Mulvane - A once in a lifetime Photogenic Tornado with Rainbow! (June 12, 2004) @violentplainsdotcom

Scott Currens June 12, 2004: Eric Nguyen and I observed tornadoes from a classic supercell near Mulvane and Rock, Kansas. The Mulvane tornado is by far the most visibly stunning tornado I have ever seen. Eric's photographs from this day are arguably some of the best tornado images ever taken. Please visit www.mesoscale.ws to see his images.

mesoscale.ws/04-documents/040612.htm

NWS Wichita:

Another round of tornado producing supercells moved across areas just south of Wichita on June 12th, 2004. Five confirmed tornadoes skipped along the Sumner/Sedgwick and Butler/Cowley county lines during the early evening hours.

The supercell thunderstorms formed along a dry line in Southern Kansas in Harper County, Kansas. Radar signature shows the dry line and initial thunderstorm development.

The storms rapidly intensified once they moved into northeastern sections of Sumner County, with the first touchdown reported at aproximately 7:10 pm just southwest of Mulvane. The supercell thunderstorm continued to cycle, or strengthen and weaken, as it moved slowly east, producing and dissipating tornadoes as it went. At approximately, 7:25 pm the supercell produced a longer track tornado that produced damage at the Mulvane Saddle Club as it crossed Kansas Highway 15 near Greenwich Road.

The Damage at this location was rated F1 and F2 respectively. The tornado continued eastward causing very little damage in it's path, until it began to drift southeast. At this time the tornado produced significant damage as the white rope tornado leveled a frame house in which 2 occupants survived by taking shelter under the basement stairs. The tornado was rated as a strong F3.

Three other tornadoes in Cowley county produced little damage, however, the tornado near Rock was quite picturesque with the sun setting off on the western horizon. The other two tornadoes were just south of Atlanta and were rated an F0.

As the supercell continued on into Elk County, it produced two very weak rope tornadoes that only caused damage to a corn crop.

weather.gov/ict/event_20040612

updated 2 years ago

Mulvane - A once in a lifetime Photogenic Tornado with Rainbow! (June 12, 2004)

Scott Currens 2024-06-13 | June 12, 2004: Eric Nguyen and I observed tornadoes from a classic supercell near Mulvane and Rock, Kansas. The Mulvane tornado is by far the most visibly stunning tornado I have ever seen. Eric's photographs from this day are arguably some of the best tornado images ever taken. Please visit www.mesoscale.ws to see his images.

mesoscale.ws/04-documents/040612.htm

NWS Wichita:

Another round of tornado producing supercells moved across areas just south of Wichita on June 12th, 2004. Five confirmed tornadoes skipped along the Sumner/Sedgwick and Butler/Cowley county lines during the early evening hours.

The supercell thunderstorms formed along a dry line in Southern Kansas in Harper County, Kansas. Radar signature shows the dry line and initial thunderstorm development.

The storms rapidly intensified once they moved into northeastern sections of Sumner County, with the first touchdown reported at aproximately 7:10 pm just southwest of Mulvane. The supercell thunderstorm continued to cycle, or strengthen and weaken, as it moved slowly east, producing and dissipating tornadoes as it went. At approximately, 7:25 pm the supercell produced a longer track tornado that produced damage at the Mulvane Saddle Club as it crossed Kansas Highway 15 near Greenwich Road.

The Damage at this location was rated F1 and F2 respectively. The tornado continued eastward causing very little damage in it's path, until it began to drift southeast. At this time the tornado produced significant damage as the white rope tornado leveled a frame house in which 2 occupants survived by taking shelter under the basement stairs. The tornado was rated as a strong F3.

Three other tornadoes in Cowley county produced little damage, however, the tornado near Rock was quite picturesque with the sun setting off on the western horizon. The other two tornadoes were just south of Atlanta and were rated an F0.

As the supercell continued on into Elk County, it produced two very weak rope tornadoes that only caused damage to a corn crop.

weather.gov/ict/event_20040612

The sights and sounds of a KANSAS SUPERCELL! (August 14, 2024)

Scott Currens 2024-08-19 | August 14, 2024: A Kansas Supercell

Witness the raw power of nature as we capture a mesmerizing time-lapse of a supercell thunderstorm that erupted in the northern Flint Hills of Kansas on August 14, 2024. This extraordinary video showcases the storm's dramatic evolution. Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring spectacle of swirling clouds, intense lightning, and the storm's intricate structure.

What is a Supercell?

A supercell is a rare and powerful thunderstorm characterized by its long life cycle and rotating updraft. This rotating updraft, known as a mesocyclone, is responsible for producing severe weather phenomena such as large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Supercells often exhibit a distinctive appearance with a rotating anvil cloud and a wall cloud, which is a low, ominous cloud that often precedes a tornado. The combination of these factors makes supercells incredibly dangerous but also fascinating to observe from a safe distance.

The Power of Nature: A Chasers View of the Goshen County Tornado (June 5, 2009)

Scott Currens 2024-06-07 | June 5, 2009: Goshen County, Wyoming Tornado

A Photogenic Phenomenon: This EF2 tornado, with winds reaching 135 mph, carved a 30-mile path across Goshen County on June 5th, 2009. It etched itself into Wyoming's weather history not just for its strength, but for being exceptionally well-documented. Many witnessed the event, including storm chasers and researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) VORTEX2 project, which studies tornado formation.

Research Goldmine: The VORTEX2 team captured a goldmine of data throughout the tornado's lifecycle. Mobile radars, weather stations, and photography provided a comprehensive picture of the storm's evolution, from its development to dissipation. This data has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of how tornadoes form, strengthen, and weaken.

Limited Damage, Lasting Impact: Luckily, the tornado's path remained primarily in open areas. While it uprooted trees, snapped power lines, and damaged farmhouses, there were thankfully no injuries. The storm's impact, however, extended beyond the immediate damage. The VORTEX2 project's research using data from this event has contributed significantly to our ability to predict and potentially mitigate future tornadoes.

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20090605

weather.gov/cys/GoshenCountyTornado#:~:text=The%20most%20photogenic%20tornado%20in,team%20and%20The%20Weather%20Channel.

NWS Cheyenne, WY Overview:

The most photogenic tornado in Wyoming history occurred on June 5, 2009 in southern Goshen County. The EF2 tornado was observed by many parties including the NOAA VORTEX2 research team and The Weather Channel.

The first tornado report was received at 4:07 pm, 11 miles west of La Grange, Wyoming. The tornado continued its eastward trek for approximately 30 miles.

The National Weather Service storm damage assessment team documented uprooted trees, broken power lines, and broken windows at farm homes. The tornado remained in open country and no injuries were reported.

Harper County Kansas Tornado Machine - Long Form Video (May 29, 2004)

Scott Currens 2024-06-01 | May 29, 2004: Harper County, Kansas Tornado Machine

youtu.be/mifYtk9knDY (20 min version)

This is my #1 ranked chase day after 25 years of chasing beating out the likes of May 3, 1999, Dodge City, and Mulvane.

