Storm Chasers Tim Samaras, His Son, and Carl Young Killed In Oklahoma Tornado on Friday

Many of you will know Tim Samaras from Discovery Channel’s ‘Storm Chasers’, but news is coming into TheWeatherSpace.com that he, his son, and chaser Carl Young were among the people killed in Friday’s El Reno EF3 Tornado.

Respected storm chasers have confirmed it. Samaras has not posted on his Facebook or Twitter Account since then leading even more suspicion that the news is true. Even further, Samaras and myself exchange e-mails after every chase event to see how things went and if a story can be written. I’ve yet to hear from him and I always get something back after a chase, even late at night.

Samaras was known for his company Twistex. Twistex designed probes that would measure a tornado’s environment. However one thing about these probes is one has to get out and put it directly in the path of the tornado and then get out of there before it picks you up as well. This was very similar to the 1996 hit blockbuster ‘Twister’, in-which the ‘Dorothy’ probes were taken off trucks and put in the tornado’s path.

Friday’s tornado was a dangerous tornado because it suddenly turned north toward the group of chasers, unexpectedly. This happens when the tornadic storm cycles, it pulls the tornado north into the core. The tornado of Greensburg 2007 was another example of one that made sharp turns as it occluded into the supercell.

Those of you who might say he deserved it and be mean about it … and yes there are people like that out there.  Samaras would stop to see if any storm chaser was okay. He would stop a chase if a chaser needed help with starting their car or even hurt. He wasn’t just out there for kicks like 98% of chasers today are. He was a friend to everyone in the chaser community and everyone out of it, like myself.

One thing I want to add is I am shocked simply because he put safety first and I would swear Timmer would have gone before him. The tornado took a hard north turn and this likely made a no way out situation for the team, the same turn that took out the weather channel’s team. This turn was sharp and unpredictable … Among the ones who passed was Paul Samaras (Tim’s Son), and Carl Young, another storm chaser.

I remember that morning seeing the potential for dangerous tornadoes. I reminded people on TheWeatherSpace.com Facebook to take my forecast seriously. Violent tornadoes were expected and I issued the Enhanced Tornado Watch 005. It was the first watch issued before the media even got a hold of it, issued 2-3 hours before anyone else would have known one existed. That is the power of TWS Tornado Watch products.

Storm chasers were in the center of the watch box. Read this article on that because it is too much to put in this one.

RIP Tim, Paul, and Carl …

*** Deadly EF3 El Reno Tornado Path on 5/31/2013 ***

It was this sharp turn that took the lives of three storm chasers and almost killed The Weather Channel’s crew on Friday. Within the pink outlined area is the likely zone that took everyone by surprise.

The tornado was going east and then it made a sharp north turn. During occluding tornado situations this is always a danger. The teams were not aware nor prepared for this sudden sharp northeast turn and they couldn’t escape it. 

Job 27:21         The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

Psa 83:15         So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.

Isa 28:2         Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, [which] as a tempest of hail [and] a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

Isa 29:6         Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.