the video lasted for longer…i could watch this all day!…Brilliant work guys unreal…Bit nasty that the window blew out,but what can you expect really under such circumstances…least you know to winde up the window from now on :)…looking forward to SC season 3…some really good footage…well done TVN and the TEAM…really enjoying this ,Thanks guys.GREAT SEASON so far.
And this is probably the best and most intresting thing ive ever seen on video so far… well done guys!
 
 
+1 #24 Marcus 2009-06-23 13:36 Now that is what im talkin about..Wasn't that Joel in his Red Ram right before the tornado hit..someone asked where he was on youtube.lol

Keep it up, and remember there isn't a limit to how much u push it..the limit will always be pushed farther and farther.
 
 
+1 #25 justintime2989 2009-06-23 17:23 Quoting Marcus:
Now that is what im talkin about..Wasn't that Joel in his Red Ram right before the tornado hit..someone asked where he was on youtube.lol

Keep it up, and remember there isn't a limit to how much u push it..the limit will always be pushed farther and farther.

i had said before up little ways i dont hear joel anymore and hope still part of the team hopefully heidi or reed could say a answer for us
 

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