(Eric Nguyen's) Discussion: Scott and I had one of the best chases of our lives. We targeted southern Kansas in the vicinity of the dryline bulge and a weak W-E boundary. We waited in Medicine Lodge, KS, and had a storm develop to our SW near Hardtner, KS. We followed this for a little over an hour before it gave any signs of becoming a supercell. We observed a horizontal funnel pointing south near Attica, KS. This quickly developed into a gorgeous tornado! This tornado lasted 24 minutes and had an incredible rope out. During the rope out of the Attica tornado, another tornado developed to our SE in the shape of a large cone. We blasted east and once again, found ourselves in Harper, Kansas observing a wedge to our immediate south. We successfully flank the tornado and watched as it slowly moved north just west of Argonia, KS. This became a large wedge tornado moving due north. We had a sudden wind shift and noticed that a wallcloud had passed overhead and was quickly about to produce another tornado. So we blasted east to flank this tornado. It produced a large stove pipe orange in color from the setting sun. This tornado also morphed into a wedge as it moved northward. We ended the day with two tornadoes on the ground again.

mesoscale.ws/04-documents/040529.htm

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20040529

weather.gov/ict/event_20040529

Wichita NWS Discussion:
May 29th 2004 Harper & Sumner county tornadoes...

Unlike the tornadoes of May 12th that affected mainly Harper county, these storms continued to move east, saving the strongest tornado of the night for Sumner county. Based on the damage survey, at least 9 tornadoes occurred, including two F3's and one F2.

The first tornado warning was issued for Harper county at 704 PM and was extended at 753 PM. The first reported touchdown was around 718 PM, west of Anthony. Three more tornadoes would touch down in Harper county before the night was over. The second brief touchdown occurred just northwest of Harper. The third one started just northeast of Anthony and was on the ground for 6 miles. It lifted northwest of Freeport, but another tornado developed northeast of Freeport, and crossed into Sumner County west of Argonia. Radar showed an impressive "hook echo" at this time.

The first Sumner County warning went out at 800 PM, and it was extended at 853 PM. Tornadoes sometimes develop in cycles as the supercell undergoes periods of strengthening and weakening. This storm was no exception. The next tornado occurred 6 miles later, and was the first of three to that touched down near Conway Springs. The first two of these were rated F3, but were only on the ground for 2.5 and 1.5 miles respectively. The last tornado which occurred east of Conway Springs was an F1. In addition to the tornadoes, the storm produced 80 mph winds at Belle Plaine and 2.5 inch hail near Conway Springs and Viola.

The large supercell thunderstorm which produced these tornadoes then drifted toward the northern Sumner county border, prompting a tornado warning for Sedgwick county at 936 PM. The storm weakened, but continued to drop golf ball sized hail near Mulvane around 930 PM.

Tornado Warning: Witnessing Devastating Tornadoes and Wind Turbine Aftermath

Scott Currens 2024-05-23 | May 21, 2024: I observed two powerful tornadoes across southwest Iowa. The second tornado went on to hit Greenfield, Iowa, causing several fatalities and significant damage to the community.

Please consider making a donation to the Iowa Region American Red Cross. redcross.org/local/iowa.html

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20240521

weather.gov/dmx/2024-May-21-Iowa-TornadoesWindsFlooding#:~:text=By%20the%20afternoon%20hours%20of,%2C%20IA%2C%20among%20other%20locations.

NWS Des Moines, IA Event Summary:

Multiple rounds of thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall, damaging winds, hail and destructive tornadoes to the state. These thunderstorms were the result of a low pressure system which lifted north into the area on the night of May 20th, 2024, producing slow moving storms that dropped 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, which resulted in flash flooding over portions of northern and central Iowa through the morning of May 21st, 2024. Following the heavy rainfall through the morning, skies cleared out ahead of an approaching cold front. By the afternoon hours of May 21st, 2024, this cold front produced a line of strong thunderstorms which produced multiple strong tornadoes throughout the state, including one which led to significant damage in the town of Greenfield, IA, among other locations. This line of storms also produced damaging winds, leading to widespread tree damage and power outages throughout the forecast area.

Initial storm surveys have confirmed at least EF-3 damage in Greenfield, Iowa and EF-2 damage in Polk into Story County (see path below). Additional damage assessment evaluation will continue over the next several days and results are subject to change. Additional tornado paths and ratings will be added as data continues to be collected.

The rotation in this tornado is impressive! #tornado #storm #rain #weather

Scott Currens 2024-05-16 | ...

TORNADO RIPS THROUGH MISSOURI TOWN (May 13, 2009) - Long form

Scott Currens 2024-05-13 | May 13, 2009: Kirksville Missouri Tornado

Full chase video with damages house search.

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20090513

data.news-leader.com/tornado-archive/missouri/169547/#:~:text=There%20were%7Cthree%20fatalities.,reported%2C%20in%20the%20Kirksville%20area.&text=An%20EF1%20tornado%20touched%20down,of%20Boynton%2C%20at%201635%20CST.

During the evening of May 13, 2009, a series of powerful supercell storms developed ahead of a cold front, pushing southward out of Iowa and Nebraska. These supercell storms produced a wide array of severe weather, with large hail up to the size of golf balls and winds up to 60 mph reported. These storms marched across eastern Kansas and northern Missouri during the evening hours, with a strong supercell storm producing tornadic activity in parts of northeast Missouri. Damage surveys conducted|by the National Weather Service, in conjunction with emergency management, have|found evidence of three tornadoes in Sullivan and Adair counties. All tornadoes|appeared to have been produced by the same supercell thunderstorm. There were three fatalities. Moderate to severe damage was reported, in the Kirksville area.

25 Years Later: Witnessing the Fury - My May 3rd, 1999 Tornado Chase

Scott Currens 2024-05-04 | As a storm chaser for the past 27 years, there's one day that forever etched itself in my memory - May 3rd, 1999. This chase marked my first encounter with not just one, but a staggering 12 tornadoes, including the terrifying and destructive Bridge Creek, Oklahoma F5.

While the raw power and beauty of these atmospheric giants is undeniable, the anniversary also brings back memories the devastating impact these storms had on the communities they struck.

Join me on a journey back in time, revisiting this historic chase day through my lens.

This the first time I have shared the long-form version of my video from this tornado outbreak.

Special thanks to Angel Escobales Jr. for remastering the video.
twitter.com/AngelAndHisWx
https://t.co/0rMRLxgs02

spc.noaa.gov/publications/thompson/3may99/waf.htm
NWS Norman: The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3-4, 1999
weather.gov/oun/events-19990503
On May 3, 1999, multiple supercell thunderstorms produced many large and damaging tornadoes in central Oklahoma during the late afternoon and evening hours. Some of these storms were killers, including the twisters which moved through and/or near Dover, Shawnee, Perry and Bridge Creek, and the Moore and southern Oklahoma City metropolitan areas. Additional tornadoes also hit areas in south central Kansas, eastern Oklahoma and northern Texas, with over 70 tornadoes being observed across the region, and some tornadoes occurring the during the morning and early afternoon hours of May 4, 1999. The total tornado count in Oklahoma makes the May 3-4, 1999 tornado outbreak the largest ever recorded in the state.
A total of 40 people in Oklahoma were killed by the tornadoes on May 3-4, 1999 and another 675 persons were injured. Many homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed throughout the affected areas and the total damage estimate was $1.2 billion. Five deaths, 100 injuries and heavy damage were reported from the Wichita, Kansas metro area.
The map below shows the approximate location and paths of the most damaging tornadoes which occurred on May 3-4, 1999. The official storm data report from May 1999 for NWS Norman forecast area can be found here. The official storm data report from May 1999 for NWS Tulsa forecast area can be found here. Frequently asked questions about the F5 tornado that went through Bridge Creek, Moore and the OKC metro area can be found in the Fast Facts section.

