stevestorms last chase day final report

[stevestorms]

Hi all, well all good things must come to an end and today was our last chase day, the lighting and thunder continue to crash overhead we have been in a Tornado warning and now severe Tstorm watch although the main line has passed us by now the last 2 days have been great! we hooked up with our Oklahoma Pal David Ewoldt for these 2 days, I tell yer what! this bloke knows his way around Super Cells !!! we have been diving in and out punching cores and all sorts to gain position, the result--Tornado number 4 on Tuesday and the best structure many people would have ever ever seen pics when I get home, I have stacks!!! Wednesday we had a near Tornado it tried so hard and again Dave got us in the right spot strong rotation and feed into the Meso but touch down was not to be great funnels ect but no number 5 am I getting greedy??? our best chase year ever! and some wonderful pictres and video..

Highlites for me--- well the Tornados of course, strutures, great mouth drying chases huge Hail and a great road trip with James Pete and Tom and Dave, the most memorable moment has to be Greenburg Kansas, after a great chase part of which we were sitting in Greensburg for three and half hours before moving south some 80 miles we were on the very cell which produced the first EF5 Tornado, the most destructive Tornado since May 3rd 99 as we ended our day and headed for our hotel In Pratt Kansas we decided theat we have a peep down the road towards what seemed a very unusual event, we got within 8 miles of the Tornado and that was close enough!! I was driving and even though I was slowing the car on the brakes it was being tugged down the road!!! when we stopped and got out we were exposed to a constant deep roar as trees were bent over near us being sucked into the Huge mile and half Killer Tornado. I cant put into words what I and the chaps experenced, you have seen the pictures you realy cant imagine what must have happened to them poor people and that town (WE WERE 8 MILES AWAY AND IT WAS PULLING THE CAR DOWN THE ROAD)

I leave you with a great still taken by Pete Scott aka Pete The Brit of Our Tornado on Tuesday.

Edited May 24, 2007 by stevestorms

[Nick F]

Incredible tornado shot there Steve, what a way to round off your chase tour! Thanks again. A good May 2007 chase had by all I think, despite a quiet week recently.

[stevestorms]

Cheers Nick we are all knackered and want to come home now :-)

[Somerset Squall]

That is a stunning shot of a tornado Steve!

[Supacell]

Incredible shot, must have been awesome to see it in real life!

[Louby]

What a shot! very nice Steve.

[Jonnymac]

Truely awseome!

Maybe I'll get some of me own when i can save enough dollars!

[Joneseye]

Stunning shot - absolutely love the effect the lush greenery in front has on the shot..

[Paul Sherman]

Ok Ok, Tell Pete he has converted me to RAW Now Steve Really brings out what you see in front of you that Jpg cannot!! When you Chase with Dave you know if A Tornado is going to drop you will be on it, absolutely awesome Chaser, nearly got me killed by Lightning last year but Hey Ho. Have a Safe trip back guys, great Images this year and the Tors were a BIG Bonus this year, dont want to worry you but put your fleeces on as the temp could be as low as 12c by Monday

Paul Sherman

[stevestorms]

12c!!! whats that? we are now packing up at the Super8 in Woodward Oklahoma, kind of sad we have probably seen our last storm of the trip last night from our hotel :-( but after 3 weeks we are all tired although smiles on our faces, looking forward to returning to our familys and homes.

Making our way to OKC this morning for shopping a decent hotel and dekit our wagon, which has the drivers side window blown out by a passing truck (air presure we think) flights are tomorrow leaving OKC at around lunchtime to Dallas and then DFW around teatime to fly into the night and back out again landing at Gatwick around 0800 Saturday.

Will post up some pics next week after I recover.

Signing off from the USA. Steve