***2005 Tour 2 Updates***
May 12, 2005 Texas Panhandle Tornadoes
A classic tornado outbreak occurred over the southern Texas panhandle this day. Parts of Tour 1 and Tour 2 were rounded up at the hotel and taken on the chase of their lives during the arrival day. They got more than they bargained for: the group was pounded with huge hail as they viewed a large tornado to their immediate south through east. See the pictures below!
Figures and Pictures:
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| Large classic tornado just southeast of the group! | The tornado approaches F-M 689 just east of the van! | Another shot of large debris fan! | Again. |
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| Tornado ropes out. | Not much left! | As the tornado dissipates to the group's east, the intense hail core to the mesocyclone's rear overtakes the group. Hail the size of baseballs to grapefruits pounds the area and the group finds an unoccupied car port under which they seek refuge! | The aftermath. |
Roger's account of the May 12 event follows:
It was the day inbetween tours and Dr. Dave Gold rallied the troops to meet in OKC early. We didn't get out the door till 1 PM, headed southwest towards the triple point near Plainview. By 3 PM we were hearing of tornado reports and the Baron system showed a nice sup near Plainview. I thought we would get storms firing off that boundary most of the afternoon, but never figured on what we saw.
We arrived southeast of Silverton by 5 PM and watched as the eastern sup spun and tried hard, but developed outflow problems. We finally blew it off and headed through Silverton and south towards South Plains. The storm looked MONSTEROUS and very HP. As we approached 207/689 intersection a, tapered elephant trunk tornado formed just to our southwest. This tornado widened and strengthened as it moved east across 207. We SLOWLY drove south as it approached the highway, and at one point were about 200 yards north of it, getting the best contrast we could get. We had a Japanese film crew with us who had a probe similar to Tim Samaras's, and they were able to drop it in the path of this tornado. Haven't seen the footage, but it was right in the damage path with cameras pointing up and at 90 degree angles. Should be interesting to see it!!
The tornado crossed 207 and dissipated about one mile east of the highway. According to my time stamp on my camcorder, it was on the ground for 12 minutes. Many power poles were down, blocking 207, with some out buildings destroyed. It missed South Plains by about 2 miles or it could have been devastating!!! A second broad circulation developed about two miles east of the first tornado and a multivortex tornado formed. The motion in the cloud base and the tornado was horrendous!!!!! At one time I counted 4 vortices in this tornado. Then the real fun started as we were getting softball sized hailstones wrapping around the back of the tornadic circulation. It dissapated after about 5 minutes. Tim Samaras was right next to us and blasted east through the circulation as we stopped and seeked shelter in a farmer's tin carport. Then we had to sit and watch as baseball to softball sized hail took the farmhouse apart, along with trees and two windows in the van as we couldn't get i! t totally under the shelter. One of the most prolific hailstorms I have EVER witnessed. Then we took off and headed east to Childress and watched the fantastic CG display with this monster! Looking back, I wouldn't have changed ANYTHING!
UPDATE 5/21/05: I've been crushed here trying to prepare myself for my Tour 3 and Master Class tour stints, which kick off Monday May 23. Thus, I haven't had the time to do a proper update. Please see Roger Hill's site to see other amazing storms that Tour 2 has witnessed, including a monster supercell in northwestern South Dakota last evening!
May 13, 2005 northwest Texas monster supercell!
May 13 synopsis: this was the first day of Tour 2 and the group barely had time to get acquainted when we whisked them off to northwest Texas where they were treated to a humongous tornadic supercell.
May 17, 2005 North Platte, Nebraska supercell and windstorm (link doesn't work at the moment).
May 20, 2005 Buffalo, South Dakota monster supercell!
May 20 synopsis: all I can say is the group earned this storm! They drove up from Wichita, Kansas the day before, spent the night in O'Neill, Nebraska and then drove to the northwestern corner of South Dakota. Then they turned around and drove to south central South Dakota to set up for Saturday, 5/21, which has some potential (if the death cap can be broken) from Minnesota southward into northwestern Iowa/northeastern Nebraska.