Storm Chasing the Strange: A Tornado Outbreak Takes an Unexpected Turn (April 22, 2010)

Scott Currens 2024-04-22 | April 22, 2010: Kiowa County Colorado Cold Core Tornado Outbreak

SPC Event Archive:
spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20100422

NWS Pueblo, CO Overview:

On Thursday, April 22, 2010, strong to severe thunderstorms developed across parts of the southeastern Colorado plains and lasted through the afternoon. The most dangerous thunderstorms were across Otero, Bent, and Kiowa Counties. Several tornadoes were reported with one supercell thunderstorm from south of the John Martin Reservoir in Bent County to northwest of Eads in Kiowa County.

A National Weather Service Damage Survey was conducted on Friday, April 23rd by the NWS Pueblo, Colorado office. The area shaded in red in the image above (click it to enlarge) was extensively surveyed. Interviews with Law Enforcement, Emergency Service personnel, and storm chasers were conducted, and photographic evidence was gathered from the general public and storm chasers.

One NWS storm chaser claimed to have seen twelve separate circulations on the ground in eastern Colorado.

Recall, that the EF Scale, which rates tornadoes, is a DAMAGE scale. Therefore, if the tornado does not damage anything, no matter how big it is, and no matter how fast the winds may be, it is assigned an EF0 rating. With that in mind, all the the tornadoes which are eventually logged, will carry a rating of EF0, with the exception of one.

With one tornado in south central Kiowa County, a small (15 foot x 30 foot), Depression-era barn was completely destroyed. At that spot, that tornado was given a preliminary ratings of EF1 with estimated winds around 100 mph.

Southern Nebraska Tornado Bonanza: Witnessing 11 Twisters (May 24, 2004)

Scott Currens 2024-03-19 | May 24, 2004: 11+ Tornadoes in Southern Nebraska

Discussion by Eric Nguyen
mesoscale.ws/04-documents/040524.htm

Area Chased: KS/NE Border

Discussion: We targeted the Nebraska / Kansas border in the path of an approaching triple point surface low that was in northwest Kansas at 1200 UTC. Instability was forecasted to be quite strong (CAPE ~4000+ J/Kg) and shear was more then favorable for supercells. The warm front would be our focus for tornado development as strong SREH values existed along this boundary as winds were due east just north of it.

We arrived in Beatrice, Nebraska (~ 50 miles east of Hebron, NE), and waited for storms to fire. A storm fired to our east, something we were hesitant to go after since it wasn't in our target area. SPC had a high risk out for that area, which made us nervous about our forecast. We even started to drive east and changed our minds several times. To make sure we wouldn't change our mind, we began to drive west to get closer to the surface low, where the dryline and warm front intersected. When we arrived in Fairbury, Nebraska (~20 miles from Hebron, NE), we saw the DOW's waiting for storms to fire as well. After maybe 30 minutes, a storm fired near Hebron, Nebraska, and it quickly began to rotate. We raced west and caught sight of our first tornado at 2050 UTC.

The first series of tornadoes were a combination of mesocyclone tornadoes and landspout tornadoes, with the landspouts forming to our immediate west, and the mesocyclone tornadoes to our east. While observing two different landspout tornadoes to our west, we had an intense increase in wind and airborne dust for about 20 seconds. This ended up being a weak tornado developing on top of us and slowly moving east. (see 040524-8). It eventually developed into a cone shaped tornado with a brown dirt debris cloud. Once the mesocyclone activity got going, the landspouts stopped forming. So we drove east on Hwy 8 to flank the storm. While driving east, we had one more landspout tornado develop to our west, we had our cone tornado to our east, and we could see another tornado to our northeast. So we had three tornadoes on the ground at the same time. When attempting to flank the storm, the cone tornado roped out and the debris cloud / rope began to drift south back towards us. The winds were gusting to 50mph so we opted to sit and wait for it to dissipate before we risked driving east again. The tornado roped out about 200 yards in front of us (see 040524-14). It was so close, I couldn't get the whole thing in one shot, so I tilted the camera in order to get the bottom part of the rope and the debris cloud. We figured if it got any closer we would flee back to the west, rather then flee into heavy rain and hail to our east. Once it became a needle thin rope, it began to be ingested into the larger tornado to the north, and the debris cloud remained, but slowly weakened (see 040524-15).

We flanked the storm west of Chester, Nebraska (~7 miles SW of Hebron, NE), and observed two more rope like tornadoes.

Pink Tornado: Natures Rarest Twister! (March 28, 2007)

Scott Currens 2024-03-15 | March 28, 2007: Have you ever seen a pink tornado? Believe it or not, these incredible pink twisters, along with other unusual formations, can occur during severe weather outbreaks. This video captures footage of a rare pink tornado and another awe-inspiring elephant trunk tornado!

These twisters were part of a larger outbreak that swept across the central United States on March 28, 2007. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a moderate risk for severe weather, anticipating widespread storms with tornadoes. The outbreak primarily affected areas from the High Plains stretching from South Dakota to central Texas.

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20070328

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_outbreak_of_March_28%E2%80%9331,_2007#:~:text=The%20outbreak%20produced%2080%20confirmed,km%2Fh)%20were%20reported.

A powerful mid and upper level system brought terrifically strong wind fields aloft over the southern and central portions of the Great Plains region on March 28. This system was located over the Great Basin and tracked eastward into the central Rocky Mountains during this time frame. Ahead of the system, a dry line developed from a low-pressure area over extreme northeastern Colorado and the Nebraska Panhandle southwards into western Texas. Increasing south to southeasterly winds close and above the surface caused a progressively humid air mass to spread across the western portion of the Great Plains during the afternoon. Unseasonably warm surface temperatures and increased lift ahead of the approaching system supported rapid thunderstorm formations. This altogether allowed for the potential for large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes.[2]

That afternoon — when the first signs of severe weather developed, tornado watches were issued from South Dakota south to Texas. The advancing dry line and the cold front moving eastward combined to produce explosive supercell development late in the afternoon. Early that evening, supercells containing severe thunderstorms and tornadoes was developed along a nearly continuous line from near Lubbock, Texas to Rapid City, South Dakota. Before the supercells reformed into a squall line late that evening, at least 63 tornadoes were reported, many of which were very large and potentially destructive.[3] Fortunately, the area is sparsely populated, preventing widespread death and destruction. Still, five people were killed.[4]

On March 29, the squall line that moved eastward prevented a major outbreak during the daytime hours. Only a slight risk of severe storms was issued that day. Nonetheless, several tornadoes were reported, with two striking the Oklahoma City metropolitan area with almost no advance warnings issued before they struck. Significant damage was reported there with at least two people hospitalized when their RV was hit and four others injured during a tornado ten minutes later.

