Sunday, November 8, 2009
Come Meet Your Local Storm Chases!! Adam Lucio, Dannel Neal, Matthew Cumberland!
Come Out A Join Us November 15th 2009 At South Elgin Best Buy! Come share your stories as we share ours! Check out the possiblites with the lastest Technology and what you can do! Also there will be some savings within the store you can't beat that!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Reflecting Back On 2009 Season
I find myself after this last disappointment from Mother Nature reflecting back on Storm Season 2009. For most it was a disappointing season....For me it has been one of the best seasons yet. I met some great people, made a few new friends, I also had the opportunity to bring others along to enjoy the thrill of the chase and experience what I am able to each season. What truly topped of this season was May 13th Edina MO chase. I intercepted a Tornadic Cell which produced a tornado in Edina, I was out with fellow chasers who from all over Il. and ever a few from other states. (check out more on Edina MO Chase - http://hewsphotography.blogspot.com/2009/05/edina-mo-may-13th-chase.html )
Later in the season I intercepted another Tornatic Cell which just a few minuets before produced two tornadoes in Elburn Il. I met the home owners and offered my help with the clean up from the damage. The home owners allowed me to survey the damage and I gained a even deeper respect for Mother Nature with the effects it can have on our lives. This drew me in even closer than I have been for the past 10 years...It is amazing what in the grand scheme of things a relatively weak Tornado; how much damage can be done. That is the mystery though, that is what brings me and all of the others chasers back year after year, pushing to get closer and closer each year and find out any details to the puzzle so we can help protect and educate those around us to what may save a life some day.
We are all out here for our own reasons; to photograph or film the wondrous beauty of Mother Nature, to educate ourselves and others around us, to protect our communities or just simply the pure thrill of the chase...but we are all united and come back year after year and share our stories to those around us and look forward to the next year. Sometimes nothing else matters but that next possible chase, myself I continue to go to bed night after night thinking about that next chase or next season; reflecting back on what I can do differently. Come next year I look forward to gathering up all of my gear, filling up that tank of gas and calling up a few new friends to hit the road. Thank you to all of those that supported me this season; those I met and provided me with that extra bit of knowledge and allowed me to follow along in their steps.
The finale to this season still lies ahead; I am putting together a event at my work to bring people together and educate the communities that surround. This will also provide a chance for everyone to see how we use new technology to support what we do. I invite everyone to come out and see Adam Lucio, Danny Neal, myself and possibly more to come and hear about all of our experiences. Here's to next season everyone, I'll see ya out on the road...
Here are a few photos from this past season chases:
Friday, August 21, 2009
Elburn IL. Tornado Damage Survey 8.19.09
I visited the reported area where the Tornado touched down. At this point I was positive that it was not a tornado but a microburst or straight line winds. I spoke with the home owners who were working with their insurance company trying to sort out things. They were gracious enough to allow me to walk throughout their property and take photos.
After viewing the damage I will admit it had a damage path that clearly resembled a tornado rather than straight line winds. The national weather center also confirmed there was two tornadoes. They had aerial view of the damage path the extended 40 yards wide and produced winds up to 105MPH. I am a little saddened that a tornado was so close to home and I was not there before this home was hit. I may have been able to provide further advanced warnings compared to the few mins. he had to get his kids to the basement.
Also as to yesterdays blog....In Huntley IL. there is video of a funnel cloud, so I stand corrected once again. There was a lot I learned from this chase, neither one of these storms showed any indication of a tornado, however it seems within the 5min. loop of radar this storms produced and I was unable to view it. Also I typically stick to radar, however again I realize now I need to expand to other options of GR3 to view different types of storms to see more clearly as to what may be going on......
Here are the paths the tornadoes took:
These photos were taken by the EF1 on the lower left side of the photo. As the tornado passed over RT 47 it passed over two homes. The photos below were taken from the home on the SE side of the tornado, which had larger damage.
