Kansas EMS leader says it’s time to ponder rules for storm chasers

[proud2BlibKansan]

TOPEKA — The head of a group that represents Kansas emergency responders says it's time to consider rules for storm chasers in the wake of the deaths of three professional chasers in Oklahoma.

Three veteran chasers were killed Friday when a tornado turned on them near El Reno, Okla. Officials say the men's deaths are believed to be the first among scientific researchers while chasing tornadoes.

Brian Stone is president of the Kansas Emergency Management Association. He told WIBW Radio that the deaths are likely to prompt new study of who should be out chasing storms. He says if someone chooses to chase tornadoes, there should be rules to ensure they know what they're doing.

But Stone concedes he's not sure whether law officers could enforce such rules.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/03/4271742/kansas-ems-leader-says-its-time.html#storylink=cpy

[laundry_queen]

1. That's a somewhat ridiculous reaction

considering those killed were the best of the experts.

Can you imagine the enforcement, "Sir, you only have your Masters of Atmospheric Sciences. To chase tornadoes you need a Ph.D. You're coming with me....QUICK! Here comes the tornado!"

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I don't think ANYONE should be chasing tornadoes

Way too dangerous.

[laundry_queen]

3. Storm chasers are the reason you have advance warnings

We owe a lot to storm chasers - they put their lives on the line so people can have extended warnings that were impossible even 2 decades ago. This is what they *want* to do in order to save people. Would you order rescuers on a sea rescue helicopter not to do their job to save others because it was too dangerous?

[kestrel91316]

4. Nope. Ask any meteorologist. The reason we have early warnings

is because of fabulously accurate doppler radar and their understanding of very early tornado signatures.

Storm chasers may provide some scientific information IF they use those probe things (most don't, they just scream for video drama), but that info doesn't help with tornado prediction according to meteorologists.

[laundry_queen]

7. Have you? I'd like to see a link to a meteorologist that says the field information hasn't been

important.

The ones I've talked to (albeit they are storm chasers) say the information is essential and that many times they call in tornadoes in storms that don't even have a warning or a signature hook-echo on them. I know this from experience - having seen rotating wall clouds on storms that weren't even severe-warned. The information gathered in the field is essential - as long as there are tornadoes that form quickly, as long as there are cold-core funnels, as long as radar information isn't instantaneous, as long as there are unpredictable tornado paths, there will be a need for storm chasers.

Everyone always talks about the 'screaming' storm chasers, but very few of them do it for video drama. It's usually because the winds and hail are so loud in the vehicle. I've followed them on live stream for years, and a few get a bit excited, but shit, there's a tornado outside. I'm sure they aren't doing it for more views or anything - that's completely ridiculous. Tornadoes are exciting, and dangerous, and I'm certain it gets the adrenaline flowing. I think it's really silly to criticize them for yelling. What if they launch probes AND yell (ie Reed Timmer)? What does that make them?

[kestrel91316]

9. I don't have a link. Last year I heard a couple of meteorologists interviewed

who said exactly that.

[laundry_queen]

23. Oh, well, "I heard" a whole bunch who say opposite. nt

[kestrel91316]

10. THose wall cloud observations can be made from far enough away that nobody has to scream or die.

[Demo_Chris]

19. Incorrect. They still need trained observers on the ground. nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. We don't need to chase storms anymore.

These people USED TO serve a need. They don't anymore.

[laundry_queen]

22. Wrong

there is a lot they don't know about tornadoes and on the ground recording instruments is the only way to get that info. Radar is limited to 100 ft off the ground. There is a lot about tornado behavior that is not understood that cannot be learned from a radar. The more variables gathered in the field, the better the forecasting gets.

[snooper2]

16. luckily it's still a semi-free country

So if somebody wants to go downt a backroad at 78mph following a storm the only thing they can get is a ticket

[Warpy]

5. I doubt there was anything they could have done in that storm

The supercell stretched for miles and kept dropping new tornadoes all over the place with multiples on the ground over a period of hours.

Likely one dropped down right on top of them and they didn't have a chance to react.

[Takket]

6. yeah that's logical...

because we definately want the police pulling over storm chasers and writing them tickets while the tornado is bearing down, not checking in on civilians who suffered damage as the storm passed.

storm chasers provide a valuable service. it is a shame some paid the ultimate price for their work. the combined body of their work has saved far more lives than will ever be lost by chasers in the act of chasing.

[bullwinkle428]

11. Exactly - what a ridiculous premise, to suggest that storm chasers might be subject

to being chased around by the police when tornadoes might be touching down in a given area. I think that emergency responders have a pretty full plate in front of them when that's happening.

[randome]

8. How does one become a 'professional' storm chaser?

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[PD Turk]

12. Grab a camera

Grab a camera, get in a vehicle, chase storms and see if you can sell the footage to news or documentary producers etc. That's about it. It's a good idea to attend Skywarn classes and get certified, but not required.

[randome]

14. That's what I thought.

In other words, similar to George Zimmerman personalities, reality show wannabes basking in the attention of doing something 'dangerous' and 'important'.

They may provide useful information at times but there is no reason for people to risk their lives except for the thrills it provides them.

Most sensible people head for cover when there is a storm coming down on them.

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[PD Turk]

15. When I was a youngin'

When I was a youngin', I was a storm spotter for the county Civil Defense (Civil Defense lol, now I'm giving my age away). We were out there spotting and reporting storms in our area and there sren't very many of us. The uptick in "storm chasers" seemed to occur after the movie "Twister" came out, somehow it became some glamorous thing to go chase storms and try to get closer to a tornado than the last guy.

Now, there are a lot of guys out there doing legit research like the TWISTEX guys that got killed,and the spotters that report storms for warning purposes, but there are also a bunch of thrill seeking yahoos running around out there and there have been for quite a while now. I'm frankly amazed that these are the first chasers that have been killed by a tornado with all the idiots in the mix.

I think after this event, a lot of people in the chasing community are going to take a step back and hopefully get a fresh perspective on what they have been doing and what needs to change.

[randome]

17. I definitely did not mean to disparage ALL storm chasers.

Hope I didn't come across as insulting.

And, yes, it was the movie Twister that made it seem like a 'glamorous' activity.

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[PD Turk]

18. no worries

There are a bunch of yahoos out there that could use a little disparaging lol. And these so called "tornado chasing tours" are ill advised IMO. Wanna risk your own life? Fine, it's a free country, but charging fees to take the uninitiated along for the ride? I don't know about that, I certainly wouldn't do it.

I've watched a lot of the videos from around El Reno Friday and it was painfully obvious that a lot of people got in over their heads chasing this thing, even a lot of experienced chasers. The difference is, when the experienced guys found themselves in a bad spot, they knew it and were hauling ass out of there, hurtling past novices parked on the side of the road filming and not even realizing they were directly under a tornado.

[laundry_queen]

21. Not totally true

The more famous ones have Ph.Ds (or are working on them) in meteorology and atmospheric sciences. Yeah, there are some cowboys, but a good portion are meteorologists.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. I get it, but wrong reaction

These people have increased our understanding of the storms.

Now I can see a release of liability form, like we sign when we get press passes...to the county and state.