Cyclone Road
CHASE REPORTS
Cyclone Road
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CHASE REPORTS |
2008 CHASE REPORTS |
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2007 CHASE REPORTS2007 brought some of the highest highs and lowest lows not only of my chase career but also of my life. The year started well, with photogenic, chase-friendly storms in the early season, rare treats like Silverton and Seymour, and even the Olton, Texas intercept on April 21st. Then, in Tulia, Eric and I were struck by a high-end F2 but walked away unharmed, a small miracle. The chase season continued, though with fewer highlights, the remarkable structure on May 22nd among them. In September, we lost Eric to a
catastrophic illness. Though I
had begun chasing before I met him, I would not have forged the same
commitment without knowing someone else so engrossed in nature's
fiercest displays. Eric was always excited to talk about severe storms
and chasing any time of year. He was the person I knew would
still be out there when we were old men, and my chase logs below, year after
year and chase after chase, are testimony
to how unrecognizable spring will be without him. Yet, if, as Denis Johnson
writes, "every fist grips its gift," then Eric's final gifts to me are new
bonds with friends of his I hadn't known before, and powerfully renewed
ties with others who also travel this difficult road. |
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 Tornado strikes the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River, March 28, 2007 |
2006 CHASE REPORTSI have avoided the chase summary
for 2006 hoping the year would include a sudden surprise like 2001 when a
late fall event breathed life into the season. In 2006, however, those
events are happening far to my north, in places like South Dakota or
Minnesota. I'm no longer willing to travel that distance outside of
May or June. Hopefully, October can bring a boost to the south plains
and I'll rewrite this summary, but so far 2006 seems bound to establish
itself as one of the driest and most difficult chase years in a generation. |
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 Westminster,Texas May 9, 2006 |
2005 CHASE REPORTSThis was a tale of two chase
seasons, no question. Or maybe even three, considering April was so
productive before a meager first half of May sent me home for a long vigil
of watching computer model data and hoping the pattern would change.
When it did, I returned to the plains for the most incredible two weeks of
chasing in my life, including a grand finale of five consecutive chase days
with tornadoes on June 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12. During those five days I
witnessed approximately eighteen tornadoes. This is a stretch of
success and unrivaled luck I would never have imagined and don't anticipate
again. What can I say? 2005 was my finest chase season by virtue
of the prolific conclusion. Another few notes
about the bizarre chase year: Oklahoma recorded zero tornadoes in May, and
there were zero tornado deaths in the USA during April, May, and June.
Either of these facts alone would be extraordinary; together they astound
and will likely inspire a fresh round of anthropocentric speculation about
what human beings are doing (or failing to do) to anger or please larger
cosmic forces. A fine summary of this season is the DVD
"Storms of 2005," a co-operative
effort of more than fifty chasers with all profits going to charities and
the Red Cross. |
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 Trego, Kansas June 9, 2005 |
2003 CHASE REPORTSWhat a strange year. A frustrating beginning as the immortal First Ten Days of May raged around me, but I came up short on good imagery and satisfying chases. May 4 and May 9 were fun, and May 15 was the best day of the year for me. My first good chasing on the front range came later the next week, then a quick trip back to Nebraska in early July still didn't make up for having missed June 23 and 24 in South Dakota. 2003 was the first year I kept a blog during the trip, and it was a good way to make notes to myself for future reports and keep in touch with people wondering where I was from one minute to the next. |
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 Twin touchdown 5-15-2003 |
2001 CHASE REPORTSChased more in 2001 than ought to be legal. What was
winding up to be an above average season ended spectacularly |
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 Mountain View F3 10-9-01 |
2000 CHASE REPORTSTornadoes eluded me in 2000 like they knew I was coming. So many times I was in the right place at almost the right time. Bagged a few brief, questionable spin ups but nothing spectacular. Among the famous tornadoes I missed despite having made good forecasts to put myself in place for intercepts were Fort Worth, Texas; Olney, Texas; Brady, Nebraska; and Lake Whitney, Texas. |
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 Near Benjamin 4-30-2000 |
1999 CHASE REPORTSAfter having lived in South Florida since December 1996, I moved
back to Texas on May 18, 1999, |
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 Lake McClellan, Texas 5-20 |
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1998 CHASE REPORTSI still lived in Florida in 1998, but took a long, ridge-dominated vacation in late May. Not much luck; lots of learning. Clinton Norwood, a professional photographer and good friend of mine, accompanied us on our trip to the plains, and took more pictures of us staring into the sky than storms or tornadoes. |
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 Lots of this in 1998 |
1996 -97 CHASE REPORTSIn December of 1996, I took a job in South Florida with the idea that I would stay out of the Alley no more than two years. Obviously this cut down on my chasing drastically, particularly in 1997 since I hadn't accumulated any vacation time. I don't regret the experience at all: made some great friends and learned a lot about South Florida's unique, boundary-rich tropical environment. The narrow, unforgiving peninsula taught compelling lessons in storm interception which have served me well on the plains. |
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 Popcorn over the 'Glades |
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