Another moderate risk was issued for March 30, this time in south-central Texas into the Mexican state of Coahuila. This was later extended into northern Texas and south-central Oklahoma. At around 2254 UTC, one of the two tornado watches in effect in Texas during the day was lifted, although a watch remained in the state's central and northeastern portions. Later the day, the Oklahoma tornado watch was then extended into eastern Kansas.

A moderate risk was issued for central Texas on March 31 with the storm line continuing through the state, along with Oklahoma and Kansas in a north-eastern direction. This outlook was later changed to a slight risk as the system continued on with a tornado watch in effect in south-eastern Texas. In addition to that, a thunderstorm watch was even in effect for Louisiana. The tornado watch was discontinued around 1504 UTC, although tornado warnings were issued in southeastern Arkansas. Later that day, the system reached the north-central United States. As a result, warnings were issued in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. As the system continued moving in its north-eastern direction early thatevening, a watch was extended into the north-western portion of Indiana. The system weakened that evening and no tornadoes occurred afterwards; however, NWS officials later confirmed a microburst in the Illinois cities of Carol Stream and Glendale Heights in DuPage County just west of Chicago just before 10:00 PM CDT. Extensive roof and window damage was reported to buildings, including an apartment complex and a church. The damage path was about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) long and 250 yards (230 m) wide.[5]

KANSAS TORNADO CYCLONE - What a view from Alta Vista! (March 13, 2024)

Scott Currens 2024-03-15 | Match 13, 2024: A large supercell thunderstorm with a massive occluded tornado cyclone rips across open county. The near by Alma radar indicated 180 mph wind with the tornado.

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20240313

wibw.com/2024/03/14/national-weather-service-sending-out-teams-thursday-morning-assess-storm-damage-northeast-kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Several tornadoes were reported Wednesday night in northeast Kansas, and teams from the National Weather Service were fanning out Thursday morning to assess the damage.

Tornado warnings were issued starting around 8 p.m. in portions of Wabaunsee, Shawnee and Jackson counties.

Matt Flanagan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Topeka, said survey teams would be heading out Thursday for on-the-ground assessments of storm damage from Wednesday night’s storms.

Flanagan said that as of Thursday morning, tornadoes had been reported on the ground on Wednesday night just northeast of Rossville in Shawnee County as well as just northeast of Alta Vista in Wabaunsee County.

My Most Glorious Out-of-Focus Tornado! (May 17, 2019)

Scott Currens 2024-02-28 | May 17, 2019: I had the privilege of witnessing the entire life cycle of a McCook, Nebraska tornado up close and personal. It was a top 5 tornado for me, even though my video camera showcase the beauty of my hail-damaged windshield instead of the awe-inspiring twister.

While the video may be a bit blurry, the photos are incredible, and the memory of the day is crystal clear. All in all, it was an amazing chase with five tornadoes across open fields, three of which were absolute stunners.

So, buckle up and join me on this out-of-focus adventure as I share the experience of witnessing a truly glorious display of nature's power and beauty!

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20190517

NWS North Platte Summary:

A strong storm system crossed the Great Plains on Friday while a cold front was draped across the Sandhills, setting the stage for severe thunderstorms. One particular supercell thunderstorm moved from near McCook to near Oconto during the early evening hours. The storm was responsible for numerous tornadoes, including seven in Frontier County and one in southern Custer County. Other thunderstorms produced hail up to golf ball size and wind gusts exceeding 50 mph across southwest Nebraska and the Sandhills. The storms also produced multiple rounds of heavy rain, resulting in spots receiving over two inches of rain by the night's end.

Close Encounters of the Supercell Tornado kind! (May 29, 2008)

Scott Currens 2024-02-19 | May 29, 2008: Glen Elder, Kansas mothership supercell produces dozens of vortices under its massive mesocyclone.

Storm Chasers: Mike Peregrine and Scott Currens

Big thanks to Amos Magliocco for letting me use his photo as the thumbnail image. cycloneroad.com

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20080529

Hastings Nebraska NWS Summary:

During the mid-afternoon hours on Thursday, May 29, 2008, numerous thunderstorms developed near a surface frontal boundary positioned across portions of western Nebraska and Kansas. This activity expanded in coverage as it pushed east across the area, working through a highly sheared and very unstable air mass. These thunderstorms produced several tornadoes, very large hail, damaging straight line winds and heavy rain. While activity lingered well into the overnight hours, the brunt of severe weather occurred between 4 - 11 p.m.

In South Central Nebraska, several tornadoes were reported from near Elwood to north of York. Two tornadoes caused damage in the city of Kearney and one occurred just to the south of town. Another tornado damaged homes and power poles near Aurora. Along with the tornadoes, very strong winds moved down a portion of Interstate 80 and pushed cars and trucks off of the roadway near Aurora. Other areas of south-central Nebraska received heavy rains and hail. Hail to the size of baseballs was reported near Arapahoe in Furnas County. These storms also produce a lot of rainfall over areas that had fairly wet ground. Several areas of flooding were noted in the Platte and Republican River valleys.

In North Central Kansas, several tornadoes were reported from south of Palco in Rooks County to the community of Jewell in Jewell County. One tornado inflicted significant damage to the community of Jewell, including destroying the town’s café and water tower. Several homes in rural areas of Mitchell and Jewell Counties were damaged or destroyed. The town of Woodston in eastern Rooks County also had a twister move through the community; luckily damage was not as severe. All together eight tornadoes occurred in this part of north-central Kansas and no critical injuries were reported. Other areas of north-central Kansas also saw hail and heavy rains from the storms. An area between Webster Lake and Stockton in Rooks County had hail up to the size of baseballs. The hail damaged windows and siding of homes along the storms path. In addition to the tornadoes, hail and wind, thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain across the Solomon River valleys. This resulted in some flooding of rural roads and area creeks and rivers.

Missouris Largest Tornado Outbreak (March 12, 2006)

Scott Currens 2024-02-17 | Short attention span, skip to 5:59 to see the scary nighttime tornadoes.

March 12, 2006: I capture rare footage of daytime tornadoes from the 6 state supercell in western Missouri. Then I film another round of supercells and tornadoes moving at 65 mph in the dark. While filming one tornado a second one on a parallel path almost takes me out before I escaped to the east. I then capture the quick evolution from multi-vortex dustbowl, to stovepipe, to wedge tornado.

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20060312

NWS Pleasant Hill - Tornado Outbreak March 12, 2006

A significant tornado outbreak occurred over portions of eastern Kansas and western Missouri on March 12, 2006. In addition to the seventeen tornado touchdowns detailed below in the Pleasant Hill forecast area, 201 reports of large hail and/or damaging winds were also received from virtually every county in the Pleasant Hill service area. To put the March 12th outbreak into perspective, an average severe weather season in our local area brings approximately 11 tornadoes, and around 400 reports of hail and/or wind to the local region. Unfortunately, 6 lives were lost from the tornadoes that struck Urich, Sedalia and Renick, Missouri. Another 49 persons were injured.

