Multi-day outbreak of May 25-31

[artist]

El Reno and Yukon area was hit hard. The AP is saying the Medical examiner is now stating 9 dead.

[CrazyC83]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gbgqM0JfW0[/youtube]

Here is the video of the horrible advice. The last 2 minutes especially.

[artist]

7 adults, 2 children over 100 injured, most killed were in cars

[artist]

fortunately TWC chasers were not seriously hurt, even though their vehicle was hit.

[artist]

Courtesy: Curtis Liles in Downtown OKC

Courtesy: Agsokc near NW 50th & Western

Courtesy: Trina

Courtesy: Erin near Union City

Courtesy: Cody Baker

Mother and baby killed when tornado blew their SUV off the highway near Mustang. - Lance West May 31
KFOR

[artist]

Canadian Valley Technology Center
Here is a link to video showing a wind turbine blade sitting over what was the day care center -

http://www.koco.com/news/oklahomanews/a ... index.html
told it may be a total loss.

[Ntxw]

While the advice about leaving is in question one thing is no doubt, yesterday showed that when a large tornado is heading into a major metropolitan area around rush hour you will have mass chaos on the roads regardless and little if anything anyone can do. If you haven't been in rush hour in cities like Chicago, St Louis, or Dallas even a little rain will cause mass chaos nonetheless a major tornado.

[Kalrany]

I just had a mental picture of what would happen if it were Houston. There are major stalls, accidents, and general insanity if it rain, sprinkles, is overcast, or is bright and sunny. The thought of a tornado hitting during rush hour is horrifying. The overpasses alone…. Scary thought.

[Bunkertor]

While the advice about leaving is in question one thing is no doubt, yesterday showed that when a large tornado is heading into a major metropolitan area around rush hour you will have mass chaos on the roads regardless and little if anything anyone can do. If you haven't been in rush hour in cities like Chicago, St Louis, or Dallas even a little rain will cause mass chaos nonetheless a major tornado.

Ha, you are spot on here. Every year again, i´m astonished what the difference is between a dry road and 1 inch snow.

[Bunkertor]

Here is the video of the horrible advice. The last 2 minutes especially.

I watched this station accidentaly and heard he - or another person - told the folks to head to the south.

[EF-5bigj]

Do we know how many chasers where injured/killed?

[artist]

Do we know how many chasers where injured/killed?

So far as I have heard none were killed. A couple were injured but had minor injuries.

[EF-5bigj]

Well they are lucky then.

[Tireman4]

I just had a mental picture of what would happen if it were Houston. There are major stalls, accidents, and general insanity if it rain, sprinkles, is overcast, or is bright and sunny. The thought of a tornado hitting during rush hour is horrifying. The overpasses alone…. Scary thought.

It happened. Hurricane Rita. The evacuation. Horrible. Just horrible. It was just insane...

[beoumont]

I really do not see the need to get in the path of a tornado as strong as the one's today. Mike Bette's is lucky to be alive after getting hit by such a violent tornado.

Why were so many chasers injured today anyways? Did the tornado unexpectedly come down on them? Did it take an unexpected turn? I haven't been home today so just been reading thread on my phone when I find time. What exactly happened that so many chasers to put in harms way? Obviously they got careless, but was there something more to it other than their lack of caution?

I have only chased tornadoes twice in my decades of hurricane chasing; but have talked with the most veteran of tornado chasers quite often over the years.

They always say that one should never position themselves on the east or NE side of a tornado or rotating thunderstorm. I only saw a few minutes of TWC coverage yesterday; but it appears Bettes and his two companion cars sat for quite a long time on the east side of an obvious large tornado. They "decided" to get in their cars and move only when that storm was about to overtake their position.

They are lucky to be alive, and/or not been blinded by broken glass in their eyes during their tumbling through the field over and over again. I don't think I saw any of them wearing safety goggles during their reports.

Willy-nilly attention getting on national TV; that obviously encourages others to do the same. Their attention getting brightly painted and decorated vehicle attests to their main M.O.

I am glad Bettes and co. did not get seriously injured; but they should simply follow advise from the veteran chasers they attempt to emulate, and common sense: (Thomas Paine might say: "Don't stand on a railroad track when a train is coming in your direction.").

[brunota2003]

You can get just as good pictures of the oncoming train from the side as you can from the front!

[CrazyC83]

I just had a mental picture of what would happen if it were Houston. There are major stalls, accidents, and general insanity if it rain, sprinkles, is overcast, or is bright and sunny. The thought of a tornado hitting during rush hour is horrifying. The overpasses alone…. Scary thought.

It happened. Hurricane Rita. The evacuation. Horrible. Just horrible. It was just insane...

Over 100 people died ahead of Rita, mostly in the evacuation. Only 6 died in the storm itself. And that was in sunny skies for 2 days ahead of the storm (although it was in extreme heat, which caused many fatalities), not with severe weather bearing right down on them and nowhere to go.

[Ntxw]

So far surveys has EF0s and EF1s for the immedate OKC area tornadoes. An EF3 in/near El Reno (not sure which storm but guessing the first one of the day) thus far.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/?n=events-20130531-pns

[WeatherGuesser]

Gauge at the North Canadian River near Harrah shows a rise of 15' in 15 hours:


06/01 00:30 6.06ft
06/01 00:00 6.07ft

06/01 15:30 21.01ft
06/01 15:00 21.02ft

At OKC, it rose 16' in 13 hours:

06/01 01:00 7.96ft
06/01 00:30 7.91ft

06/01 14:00 23.92ft
06/01 13:30 23.95ft

[vbhoutex]

Here is a partial explanation about what happened with the Union City, OK tornado yesterday.
http://meteorologicalmusings.blogspot.com/2013/06/comments-about-fridays-storms.html?spref=fb