Amped Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 It's difficult to tell how strong a tornado is based on its appearance. I 2nd that. It's a lot like driving into floods, and snowdrifts during a large storm.You can't really tell how bad it is until you're in it. Stupid people are the ones who think their smart enough to know these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFanatica Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I don't know what it would take to impress some of these people... I've seen tornadoes that truly do "look" weak visually, and neither this nor the Walgreens one from NC fall into that category. I have to wonder whether these people might be saying the same thing even if Moore or Greensburg were approaching them. Yeah, it doesn't look like there's much of a consistent condensation funnel, so you could argue the central pressure isn't all that low, but at the same time, it also looks like it may not be a one-celled vortex. Judging tornado strength based on looks is just a recipe for disaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baroclinic_instability Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Sounded like at least one of the children has some brains as I heard one say, "we shouldn't be in it" or something along those lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethesdaWX Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Lucky this didn't happen to them... or worse Sometimes I wonder if people aren't the stupidest species on earth, we give ourselves too much credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weatherMA Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I think he had no idea what he was getting into, TBH. I feel like few people take severe wx seriously (at least on the east coast) and because of its isolated nature people don't care. Also, I think whenever they see a TOR watch, or severe thunderstorm watch/warning and all they get is rain with a few gusts, they tend to think it was hyped up when in reality a few towns over an F2 could have ripped through. Its hard for the public to understand because they tend not to care, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder Road Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 You know what they say, North Carolina: 1st in Flight, 48th in Education Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Balti Zen Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Was it this guy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skierinvermont Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I will say it looks deceptively weak at the beginning of the video compared to the speed of the debris right before it hits them and while it's hitting them. I certainly wouldn't try to guess the intensity of a tornado except from the safety of my laptop many miles away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aslkahuna Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Lucky this didn't happen to them... or worse Sometimes I wonder if people aren't the stupidest species on earth, we give ourselves too much credit. You know what they say-the two most common things found in the Universe are the element Hydrogen and Human Stupidity. It really matters not how strong the tornado was because if you have flying debris the situation is dangerous especially if a piece comes through the windshield. It should be noted that the lowest EF rating for a tornado resulting in fatalities is 0. Flying debris in an EF0 killed a man in Florida some time back and in fact, there has even been a fatality in a DUST DEVIL due to the same cause (this in Maine). Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U_Thant Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 You know what they say-the two most common things found in the Universe are the element Hydrogen and Human Stupidity. It really matters not how strong the tornado was because if you have flying debris the situation is dangerous especially if a piece comes through the windshield. It should be noted that the lowest EF rating for a tornado resulting in fatalities is 0. Flying debris in an EF0 killed a man in Florida some time back and in fact, there has even been a fatality in a DUST DEVIL due to the same cause (this in Maine). Steve I remember this well. It was my third year at MLB and I was working the evening shift that night with another met. I'm pretty it was a storm that produced a waterspout, which then came onshore the north side of Lake O and killed a elderly deacon of some sort who lived in a really small shoebox sized (two room) home or tailer. I looked t up - May 12, 1996. http://www.tornadoproject.com/past/pastts96.htm May 12, 1996 7:12 PM F0 At Okeechobee, Florida. One person was killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PottercountyWXobserver Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I remember this well. It was my third year at MLB and I was working the evening shift that night with another met. I'm pretty it was a storm that produced a waterspout, which then came onshore the north side of Lake O and killed a elderly deacon of some sort who lived in a really small shoebox sized (two room) home or tailer. I looked t up - May 12, 1996. http://www.tornadopr...st/pastts96.htm May 12, 1996 7:12 PM F0 At Okeechobee, Florida. One person was killed. Really the Met's, you should think about being traded lmao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Lizard Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Really the Met's, you should think about being traded lmao Melbourne: Just North of the most primo hurricane territory in the US, close enough to Orlando for family driving vacations, far enough North to catch some Spring severe, inland sea breeze collissions to watch on radar, and weather warm enough for growing citrus and palms. I will say, apparently watering and covering with blankets saved my citrus this winter, but Houston, in the mid-latitudes, every cold season is a nervous time for citrus lovers. 2009 killed me, lost one of my oranges, and neighbors with Manila palms, which have no business growing in the wintry hell that is SE Texas, their trees survived. Back to tornado man, he really should be charged with reckless endangerment or whatever the local version of the law is called. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyewall Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 The Dunn tornado was rated EF-2 which isn't exactly weak. As for NC I am a transplant here and yes often the 48th in K-12 education can rear its ugly head. Thankfully NC has great colleges and vibrant high tech industries along the I-40 corridor. As for the dad he should be charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCHurricane Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 You know what they say, North Carolina: 1st in Flight, 48th in Education I think the family was originally from PA, but not 100% sure (accent isn't local). Either way, a very stupid thing to do, but to echo Josh - cool video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtRosen Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 JimCantore Jim Cantore For all that have asked about the family that drove into the #tornado RT @cfweather @wxbrad http://www.wral.com/weather/story/9475479/ Dunn, N.C. — An Apex boy traveling with his family through Harnett County on Saturday captured video of one of the tornadoes that caused devastation across much of eastern North Carolina. Michael Tursam, 12, and his family were on their way to Florida when they spotted the tornado near Interstate 95 in Dunn. "As we passed (under) an overpass, we saw the dark clouds and what appeared to