TornadoVideos.net

Posted At: March 30, 2007 @ 8:38 AM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

Tornadoes are possible today in central TX.  I am heading solo down to a target of San Angelo. STAY TUNED!

Posted At: March 29, 2007 @ 3:38 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

A damaging tornado touched down today in Northwest Oklahoma City and continued to Piedmont, OK, several miles to the north.  Based on the damage seen on local news, the tornado appeared to be rather strong.  Two people have been reported injured as of 5:30 pm.  The radar image at the time of the tornado is shown below:


Shown below is an image of a rolled semi-truck trailer in NW OKC, along with extensive tree damage.  Based on first-hand reports, and the radar image above, the tornado was most likely rain-wrapped and concealed from view.   TornadoVideos.net storm chasers are currently monitoring intense convection that is heading towards southern OK.  We may head south very soon if these storms hold together.

Posted At: March 28, 2007 @ 9:13 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

TornadoVideos.net storm chasers captured an INCREDIBLE tornado between Silverton and Clarendon, TX this evening.  One of the most photogenic tornadoes we've ever seen.  We are planning to have interviews on Good Morning America and NBC's Today Show...STAY TUNED!  Here is the video:

Posted At: March 27, 2007 @ 11:53 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

Based on the most recent model runs, a significant tornado outbreak appears likely from southwest Nebraska through northwest TX.  Low-level shear and CAPE values are extreme across the entire region, and the predominant storm mode will likely be supercells given that storm motions are largely deviant from the dryline.   Shown below is the 4 km WRF forecast simulated radar for tomorrow evening.

As seen above, the WRF forecasts widespread supercellular convection from northwest NE southward through TX.  Based on recent model guidance, our target area for tomorrow is the east-central to northeast TX Panhandle, where low-level shear values and instability will be maximized.  The models have also been consistently veering the upper-level flow, which will help the storms move off the dryline and prevent cell merges.  This will increase the threat for long-track, violent tornadoes from southwest KS to northwest TX.  Accordingly, the Storm Prediction Center has issued a moderate risk from southwest NE through TX for Wednesday, with a relatively large risk for strong tornadoes.  TornadoVideos.net storm chasers will of course be chasing this event...so stay tuned for further updates and more extreme footage.

Posted At: March 26, 2007 @ 11:32 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

A huge trough is forecast to move into the Western U.S. by Wednesday, inducing a strong low-level jet by Tuesday night over the Great Plains.  Deep moisture will be advected northward, and strong low and deep layer shear will develop from TX to NE.  The 500 mb WRF forecast for Wed evening is shown below:

A strong dryline will develop over the High Plains on Wednesday, and will initiate storms by mid-afternoon in a highly unstable environment.  Right now, our target is northwest KS into western NE, where low-level flow is out of the southeast, and the dryline will have more of a west-east component just north of the "bulge".  Here, storm motions will be more normal to the boundary, and a NNE storm motion will still have high helicity values with the southeasterly low-level flow.  Shown below is the SPC Day 2 Convective Outlook, which shows a general agreement with our forecast.  This will definitely be a huge severe weather event over a large portion of the Plains.  Stay tuned for further updates...we will of course be chasing this event!!

Posted At: March 24, 2007 @ 10:09 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

TornadoVideos.net storm chasers will be heading to Iowa for a potential tornado outbreak tomorrow (Monday).  We're leaving in a few hours (1:30 am) for a target in north IA/south MN.   Shown below are the 00z WRF forecast for Monday afternoon for CAPE (left) and 850 mb flow (right). 
           

Posted At: March 24, 2007 @ 9:06 AM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

Here is the video from yesterday's tornadoes in eastern New Mexico.  Along with a radar image showing our concurrent position!  Keep in mind this video is from a wide angle HD camera.

 

Posted At: March 23, 2007 @ 6:37 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

This is a still from the Nikon SLR...this tornado moved northward to about 1/8 of a mile from our position.  THE VIDEO IS INCREDIBLE!!!  We'll post it later tonight.  We followed this storm for about 5 hours from when it was an LP with no rain and a tiny base!!  Then, as it reached deeper moisture...all hell broke loose.  The picture above is the second tornado...the first was a large stovepipe!

Posted At: March 21, 2007 @ 10:49 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

Here are some pictures of the supercell that I chased south of Lincoln, NE.  Most of the pictures were taken from Highway 77 about 10 miles south of Lincoln.  The storm had incredible structure, but failed to produce as it was undercut by the cold front. 

