Ever seen a tornado?

[Ó Flannagáin]

These news stories recently brought back my facination with tornados. I've never seen one before, always wanted to. I'm moving to north texas, border of Oklahoma in a bit, so maybe I'll get to see one.

Anyone here seen one? Had a crazy experience with one?

 

[Ryanh1801]

I have seen a Few. Nothing to crazy though. Moving to North Texas you will get to see a few just give it time.

 

[TxBrew]

I've seen a dust tornado in the desert. Like a really mini tornado, wouldn't lift a person off the ground.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

You don't want to see one. I saw a waterspout while I was fishing on a local lake and a storm came up out of nowhere. I damn near bought it that day.

 

[Orpheus]

That video would have had me in need of a new pair of underpants!

 

[Ryanh1801]

This is a big one.

 

[Ryanh1801]

I've seen a dust tornado in the desert. Like a really mini tornado, wouldn't lift a person off the ground.

If you are ever in between Lubbock and Midland in the sumer you will see some huge dust devils, IM talking a few hundred feet tall, Its pretty cool. They wont lift you off the ground but they will make you feel like you are being sand blasted.

 

[user 574]

I saw a big one in Indiana when I was a kid (7). Scary stuff especially at that age. Many a times heading into the basement with the alarms going off in WI. Now all I see is dust devils out here.

 

[the_bird]

Didn't see it, but we had one come very close to the house in Vermont about a decade ago. I remember the trees in the yard going horizontally. Couldn't actually see it because it was over the crest of the hill, in another field, but it was within a couple hundred yards of the house. They are very rare out by us, and we didn't really know how close it was until after the fact (we went into the basement long after the most dangerous time).

 

[Jaybird]

I useto live on Lake Hartwell GA my house was on a penninsula, the body of water in front of my house was called tornado alley. I could sit on my dock and watch the tornados and the water funnels. I searched the history of my penninsula and it hadent been hit in over 80 years. That was a good time. they sound wicked when they touch down in the water.
JJ

 

[loopmd]

I've seen 4 of them personally. Lived in Nebraska all my life and 3 of the 4 were in the last 3 years. No one come to visit me for a few months....they are coming through here regularly this time of year. Scary stuff.


Loop

 

[rdwj]

I've seen three - one BIG one and two smaller ones; two of them were on the same day. We had one last week in Illinois that hit the subdivision right next to mine. It was about 3 blocks from my house. It was a tiny one that did minimal damage.

 

[Big Al]

Lived in Tulsa, OK for a year after I graduated. Saw 1 nasty one when I was driving out to the Sand Dunes in Wynona. About scared the bejeezus out of me but thankfully it was headed the other way. No desire to ever see one in real life again. I'll stick to Jersey where the people are crazy and not the weather thanks!

 

[Willsellout]

While driving cross country and into COlorado I encountered a storm and had tornado's landing behind me as I drove. They were mostly little ones, but it was cool as hell.


Dan

 

[kb9vzh]

I have seen one in my life. On 4/20/2004 I was out on a normal day as a weather spotter for LaSalle Co. IL. We were receiving reports over amature radio of a tornado heading north east in my direction. The clouds and heavy rain surrounded the funnel and was not visable until it was 1/2 mile away as it came out of Utica, IL. I followed within 1/4 mile for about 5 min and it spun off into two seperate tornados as it crossed IL RT. 6 then merged back into one as it crossed I-80 near IL mile 89. It disipated and the storm continued to track notheast to Sheridan, IL. Thats a day Ill never forget. The Illinois State Cop I passed doing 90MPH did not even bother stopping me. Good chance he was cleaning he **** from his pants. After going back to the Utica area to set up a temporaty communications system I headed home for a few or more brews.

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

While driving cross country and into COlorado I encountered a storm and had tornado's landing behind me as I drove. They were mostly little ones, but it was cool as hell.


Dan

That's what I'm talking about. Tornados are such an amazing feat of nature, I just want to experience one in RL once. From a distance of course.

 

[david_42]

I was born in northern Illinois & saw several every year. I've also seen water spouts over the Pacific. Actually watched one form and set down in Sunnyvale, CA (which very rarely gets them).

 

[Cheesefood]

I've seen three - one BIG one and two smaller ones; two of them were on the same day. We had one last week in Illinois that hit the subdivision right next to mine. It was about 3 blocks from my house. It was a tiny one that did minimal damage.

I saw the BIG one (1991? 1992?) that hit when I was in high school. I knew two kids my age who were killed in it. It totalled a neighboring high school where my sister was headed for a tennis match. Messed up my town like nothing I've ever seen. It took almost 5 years to clean up MOST of the damage.

I've actually seen several others, but that was the big one. In the early 90's, my (and Rdwj's and Rhoobs and others) home towns were repeatedly hit with tornados several times each summer. Hard to explain what it's like to live through stuff like that.

EDIT: slow loading, but here are some pictures:
http://www.plainfieldema.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=4665

 

[uwmgdman]

Since I am an occasional storm chaser, yes I have. Most have been relatively weak ones, the strongest was an F3, the damage assessment the next day was equally amazing.

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

F3 is big. I want to be a part time storm chaser. Do you get some good money for the footage?

 

[uwmgdman]

I actually never have sold anything, in fact I take still pictures. Another person I go with has a camcorder. I just love seeing supercells and tornadoes, it never gets old.

 

[kb9vzh]

F3 is big. I want to be a part time storm chaser. Do you get some good money for the footage?

It depends on the footage and who your selling it too. I have not sold any yet. I am sure if it wipes out a town and CNN or another major media company wants the video or photos, they will pay good to get it. Always sell to the highest bidder becouse once you sell it, they will all buy it from each other.

 

[Rhoobarb]

I was living in Wrigleyville when the big one hit Plainfield in 1990, but I took a drive and saw the aftermath. Brutal and sobering. Huge 100+ year old oak trees with roots bigger than the actual tree uprooted and laying sideays on the ground as if they were carefully placed there by some giant hand. And I'll never get over how fiberglass insulation seemed to be everywhere!

I lived in Tulsa as a kid and only saw one my entire life, when I was ~12 yrs. old. It materialized during a wicked thunderstorm. One minute the sky was an iridescent green, then purple, then almost black. That's when we saw it. It was far enough away and never touched the ground, yet it felt too close for comfort and scared the hell out of me.