be a tornado on the southwest side of I-95," the boy's father, Ken Tursam, said in an e-mail to WRAL News on Wednesday. "There was no place to pull off of the road due to the traffic." Ken Tursam said the video might make it look like they are storm chasers, but that isn't the case. "I can assure you all, (what) we were trying to do is get out of the path of the storm. I sped up, hoping to get past the worst of it," he said. Michael's parents and 9-year-old brother, Noah, were not injured. The family's vehicle had $8,800 in damage, including shattered windows and a hole in the front bumper due to rocks. “I would have continued to video the storm, but Mom and Dad told me to get down. I thought about holding my arm up and continuing to video, but I was afraid something would come through the windshield and take off my arm, and I knew I would need it," Michael said in an e-mai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Lizard Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Is he saying there was thick traffic barrelling down the road and nobody was going to slow down to avoid driving into a tornado? He'dd have been rear ended getting off the gas and pulling over? Really? Maybe the insurance company will pay for the car damage now, if he pretends he wasn't thrill seeking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFanatica Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 "There was no place to pull off of the road due to the traffic." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlehurricane Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Is there some back story to this? I'm trying to decide whether dad was trying to drive them into the tornado or trying to get away from it after realizing it was too close. I think that's obviously what happened, but he didn't know what he was doing so he drove right into it. He could have drove in the other direction and would've been fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PottercountyWXobserver Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Melbourne: Just North of the most primo hurricane territory in the US, close enough to Orlando for family driving vacations, far enough North to catch some Spring severe, inland sea breeze collissions to watch on radar, and weather warm enough for growing citrus and palms. I will say, apparently watering and covering with blankets saved my citrus this winter, but Houston, in the mid-latitudes, every cold season is a nervous time for citrus lovers. 2009 killed me, lost one of my oranges, and neighbors with Manila palms, which have no business growing in the wintry hell that is SE Texas, their trees survived. Back to tornado man, he really should be charged with reckless endangerment or whatever the local version of the law is called. Lol I know what you mean, but nobody got my joke .....MLB as in Major League Baseball and Mets as in NYC.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsentropicLift Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 At some point commen sense has to take over. One of the cardianal rules of tornado safety is that you should never try to "outrun" a tornado. I can tell you one thing, up here in the NYC area the general public has no concept of severe weather. If we ever got an outbreak up this way, the number of fatalities would be through the roof. They don't even completely activate EAS up here like you see in other parts of the county, which I'll never understand. South Jersey yes, north Jersey no. You may see it come accross on TWC or one of the local stations, but thats about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catoctin wx Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Lol I know what you mean, but nobody got my joke .....MLB as in Major League Baseball and Mets as in NYC.... I got the joke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PottercountyWXobserver Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I got the joke Haha I'm only pickin, lol Met's are the only team I could fit the joke with weather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weatherMA Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 JimCantore Jim Cantore For all that have asked about the family that drove into the #tornado RT @cfweather @wxbrad http://www.wral.com/.../story/9475479/ Dunn, N.C. — An Apex boy traveling with his family through Harnett County on Saturday captured video of one of the tornadoes that caused devastation across much of eastern North Carolina. Michael Tursam, 12, and his family were on their way to Florida when they spotted the tornado near Interstate 95 in Dunn. "As we passed (under) an overpass, we saw the dark clouds and what appeared to be a tornado on the southwest side of I-95," the boy's father, Ken Tursam, said in an e-mail to WRAL News on Wednesday. "There was no place to pull off of the road due to the traffic." Ken Tursam said the video might make it look like they are storm chasers, but that isn't the case. "I can assure you all, (what) we were trying to do is get out of the path of the storm. I sped up, hoping to get past the worst of it," he said. Michael's parents and 9-year-old brother, Noah, were not injured. The family's vehicle had $8,800 in damage, including shattered windows and a hole in the front bumper due to rocks. “I would have continued to video the storm, but Mom and Dad told me to get down. I thought about holding my arm up and continuing to video, but I was afraid something would come through the windshield and take off my arm, and I knew I would need it," Michael said in an e-mai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbutts Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 All I have to say is take 5 minutes in virtualdub to rotate the video if you can't be bothered to hold your icrap in landscape when taking a movie. Can't stand people posting sideways movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpion Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I wanna drive into a tornado that sounds awesome. Gotta put that on my bucket list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master of Disaster Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 wow, every time I watch a video like this my faith in humanity gets lower and lower Best reply of this thread and its been a general feeling I have had this week, especially after me and several guests were robbed at my own party last Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cory Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 This is at least the 4th video I've seen of someone driving dangerously close to (or getting inside of) a tornado from the NC outbreak on Saturday. What's the cause of all this? Are NC residents really that uneducated to the danger of severe weather? If so they need to make this a class in high school, and fast! I think a lot of that crap started with the movie Twister. People think they can just waltz up to a tornado as if it's a static spinning cloud with no inflow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacoman25 Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 We only see videos of the ones that survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpartyOn Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 What a putz! Funny that the kid seems to know more about the Tornado than the father. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmboy Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 The most amazing thing to me is that the guy's wife isn't screaming at him to slow down or stop. Interesting family dynamic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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