Topic: Tornado Intercept

[Downlinerz2]

   For those interested, the National Geographic Channel has a program called "Tornado Intercept" at 8:00-10:00pm.  It follows the Tornado Intercept Vehicle as it chases down it's prey.
                       Mark

[StormChase Group]

I think that TIV is cool, I noticed the tornadovideos.net folks made themselves a TIV-Like vehicle as well, I wonder if it will start a trend with other chasers?!

[wxtech]

I think that TIV is cool, I noticed the tornadovideos.net folks made themselves a TIV-Like vehicle as well, I wonder if it will start a trend with other chasers?!

A vehicle like the TIV may give the chasers a false sense of security and they may venture into the tornado path.  We saw a video of a train tangling with a tornado, the train lost.  The TIV should have an auger instead of claws.  It could then set a piling to hang on to.

[Downlinerz2]

   I think they have got to be crazy!! The TIV I saw is nothing but a
heavily beefed up F-450 truck that weighs 15,000 pounds according to Wikipedia.  They say there is a TIV2 also.  According to Wikipedia they are able to withstand an EF0-EF3! I believe that an EF3 has winds up to 165mph. Again I say "they have GOT to be nuts"!!!  JMO  Sometimes it is a fine line that divides bravery and NUTS!    If you survive you are brave.  If you get killed-you were nuts!

[StormChase Group]

I'd never drive something like that into a tornado. I am just worried amateur chasers are gonna make some homemade version of the TIV and kill themselves

[Downlinerz2]

 

I'd never drive something like that into a tornado. I am just worried amateur chasers are gonna make some homemade version of the TIV and kill themselves

You are probably right to worry!!  Almost anything that shows up on TV seems to be an open invitation to some to do the "Home" version.  Maybe someone will make DIY kits.

[GvlSkywarnNCS]

I just hope the TIV has it's A/V recordings well protected so we can see the blood and hear the screams afterwards as they realize that driving into a tornado might not have been a good idea- which might be their last regret if they find an EF 3 or bigger. I respect the storm chasers but all the rest of them that I'm aware of has enough sense to know when it was time for the brave to take a bow and exit the stage. They would have done the rest of us better to spend the same money on a fleet of regular vehicles and deployable sensor packages but hey, this is America and you can be suicidally unintelligent here whenever you want to 

Only survivors have a story to tell; the one story of all the rest is to learn from their mistake. Bravery is knowing the risk and accepting it; stupidity is knowing the risk and not belieiving it.

Phil

[Downlinerz2]

   My thoughts exactly!  Seems like there is plenty of videos around of cars and trucks flying through the air!!   

[Chris H.]

I just hope the TIV has it's A/V recordings well protected so we can see the blood and hear the screams afterwards as they realize that driving into a tornado might not have been a good idea- which might be their last regret if they find an EF 3 or bigger. I respect the storm chasers but all the rest of them that I'm aware of has enough sense to know when it was time for the brave to take a bow and exit the stage. They would have done the rest of us better to spend the same money on a fleet of regular vehicles and deployable sensor packages but hey, this is America and you can be suicidally unintelligent here whenever you want to 

Only survivors have a story to tell; the one story of all the rest is to learn from their mistake. Bravery is knowing the risk and accepting it; stupidity is knowing the risk and not belieiving it.

Phil

I think they've said before that they wouldn't exactly drive into a tornado if the wind was at or higher than a certain speed. I could be dreaming here though..   but still..there is a certain level of common sense and a sense of reality that a storm chaser will acknowledge before he does anything..instinct might be the right word

[blackjack52]

If I recall, they won't intercept >EF2; the rationale of having the dedicated dopp. But still, I've seen dopp indicate no shear or TVS when a TOR was coming through our neighborhood. Those damn stealth TORs. Now they use radar reflectance.

[Downlinerz2]

   

If I recall, they won't intercept >EF2; the rationale of having the dedicated dopp. But still, I've seen dopp indicate no shear or TVS when a TOR was coming through our neighborhood. Those damn stealth TORs. Now they use radar reflectance.

    To plan on staying out of anything over EF2 is one thing.  Doing it another.  Once the excitement reaches a peak and the adrenalin is pumping they might just decide to "go for it".  Reality shows like "Worlds dumbest criminals" and "Worlds worst drivers", teach us that things just have a way of going out of control.  I really hope they manage to keep to the plans.

[Mark / Ohio]

Thing too is a tornado, along with hurricanes or any major storm especially super cells are the next thing to a living and breathing thing less actual intelligence in my book.  What they do one minute might not be what they do the next as they are in a constant state of change as they travel over different terrain.  Until we learn how to turn them on and off as well as adjust their power like a ceiling fan, claiming to know exactly what is going on inside of one at any given time as far as wind speed is more arrogance then wisdom.  IMHO  

[SlowModem]

I didn't realize it but my wife had put Tornado Intercept on her Netflix cue so we watched it tonight.  I really didn't know what to expect, because I never watch those storm chaser shows on TV.  It was ok, and I'll bet that TIV was uncomfortable.  But they made Hays, KS their base of operations and I told my wife, "Hey!  I know somebody from Hays that's on the Weather Forum!"  I guess that was the highlight of the film.

[cospringswx]

I didn't realize it but my wife had put Tornado Intercept on her Netflix cue so we watched it tonight.  I really didn't know what to expect, because I never watch those storm chaser shows on TV.  It was ok, and I'll bet that TIV was uncomfortable.  But they made Hays, KS their base of operations and I told my wife, "Hey!  I know somebody from Hays that's on the Weather Forum!"  I guess that was the highlight of the film.

That would be me!