These 17 tornadoes were confirmed by damage surveys out of a preliminary count of 32 tornado reports received into the National Weather Service on Sunday. A total of 201 large hail and/or damaging wind reports were also received into the National Weather Service office in Pleasant Hill, from locations across much of western and central Missouri, and adjacent northeast Kansas. Virtually every county of the 44 served by the Pleasant Hill office experienced a severe thunderstorm on Sunday.

The second round of tornadoes (shaded in blue on the map) occurred during the mid-afternoon hours. Further assessment has brought the number of tornadoes from this round of storms back to six, as what was thought to be one tornado from eastern Henry County through western Cooper County actually ended up being three tornadoes. The most significant tornado from the afternoon round touched down at approximately 4:12 pm in far southwest Pettis County, then moved east-northeast across southern Pettis County before dissipating. This tornado produced F2 damage to several structures south and southeast of Sedalia. One of the tornado fatalities occurred with a resident attempting to evacuate a mobile home to the south of Sedalia.

The final round of seven tornadoes (shaded in green) struck the region after sunset Sunday evening. These tornadoes also were the most intense of the outbreak, and also the most dangerous as they occured after dark. Two distinct supercell thunderstorms produced this series of tornadoes from Johnson County, Missouri, northeast through Saline, Howard and Randolph Counties. The remaining tornadoes formed from the second supercell storm. The first tornado from this supercell touched down approximately 3 miles northeast of Warrensburg around 7:54 pm. The tornado moved northeast, producing F0 damage through northeast Johnson and northwest Pettis Counties. The tornado lifted briefly south of Sweet Springs, but a new tornado track again along this same path approximately 3 miles southeast of Sweet Springs. The tornado intensified near I-70, and produced F2 damage just northeast of I-70 near Exit 71, where several houses lost their roofs. A third tornado actually formed south of the second tornado near U.S. 65 south of Marshall, and for a time two tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously about 2 to 3 miles apart. Photographs from this area are quite similar to the Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965. As the second tornado dissipated east of Marshall, a fourth tornado touched down at 8:25 pm west of Arrow Rock. Based on anecdotal observations by spotters and chasers, this tornado merged with tornado #3 and this led to a strengthening of the third tornado (similar to what occurred on March 13, 1990 east of Hesston, KS) and quickly led to the third tornado becoming over a quarter mile wide and intensifying to F3 strength. F3 damage was noted near the Missouri River to a farmstead.

The third tornado from this northern supercell (now just one on the ground) passed north of Arrow Rock and produced F2 damage to the northwest of Fayettte. The last tornado associated with this supercell developed to the south-southwest of Moberly, or just to the east of Higbee, in far southern Randolph County, at approximately 9:10 pm. The tornado moved northeast to just south of Renick, where F2 damage was noted to several homes and mobile homes. This tornado took the lives of four Randolph County residents. The tornado produced F3 damage where a farmhouse was destroyed, just before it moved northeast and into Monroe County. Details on the Monroe County portion of this tornado track can be found on the St. Louis NWS web site.

122 Miles of Devastation: Storm Chaser Reports EF-4 Tornado (February 5, 2008)

Scott Currens 2024-02-05 | February 5, 2008: Storm Chaser reports large destructive tornado to 911 operator as the tornado enters Atkins, Arkansas, moments before causing EF-4 damage and loss of life. The tornado continued on for 122-mile setting the record for longest documented tornado path in Arkansas history.

Special thanks to Angel Escobales Jr. for remastering the video.
twitter.com/AngelAndHisWx
https://t.co/0rMRLxgs02

thecabin.net/super-tuesday-atkins-tornado-remembered/article_db0b299d-5d26-5119-83ac-96604050bacb.html

On Feb. 5, 2008, a tornado bore down on Atkins, killing five people and heading northeast. When the twister finally returned to the clouds, it cut a 122-mile long path through the heart of Arkansas, the longest track ever measured by the National Weather Service. Fourteen people were killed in nine counties and was the deadliest severe weather event since March 1, 1997, when 25 people were killed.

Called the Super Tuesday tornado because it happened on a day when 24 U.S. states were holding presidential primary elections, the storm formed two miles southeast of Neely in Yell County as a small EF0-rated tornado. A strong storm system approached from the Plains and collided with warm southerly winds and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. It was a volatile combination.

Minor tree damage was reported near Neely as winds up to 85 mph blasted the area. The storm then moved into the Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge in Pope County where it increased to EF1 with winds up to 110 mph.

It skittled back into Yell County in the Carden Bottoms area, but then moved toward the river again.

Thirteen years later, Dollar remembered her friends calling her about the approaching storm.

“I blew them off,” she said. “I’ve lived in Atkins all my life. I always heard tornadoes follow the river.”

Her husband, a manager at Kroger in Russellville, called her and told her to get her grandmother and 10-year-old son.

“I said, ‘We’re fine. It’s not doing anything,” she said.

But her husband persisted. She drove to pick up her grandmother and returned to her home on Southeast 14th Street.

Her husband called again and demanded they get in a closet.

She heeded his wishes, but while in the closet, she heard a “funny noise” and stepped out to see what it was.

“All of a sudden there was a roar and the French doors [in her living room] exploded,” she said. “That’s when the wind came on top of us.”

The National Weather Service expected an outbreak of tornadoes that day. A large supercell system had formed and was followed by a secondary front with strong winds, said senior meteorologist John Lewis of the North Little Rock office.

“We thought a lot was going to happen that day,” he said. “At 4:30 p.m., there were only a couple of storms, but then came a monster.”

Once crossing the Arkansas River, the tornado grew to an EF4 with winds reaching 200 mph.

“It didn’t matter how rugged the terrain was,” Lewis said. “This was like a steamroller.

“It never lifted up. It was incredible.”

It only took seconds to destroy Dollar’s home, but it felt like “it lasted forever,” she said.

Dollar could not get her grandmother or son out of the closet and had to crawl up, over fallen rafters to escape. Neighbors helped her.

“The tornado hit the back of the house and went through it,” she said.

A person later told her he saw the tornado cross the river.

“It sucked up water as it crossed,” she said the man told her. “When it hit land, it let all the water out.”

Ten 100-year-old oak trees in her yard were splintered and pointed in different directions, indicative of the rotating winds.

Inside her home, a cherry wood cabinet had twigs stuck in it, blown by the tornado’s winds. Although the house lay in ruins, Dollar found her living room table intact. Atop the table were her wedding rings and a necklace her husband gave her. She said she always left the jewelry on the table at night.

The winds blew several vehicles off Interstate 40 and five people were killed in Pope County.

Atkins Mayor Rowdy Sweet was a captain with the Pope County Sheriff’s Office in 2008 and was called to assist a truck driver who lost control of his rig when the tornado scoured off a large chunk of asphalt and threw it through his truck window.

