On the loss of Tim and Paul Samaras and Carl Young

It was just yesterday afternoon (June 1) that a bunch of "weather weenies" and I were standing around discussing chaser philosophy.  The discussion was prompted by the Oklahoma City/El Reno tornadoes the night before, which at the time we knew had killed 9 people.

The reason chasers were being discussed, however, was because of news that The Weather Channel's own Mike Bettes had been in a TWC chase vehicle that had been rolled by the EF-3 when it made an unexpected hard left turn, catching many chase teams off guard. Multiple videos had also surfaced of chasers seemingly "pushing the limits" in their pursuit of glory.

While Mike was only slightly injured, thank goodness, our informal group agreed that we were getting closer and closer to the day when a chaser would lose their life to their passion, which so far had not happened. In fact, one person commented "I'm surprised it has happened yet this year."  Little did we know that that day had already occurred...

Of the nine confirmed deceased in the Oklahoma City metro on Friday night, three were renowned storm chaser/scientist Tim Samaras, son Paul Samaras, and chase partner Carl Young.  Tim was a veteran tornado, lightning, and hail chaser who had many scientific accomplishments on his record.  He had engineered "turtle" probes that were placed in the path of a tornado in order to get meteorological data from inside the storm. And recently he had worked on "The Kahuna" - a mega-camera housed in a nondescript white trailer that recorded lightning strikes at up to one million frames per second in order to further the science surrounding these magnificent bolts of electricity. Tim holds a Guinness World Record for recording the greatest pressure drop inside a tornado - an astounding 100 millibars - with one of his probes.  Tim and Carl, his chase partner of 10 years, had been featured on Discovery Channel's series "Storm Chasers."

Tim, Paul, and Carl. Photo credit: abcnews.com

Spotters with their GPS's on pay tribute to Tim, Paul , and Carl. Image credit: James Spann.

Last July, I had the distinct pleasure of listening to Tim and fellow chaser Chris Chittick speak at DASCCON-1, a severe weather workshop and conference in Jackson, TN.  I was able to meet Tim as he gave me and several other attendees a tour of "The Kahuna."  It was the first time the mega-camera had been on display to the general public.

Though I was certain I was in the presence of greatness, he was down-to-earth and very easy to talk to and obviously passionate and excited about his newest project. As we walked through the back of the truck where The Kahuna sat, he eagerly described how it worked and the scientific questions he hoped to be able to answer with it - namely filming in ultra-high-speed the moment a lightning strike was born.  This singular experience has given me high respect for his work and Tim as an individual.  He spoke to each and every person that came by, signed autographs, and took pictures with everyone that wanted one with him.

Myself and Tim Samaras at DASCCON-1, July 28, 2012

Below is a very well done tribute video put together by the Day family of northeast MS (@5stormchasers) that includes several pics taken at DASCCON-1.



Rest in peace Tim, Paul, and Carl.  The weather community mourns with your families, but we are confident that by now you have unlocked the secrets of the atmosphere that, with time, you would have discovered on your own through your dedicated research.

Additional links:
National Geographic bio on Tim Samaras
"Storm Chasers" tribute to Tim and Carl
The Weather Channel's tribute to Tim, Paul, and Carl

--Erik Proseus
Owner, Cirrus Weather Solutions, LLC
Founder/Meteorologist, MemphisWeather.net

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Upcoming weather events for all ages!

Mid-Southerners have TWO FREE weather events that they can take part in over the coming week and a half - one for kids (with parents/guardians) and one for all ages!

DASCCON-1

First, this Saturday (July 28) at Union University in Jackson, TN, the Dixie Alley Storm Chase Team, in conjunction with the National Weather Service and local Emergency Management Agencies, will be putting on a regional severe weather workshop that is free and open to the public.  DASCCON-1 runs from 8:00am-5:30pm and features SKYWARN spotter training classes, exhibits and demos of weather instrumentation and radar products, keynote addresses by nationally-known storm chasers Tim Samaras (Twistex) and Chris Chittick (TornadoVideos.net), a storm chaser car show, amateur radio license testing, a technology expo, and more! Learn more about the event, including seeing a tentative schedule of events and list of appearances, by visiting the DASCCON-1 website. Click the logo below for more information.

FOX 13 Weather Camp

Second, FOX 13 will be presenting their 2nd annual FREE Mid-South Weather Camp on Saturday, August 4, from 9am to noon at Agricenter International.  Parents or guardians can bring their 2nd through 6th graders for a Saturday morning of weather excitement just as the school year gets ready to kick off! Campers will be enjoying hands-on weather experiments and demonstrations and they’ll be able to visit with the FOX 13 weather team. Campers will also see exhibits and interactive experiences with hosts: the National Weather Service, the FedEx Meteorology Department, the Agricenter, the Shelby County Health Department, and the Shelby County Office of Preparedness.  Children must be registered in advance - click the logo below to go to FOX 13's Weather Camp website to learn more and register!  If it is anything like last year, Weather Camp promises to be a fantastic and fun-filled event!

Feel free to share this information with friends and relatives in the area!  Both events can accommodate a large number of people - the more the merrier!

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Mid-South storm chasers injured while providing aid

Storm chasers Brandon Bridges (standing) and Vincent Webb after a scary interstate accident.
Photo courtesy Vincent Webb.

On their way back from a day of chasing in the Plains, in which they videoed at least one tornadic storm, Mid-South storm chasers Vincent Webb and Brandon Bridges were struck by a vehicle on I-40 near Fort Smith, AR on Sunday afternoon, April 15.

Webb (@msstormchasing on Twitter) and Bridges (@bbridges18) were traveling in Webb's storm chase vehicle on I-40 with Jeremy Johnson (@memphisjdj) and Nick Hellums (@midsouthchasers) on their way back to the Memphis area and reached a stretch of I-40 that had experienced showers. They encountered a rollover accident on the opposite site of the interstate and pulled over to offer assistance. After crossing the interstate by foot, Bridges and Webb were helping the motorist in the rollover vehicle when another vehicle hydroplaned and careened towards the scene. Both Bridges and Webb tried to get out of the way, but were struck by the approaching vehicle and thrown several feet into the grass along the interstate.  Johnson and Hellums were bystanders and not injured.  Both Webb and Bridges were transported to the hospital for precautionary purposes with minor injuries.  Their chase vehicle, owned by Webb, was on the opposite side of the interstate and not involved.

I spoke with Bridges by phone Sunday afternoon and he indicated that their injuries were minor and he hoped that they would be back in the Memphis area very late tonight.

Following the recent death of storm chaser Andy Gabrielson, we are again reminded that the storms themselves are only one threat chasers face as they attempt to provide a service to the community and the National Weather Service by providing reports of severe weather that aid in the protection of life and property. Frequently, as in this case, they are "first responders" on the scene after disaster strikes and are always ready to call off the chase to provide assistance wherever required. Please keep all of these chasers in your prayers.

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