Posted At: March 21, 2007 @ 5:13 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

Here is a picture taken about 15 minutes ago at around 6:00 CDT just north of I-80 just west of Lincoln, NE.  Storms have fired along a slowly moving cold front!

Posted At: March 21, 2007 @ 9:50 AM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

I'm currently in York, NE, waiting for initiation along the cold front/dryline intersection.  The instability and wind shear look quite favorable for supercells and tornadoes. 
 
Shown above is the WRF forecast CAPE for 7 pm this evening (left panel), and RUC forecast 850 mb flow for 4 pm this afternoon.  I am targeting the north side of the instability axis in southeast NE (yellow color in left image is ~2000 J/kg CAPE), where the best wind shear, instability, and low CIN coincide.  I'm expecting initation around 4 pm.  Shown below is the 4 km WRF forecast 1 hr precipitation beginning 00z this evening.  This shows explosive initiation in my target area.  STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES!!

Posted At: March 15, 2007 @ 11:18 AM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

A major trough is forecast to traverse the Southern Plains during the middle of next week, bringing a high probability for significant severe weather Wednesday and Thursday.  The 500 mb flow and dewpoint forecast for Wednesday evening are shown below.

Posted At: March 11, 2007 @ 7:25 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

This supercell developed in the Pecos Valley of TX, and moved southeastward into Mexico, where it exploded into an incredible supercell as it moved into deeper moisture.  With a massive hook echo, and strong couplet, this supercell likely had a tornado on the ground over northern Mexico. 

The road network over this part of Mexico is HORRIBLE, or several tornadoes would likely be seen here.  During the early spring, tornadic supercells are very common over this part of the country.  The storms often initiate over the mountainous terrain in the center of the Big Bend region to the west of the above supercell, and move eastward over the adjacent plains.  A low-level jet often intensifies in this area just after sunset with an upper-level storm system to the west, often resulting in favorable low-level shear for tornadoes.  One of these years, we plan on crossing the border and chasing one of these monsters!

Posted At: March 8, 2007 @ 9:05 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

I've completed the highlight video for the February 28, 2007 Eastern KS tornado event, which includes the first ever EF-4 tornado.

Posted At: March 6, 2007 @ 6:56 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

The Kansas City NWS released their damage survey from the Feb 28, 2007 nighttime tornadoes documented by TornadoVideos.net, and the rating was an EF-4 for the 1/2 mile wide wedge in Linn County, KS.  Shown below is the picture we took just before the tornado morphed into a wedge.


The damage survey map from the NWS in KC is displayed below, with our position noted with the blue arrow.  The EF-4 rating was based on the complete destruction of a single residence, garage, and several farm structures.  The EF-4 rating represents estimated winds of 166-200 mph.   For more information concerning the "Enhanced Fujita Scale", visit the following URL:
www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html

Posted At: March 2, 2007 @ 10:15 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

The damage pictures below are of the Wilcox County EF-3 tornado near Miller's Ferry, AL.  Unfortunately, there was one fatality with this tornado.




 

Posted At: March 1, 2007 @ 9:15 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

Shown below is a the only video of the very tragic Enterprise, AL tornado I could find. Sadly, 7 people lost their lives to a violent tornado in the town of Enterprise of southeast Alabama (thankfully, this has been lowered from intial reports of 18).  A news broadcast concerning this event is posted below.

The tornado occurred just after 1 pm CST, and likely produced >EF-3 damage to the Enterprise Elementary School while the students were attempting to evacuate in reponse to the tornado warnings.Shown below is the radar image from around 1:00 pm CST when Enterprise Elementary School was hit by the wedge tornado.

Posted At: March 1, 2007 @ 3:49 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

A confirmed tornado produced damage in Tuscaloosa, AL just minutes ago, and this dangerous supercell is heading straight for Birmingham!  The velocities are maxed out in the radar image below as of 15 minutes ago.  People in this area should be underground!!!



Nearly a dozen tornado warnings are currently in effect for Alabama!  This is a very dangerous situation statewide, and will likely continue for the next several hours!  As I'm writing this post, another tornado was just report just to the northeast of Tuscaloosa! 

Posted At: February 28, 2007 @ 11:26 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

Joel and I captured three large, damaging tornadoes in east-central KS Wednesday night, beginning just northeast of Colony, KS.  The wedge was up to a 1/2 mile wide, and was near Blue Mound, KS...MORE TO COME!