He said he was impressed with residents helping those who suffered damage from the storm. Churches quickly gathered food and clothing for victims.

“Our gym was full of clothes,” he said, referring to the Atkins School District’s gymnasium which served as a collection point for donations. “People really came together.”

The tornado left Pope County around 5 p.m. and entered Conway County west of Hattieville. It maintained its strength, the Weather Service reported, damaging 56 homes and destroying numerous chicken houses. The system then crossed into Van Buren County and then Stone County, remaining an EF4 tornado.

THE TORNADO MACHINE - #1 Ranked Storm Chase (May 29, 2004)

Scott Currens 2024-01-06 | May 29, 2004: Harper County, Kansas Tornado Machine

This is my #1 ranked chase day after 25 years of chasing beating out the likes of May 3, 1999, Dodge City, and Mulvane.

(Eric Nguyen's) Discussion: Scott and I had one of the best chases of our lives. We targeted southern Kansas in the vicinity of the dryline bulge and a weak W-E boundary. We waited in Medicine Lodge, KS, and had a storm develop to our SW near Hardtner, KS. We followed this for a little over an hour before it gave any signs of becoming a supercell. We observed a horizontal funnel pointing south near Attica, KS. This quickly developed into a gorgeous tornado! This tornado lasted 24 minutes and had an incredible rope out. During the rope out of the Attica tornado, another tornado developed to our SE in the shape of a large cone. We blasted east and once again, found ourselves in Harper, Kansas observing a wedge to our immediate south. We successfully flank the tornado and watched as it slowly moved north just west of Argonia, KS. This became a large wedge tornado moving due north. We had a sudden wind shift and noticed that a wallcloud had passed overhead and was quickly about to produce another tornado. So we blasted east to flank this tornado. It produced a large stove pipe orange in color from the setting sun. This tornado also morphed into a wedge as it moved northward. We ended the day with two tornadoes on the ground again.

mesoscale.ws/04-documents/040529.htm

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20040529

weather.gov/ict/event_20040529

Wichita NWS Discussion:
May 29th 2004 Harper & Sumner county tornadoes...

Unlike the tornadoes of May 12th that affected mainly Harper county, these storms continued to move east, saving the strongest tornado of the night for Sumner county. Based on the damage survey, at least 9 tornadoes occurred, including two F3's and one F2.

The first tornado warning was issued for Harper county at 704 PM and was extended at 753 PM. The first reported touchdown was around 718 PM, west of Anthony. Three more tornadoes would touch down in Harper county before the night was over. The second brief touchdown occurred just northwest of Harper. The third one started just northeast of Anthony and was on the ground for 6 miles. It lifted northwest of Freeport, but another tornado developed northeast of Freeport, and crossed into Sumner County west of Argonia. Radar showed an impressive "hook echo" at this time.

The first Sumner County warning went out at 800 PM, and it was extended at 853 PM. Tornadoes sometimes develop in cycles as the supercell undergoes periods of strengthening and weakening. This storm was no exception. The next tornado occurred 6 miles later, and was the first of three to that touched down near Conway Springs. The first two of these were rated F3, but were only on the ground for 2.5 and 1.5 miles respectively. The last tornado which occurred east of Conway Springs was an F1. In addition to the tornadoes, the storm produced 80 mph winds at Belle Plaine and 2.5 inch hail near Conway Springs and Viola.

The large supercell thunderstorm which produced these tornadoes then drifted toward the northern Sumner county border, prompting a tornado warning for Sedgwick county at 936 PM. The storm weakened, but continued to drop golf ball sized hail near Mulvane around 930 PM.

Natures Fury: Photogenic Tornadoes Strike South Dakota (September 16, 2006)

Scott Currens 2023-12-28 | September 16, 2006: Salem & Colton, SD Tornadoes

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20060916

data.argusleader.com/tornado-archive/south-dakota/5533516
A tornado affected 3 farmsteads, destroying numerous outbuildings, damaging farm equipment and a home, killing at least 5 cattle and injuring others. The tornado also damaged a hog confinement building and overturned a semi trailer on Interstate 90.

The tornado near Colton, South Dakota ripped through a farmstead shredding outbuildings and a workshop. Luckily, the resident made a mad dash from the metal workshop to the farmhouse just in time. The farmhouse survived with only minor damage.

data.argusleader.com/tornado-archive/south-dakota/5533517
A tornado destroyed several outbuildings and damaged power lines. The tornado developed just southwest of the intersection of 3 counties, moving briefly over a small corner of Lake County, then crossing into Moody County, where the tornado dissipated 3 minutes after it developed.

Rapid Tornado Genesis & Dissipation: A Rare Double Feature (May 23, 2008)

Scott Currens 2023-12-22 | May 23, 2008: Rapid tornado genesis near Ransom, KS and rapid tornado dissipation near Quinter, KS earlier in the day.

Special thanks to Angel Escobales Jr. for remastering the video.
twitter.com/AngelAndHisWx
https://t.co/0rMRLxgs02

SPC Event Summary
spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20080523

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tornadoes_in_the_tornado_outbreak_of_May_22%E2%80%9327,_2008#May_23_event

The tornado outbreak of May 22–27, 2008 affected much of the central United States and parts of Canada. A total of 173 tornadoes touched down as a result of the outbreak. Several large and destructive tornadoes occurred, including in Windsor, Colorado, Quinter, Kansas, Hugo, Minnesota and Parkersburg, Iowa. The Parkersburg tornado was rated an EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with winds of 205 mph. Nine people were killed in Iowa, two in Kansas and one in each Minnesota and Colorado.

Dust bowl tornado time lapse ends with me being chased away (May 22, 2008)

Scott Currens 2023-12-18 | May 22, 2008: Observed several tornadoes in along the I-70 corridor in western Kansas, including a wide dust bowl chased me away after shooting a time lapse video of its formation.

Special thanks to Angel Escobales Jr. for remastering the video and creating this long form edit.
twitter.com/AngelAndHisWx
https://t.co/0rMRLxgs02

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_outbreak_of_May_22%E2%80%9327,_2008

Tornado outbreak of May 22–27, 2008

A multi-day tornado outbreak affected the central plains of the United States from May 22–27, 2008. It was also one of the largest continuous tornado outbreaks on record. A total of 173 tornadoes were confirmed, with the most intense activity occurring across the Great Plains. One person was killed when a large wedge tornado struck Windsor, Colorado, and two more deaths were reported in Pratt County, Kansas. One person was also killed near Hugo, Minnesota on May 25 and nine were killed by an EF5 tornado that destroyed most of Parkersburg, Iowa and a small subdivision of New Hartford, Iowa (located near Waterloo, Iowa).[1] Another fatality, caused by lightning related to the storms, occurred in central Kansas.[2]

On May 22, a low pressure system developed across the Rocky Mountains, with a warm front stretching across the central Plains and a trough stretching north towards Alberta and eastern British Columbia. A moderate risk had already been issued for portions of northern Kansas on May 21, and was upgraded into a high risk during the afternoon of May 22. It was the first high risk outlook in Kansas since May 5, 2007, one day after an EF5 tornado struck the town of Greensburg, Kansas.