After viewing the damage I will admit it had a damage path that clearly resembled a tornado rather than straight line winds. The national weather center also confirmed there was two tornadoes. They had aerial view of the damage path the extended 40 yards wide and produced winds up to 105MPH. I am a little saddened that a tornado was so close to home and I was not there before this home was hit. I may have been able to provide further advanced warnings compared to the few mins. he had to get his kids to the basement.
Also as to yesterdays blog....In Huntley IL. there is video of a funnel cloud, so I stand corrected once again. There was a lot I learned from this chase, neither one of these storms showed any indication of a tornado, however it seems within the 5min. loop of radar this storms produced and I was unable to view it. Also I typically stick to radar, however again I realize now I need to expand to other options of GR3 to view different types of storms to see more clearly as to what may be going on......
Here are the paths the tornadoes took:
These photos were taken by the EF1 on the lower left side of the photo. As the tornado passed over RT 47 it passed over two homes. The photos below were taken from the home on the SE side of the tornado, which had larger damage.
Huntley IL. Storm Chase 8.19.09
Tornado Warnings blared as I left my home to get on the road. I realized as I listened to the tornado sirons this would be a very interesting chase.
I viewed GR3 and saw nothing on radar....I mean nothing! It looked like a blob of rain, but yet the sirons were going off. I was absolutly confused on this chase! On the road I ran into some fellow chasers who as well were confused and could not spot anything remotely resembling severe weather.
I continued north to interecept another cell which had claims of producing a tornado off of RT47 and RT64. I ran into Ben and Cliff who were heading in the same direction as I was, north to Huntley. As we entered Huntley IL. the tornado sirons stared to blair again! We were in awe as we looked around and saw nothing again! Blue patch there, another blue patch there, light rain and NOTHING on radar...
At this point we wanted to continue north on RT47, however Ben at this point realized he had a flat tire and he could not continue. I travled a bit north to see if I could view anything and saw a small shelf, but nothing else. There were many low lying scud clouds resembling a possible funnel cloud but nothing else.
I pulled back around and headed back to Ben and Cliff to see what help I could be. Local law enforcment pulled up to use to check to see if we were ok. We spoke to them for awhile about the sirens going off and we how we were unsure as to why they went off. Turns out the public had reported funnel clouds, which I'm sure were just low lying scud clouds.
After Ben fixed his flat, we knew we couldn't meet back up to the "severe storm" that continued north. So we headed back to view the damage of the possible tornado that was reported. I was fixed on the thought that it had to have been straight line winds or a possible microburst. (However after viewing the damage today, I realized it was in fact a tornado). We couldn't get down the road to view the damage as there was down power lines. So at this point we called it and heading home.
I viewed GR3 and saw nothing on radar....I mean nothing! It looked like a blob of rain, but yet the sirons were going off. I was absolutly confused on this chase! On the road I ran into some fellow chasers who as well were confused and could not spot anything remotely resembling severe weather.
I continued north to interecept another cell which had claims of producing a tornado off of RT47 and RT64. I ran into Ben and Cliff who were heading in the same direction as I was, north to Huntley. As we entered Huntley IL. the tornado sirons stared to blair again! We were in awe as we looked around and saw nothing again! Blue patch there, another blue patch there, light rain and NOTHING on radar...
At this point we wanted to continue north on RT47, however Ben at this point realized he had a flat tire and he could not continue. I travled a bit north to see if I could view anything and saw a small shelf, but nothing else. There were many low lying scud clouds resembling a possible funnel cloud but nothing else.
I pulled back around and headed back to Ben and Cliff to see what help I could be. Local law enforcment pulled up to use to check to see if we were ok. We spoke to them for awhile about the sirens going off and we how we were unsure as to why they went off. Turns out the public had reported funnel clouds, which I'm sure were just low lying scud clouds.
After Ben fixed his flat, we knew we couldn't meet back up to the "severe storm" that continued north. So we headed back to view the damage of the possible tornado that was reported. I was fixed on the thought that it had to have been straight line winds or a possible microburst. (However after viewing the damage today, I realized it was in fact a tornado). We couldn't get down the road to view the damage as there was down power lines. So at this point we called it and heading home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)