Severe thunderstorm and tornado watches extended from eastern Wyoming into northern Kansas early on May 22. Just before noon, a mile-wide (1.6 km) tornado was reported near Greeley, Colorado which is about one hour north of Denver. It moved northwest, an unusual path for tornadoes. It struck the town of Windsor at EF3 strength, causing extensive damage to homes and buildings in town. One person was killed at the Missile Silo Campground near Greeley. An EF2 tornado struck the city of Laramie, Wyoming causing some damage to roofs of businesses and tossing trucks across I-80. Several other tornadoes occurred in Kansas, and even a few touched down as far west as southern California that afternoon.[3]

Numerous tornadoes were reported across northern Kansas, however damage was limited due to the sparsely populated areas it affected. Another intense storm traveled across northern Oklahoma during the evening hours. At least 45 tornadoes were reported across the region on May 22.[4]

DEVASTATING TORNADO OUTBREAK (May 4, 2003)

Scott Currens 2023-11-17 | May 4, 2003: I chased the Tornado Outbreak with Reed Timmer and friends from OU. We witnessed the Girard, KS F4, the Cherokee County, KS F3 from close range, and the Pierce City, MO F3.

Springfield, MO NWS Event Summary
A major tornado outbreak hit the area Sunday afternoon and evening of May 4th, 2003. Supercell thunderstorms produced at least 15 tornadoes that resulted in extensive damage and 25 fatalities. Several of the tornadoes tracked long distances ranging from 15 to 80 miles. More than 3000 homes and businesses were damaged by the tornadoes.

Special thanks to Angel Escobales Jr. for remastering the video and creating this long form edit.
https://t.co/0rMRLxgs02

2003-06-24 SE South Dakota Eric Nguyen

Scott Currens 2023-11-06 | ...

TORNADOES SUPERCELLS and GORILLA HAIL

Scott Currens 2023-11-04 | 2011 was a blockbuster year with massive tornadoes, recorded breaking hail, and once in a lifetime storm structure!

Close Tornado Sounds Terrifying!

Scott Currens 2023-11-02 | If you hear that sound, get down!

Symphony of Destruction: The Terrifying Approach of a Violent Tornado!

Scott Currens 2023-10-31 | May 9, 2015: The terrifying sounds of this EF-3 tornado will haunt me! This is the long version of this tornado video.

The powerful EF-3 tornado tore through the rural community of Cisco, Texas, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. One person was killed and several others were injured as the tornado wreaked havoc. In addition to the physical damage, the tornado also caused power outages and disrupted communications. The storm system responsible for the tornado also produced severe weather across much of Texas and Oklahoma, including hail, flash flooding, and additional tornadoes.

The Cisco tornado was a tragic event that caused loss of life and property. The storm served as a reminder of the destructive power of tornadoes and the importance of being prepared for severe weather.

Nighttime Tornado Rips through Oklahoma City (May 9, 2003)

Scott Currens 2023-10-28 | May 9, 2003: OKC Nighttime Tornado

WE OBSERVED A LARGE CONE TORNADO GOING THROUGH OKC METRO CROSSING I-35 A MILE TO OUR NORTH. ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE DAY FOR THE OKC METRO.

Amazing Red Sprites seen from my backyard!

Scott Currens 2023-10-08 | I ended my two year Red Sprite drought by capturing these eastern Nebraska sprites from my backyard in Olathe, KS. These were shot on a Full Spectrum camera so the colors do not exactly match what you would see with the naked eye.

Running from a tornado on foot!

Scott Currens 2023-07-02 | We drove on a muddy road and stopped 2 miles north of Lone Star, TX. When the winds picked up significantly from the north and were racing into a rapidly developing wallcloud which was 1/2 to our south, we got stuck. A weak tornado quickly developed and luckily was moving northeast. A second area of strong rotation appeared to our due north moving south, which eventually developed into a larger cone tornado. We feared this would become a strong tornado, so we ran on foot out of its path, on slick mud, in strong winds, for a ¼ mile to a paved road to our west. The tornado last several minutes and quickly got rain wrapped.
http://www.mesoscale.ws/05-documents/050512.htm

Awe-Inspiring Rope Tornado (April 4, 2023)

Scott Currens 2023-04-08 | April 4, 2023: Awe-inspiring footage of a rope tornado forming near Pleasantville, Iowa. As the Supercell approached the warm front, this rare and mesmerizing natural phenomenon was captured on film. You won't want to miss this unforgettable display of the power of nature as the tornado twists and turns in the distance.

GREEN MONSTER - Supercell Tornado (June 11, 2022)

Scott Currens 2022-06-13 | June 11, 2022: Green Monster HP Supercell and Tornado threaten Symphony in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Rapid tornado genesis occurred (obscured by rain) just to the south of me during this sequence. Symphony in the Flint Hills was luck the tornado dissipated before reaching the concert location.

MASSIVE RAIN WRAPPED EF-4 TORNADO (May 28, 2019)

Scott Currens 2022-05-28 | May 28, 2019: HP supercell with imbedded EF-4 tornado approaching Lawrence Kansas on May 28, 2019.

VIOLENT TORNADO AT NIGHT (May 12, 2004)

Scott Currens 2022-05-12 | May 12, 2004: Harper, KS F4 Tornado

April 29, 2022: Herington, KS QLCS Tornado

Scott Currens 2022-05-01 | April 29, 2022: Herington, KS QLCS Tornado

Large tornado grinds across the landscape (May 26, 2021)

Scott Currens 2021-05-31 | May 26, 2021: Large tornado grinds across the landscape south of Hays, KS

TORNADO RIPS THROUGH MISSOURI TOWN

Scott Currens 2021-05-14 | The video starts with a time-lapse of the tornado as it approaches Kirksville, MO. I then follow it into the north side of Kirksville where I find significant damage.

May 23, 2020: Red Sprites over western Nebraska

Scott Currens 2020-05-31 | After a long chase day I setup just north of Oakley, KS to shoot Red Sprites over a line of storms 160 miles to the north in western Nebraska.

Tornadoes, Lighting and Red Sprites

Scott Currens 2020-02-17 | This is the video I showed at the final 2020 ChaserCon. Some of the most impressive tornadoes, slow motion lighting and Red Sprites that I have filmed as of Feb. 2020.

Balloon Launch #4 - Leoti, KS Supercells (August 25, 2019)

Scott Currens 2019-08-28 | Launched a 4-pound package using a 600g weather balloon near Leoti, KS Supercells on August 25, 2019. The intent was to send the balloon up and over the supercells reaching a target altitude of 87,000ft, instead the balloon intercepted the supercell experiencing extreme turbulence as it approached the updraft at 37,000ft. At that time the two cameras stopped recording and the Spot GPS tracker lost communicating with satellite for 1 hour.

August 6, 2019: Red Sprites, Green Afterglow and possibly Pixies or Gnomes

Scott Currens 2019-08-14 | Red Sprites and some other Transient Luminous Events (possibly pixies or gnomes)

Terrifying Tornado Encounter: Storm Chasers Close Call

Scott Currens 2019-06-19 | May 11, 2014: While chasing storms in Nebraska on Mother's Day, I encountered multiple tornadoes, including a large wedge tornado near Beaver Crossing. I became focused on capturing footage of the wedge tornado and ended up in a close call when the storm's path shifted towards my position. With winds intensifying rapidly, I made the decision to pull into a ditch to avoid the potential of being rolled over.

spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20140511

weather.gov/gid/102204

Event Summary:

The first round of active Mother's Day weather started up already during the very early morning hours of Sunday, May 11, 2014, as a line of strong to severe thunderstorms quickly developed near the Nebraska/Kansas state line around 3 a.m. This line gradually shifted north during the remainder of the overnight hours, dropping some large hail and bringing portions of the area their first round of heavy rainfall. Hail ranging from quarter to ping pong ball size was reported in portions of the area, and it's likely other locations saw hail as well, but the time of night was not favorable to get many reports.

This first round of severe weather tapered off to an end around sunrise, and the rest of the morning into early afternoon was relatively quiet. A cold front started working its way into the area from the west, while a warm front was pushing north out of Kansas. The position of these fronts resulted in a large temperature gradient across the NWS Hastings coverage area, with afternoon temperatures ranging from around 50 degrees in the northwest to near 90 in the southeast. When the mid afternoon hours arrived, thunderstorms began to develop in the Hastings area. Instability had been building all afternoon and deep layer shear was sufficient for thunderstorms to quickly become severe. While other thunderstorms did develop, the initial one that popped up southeast of Hastings started to work its way east, becoming anchored along the eastward extending warm front. As it moved into the Clay, northern Fillmore and southeastern York County areas, a number of tornado reports were received. Other thunderstorms were also responsible for large hail up to the size of hen eggs, damaging wind gusts and heavy rain. Though shower and thunderstorm activity continued well into the overnight hours, the brunt of the activity had shifted into eastern Nebraska by late evening.

Some much-needed rainfall was also observed across the area, with several locations seeing rainfall amounts in excess of 1 inch. Locations across portions of Adams county, Clay county, Hamilton county and York county in south central Nebraska saw some of the heaviest rainfall on Sunday afternoon...with rain amounts of two to three inches common through many locations. The combination of rain that fell early Sunday morning along with that which fell Sunday afternoon into Sunday night totaled as high as 5-7", primarily in parts of York County. This resulted in minor flooding of several creeks and streams in the area.

Balloon Launch #1 from Garnett, Kansas 119,620 feet (36,320 m)

Scott Currens 2018-07-17 | This was our first launch of a high altitude balloon. The maximum altitude attained on the flight was 119,620 feet (36,320 m), not bad for our first attempt. We did however learn some lessons. 1. Don't start recording video until you are about to launch. The Garmin 360 camera record for 1 hour and 30 min, unfortunately most of that was on the ground. The video cut out when the balloon reached 24,000 feet. :/ 2. It takes longer than you think to prep the package for launch. We had an amazing sky at the time I planned to launch, that faded before we got it into the air. 3. The Garmin 360 Virb is not great in low-light, I need to look at different settings that may improve the performance.

Note to flat earthers: Use your superior knowledge of the earths geography fix inefficiencies in the airline and shipping industries, build wealth and power, then people will know what you say is true. That or just keep trolling youtube videos.

May 2, 2018: Oklahoma Lightning 500 fps

Scott Currens 2018-05-06 | May 2, 2018: Oklahoma Lightning 500 fps

May 1, 2018: Culver, KS Dusty Wedge Tornado 4K

Scott Currens 2018-05-03 | May 1, 2018: Culver, KS Dusty Wedge Tornado

Stringing Transmission Line with a Helicopter

Scott Currens 2017-07-11 | This helicopter is threading a cable through the center of an H frame 345kV transmission structure. The cable will be used to pull the power line into place.

June 10, 2004: Big Springs, NE Tornado

Scott Currens 2017-06-10 | Discussion (by Eric Nguyen): Scott Currens and I started out at LBF that morning. We got data and ate at the Flying J's truck stop in LBF off hwy 80. We went west towards our target in far southwestern Nebraska. However, a line of cu rapidly developed in far northeastern CO and quickly developed into two cells. The first cell quickly moved northeast into the NE panhandle, the second slowed and appeared stationary for a short while. We blasted towards this cell incase it was going to be the show for the day. Since no other storms appeared to be developing anywhere in our target, we decided to head for this storm and intercept it on I-80. We stopped to its northeast and watched as the already rotating storm produced a few funnels. This quickly developed into a large cigar shaped funnel with a debris cloud underneath. We watched as this tornado moved closer to I-80 wonder if traffic would realize the approaching tornado. Luckily, someone was watching and trucks as well as cars stopped just east of us as the tornado began to cross the highway. It appeared weak and was rapidly organizing. We moved east and north to get back in position and got a mile or two from the tornado as it appeared to rapidly intensify. Very strong winds accompanied with rain and hail wrapped around this tornado, so video and stills were difficult as we were not sure if our safety was at risk due to power lines being overhead. We moved the van off the main N-S road and got west of the power lines. Luckily, none broke where we were located. We eventually lost site of this tornado and once again moved east and north to get back in position. We watched as it roped out at around 424PM CDT and a new wallcloud developed to its immediate southeast. We would never confirm any tornadic activity with this new circulation due to the lack of roads and HP nature of the storm. We did catch a glimpse of a tornado roping out north of Ogallala, NE, which was probably on the ground for a while prior to us seeing it. We decided to leave the storm due to the lack of roads, but not before breaching the hail core to observe any significant hail that we may need to report. We went south towards the storms in far southeastern NE, however, these storms were too HP and were getting undercut by very cold outflow. Unfortunately, we blew off the Red Cloud, NE storm during nightfall since we had to work the next day.

2002 Chaser Chatter by Eric Nguyen

Scott Currens 2017-05-04 | Here is a fun little video Eric shot after a chase in 2002. It may have been May 4, 2002.

SURROUNDED by TORNADOES

Scott Currens 2017-04-23 | Three mesocyclone tornadoes occur simultaneously from from a single supercell near Protection, KS on April 23, 2007. Watch as I thread the needle between tornadoes before the western most becomes a drill bit.

Real Time Video of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)

Scott Currens 2016-10-16 | Awesome real time video of Aurora Borealis shot at a wind farm in North Dakota on September 28, 2016.

Dakota Pyramid Aurora and Star Trails

Scott Currens 2016-10-14 | Star trails and the Aurora at the Nekoma Pyramid nuclear missile defense site in North Dakota.

Perseid Meteor Shower 2016

Scott Currens 2016-08-14 | I spent the last few nights out trying to capture the Perseid Meteor Shower. The beginning and ending sections of the video are star trails with a few meteors trails mixed in. I also captured video of the meteor shower at a wind farm using the Sony A7sII and a 20mm F1.4 lens. The moon had set so it was extremely dark. A couple Red Sprite also show up in the video from storms more that 400 miles away in southern Arkansas.