Hurricane WILMA (High Quality) - Belle Meade, Florida - October 24, 2005 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-05-10 | Between October 15th and 26th, 2005 Hurricane WILMA, became the 22nd named storm, 13th hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth category five hurricane of the record-shattering 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. WILMA also has the distinction of producing the lowest central pressure on record in an Atlantic basin tropical cyclone.From October 15th to 17th Hurricane WILMA gradually organized from an area of disturbed weather over the western Caribbean Sea. Over a 30 hour period from the afternoon of the 18th through the morning of the 19th, Hurricane WILMA underwent explosive deepening with the central pressure falling 100 mb to a record low value of 882 mb (26.05 in), and maximum sustained winds reaching 160 kt (185 mph) with peak gusts over 175 kt (200 mph). After reaching peak intensity, WILMA began an eyewall replacement cycle and weakened slightly, however the hurricane was still a powerful category four with sustained winds of 130 kt (150 mph) as it moved slowly over Cozumel, Mexico and the extreme northeast tip of the Yucatan Peninsula from the 21st through the 23rd.By the time Hurricane WILMA emerged from the Mexican mainland, on the afternoon of the 23rd, it had weakened significantly, however, the storm began to restrengthen over the eastern Gulf of Mexico as it accelerated to the northeast, ahead of an approaching trough. WILMA regained category three strength, with maximum sustained winds of 110 kt (125 mph) just before landfall on the southwest coast of Florida, near Cape Romano. WILMA was a very large storm that produced hurricane conditions across almost all of the southern Florida peninsula. The highest winds reported during the hurricane's landfall in Florida were 105 kt (121 mph) at the Collier County EOC near Naples; 102 kt (117 mph) at the Belle Glade SFWMD station, and 98 kt (113 mph) at Loxahatchee. WILMA's minimum central pressure at landfall was 950 mb (28.05 in).From the evening of October 23rd through mid-morning on the 24th, storm chaser Michael Laca intercepted Hurricane WILMA near the point of landfall on the southwest coast Florida, at the Lely Resort, between Naples and Marco Island. At my location I encountered sustained winds between 80-85 kt (95-100 mph) with peak gusts near 105 kt (120 mph). Hurricane WILMA moved rapidly across the Florida peninsula and exited the east coast near Jupiter, Florida with maximum winds reduced to near 95 kt (110 mph). The storm restrengthened and once again became a major hurricane, before finally transitioning into a large extra-tropical cyclone over the northern Atlantic.Across its several landfalls, Hurricane WILMA was responsible for $29.1 billion (adjusted) in damage and 63 direct fatalities.
Hurricane IAN - Port Charlotte, Florida - 4K EXTENDED EDITION (1 HOUR) Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2023-09-27 | This 4K Extended Edition of my Hurricane IAN footage includes the following additions:* Over 40 min of previously unreleased footage.* Enhanced quality with upscaled 4K/UHD rendering.* Improved color grading and corrections.* Remastered audio.* Chapter titles with radar loops and other chase data.* NGS Damage Assessment imagery & analysis.CHAPTERS00:00 Coming Up00:26 Part One (Intro)00:59 Evacuees Head West on I-7501:49 Early Morning Hours in Punta Gorda02:58 Daybreak/Morning in Port Charlotte04:58 Winds Increase as IAN Approaches06:21 Tropical Storm Conditions Begin08:06 Winds Continue to Increase09:48 Destructive Winds (over 50 kt) Begin11:23 Full Hurricane Conditions Begin13:30 Onset of Northern Eyewall (Front Half)16:15 Maximum Winds in Northern Eyewall Begin19:42 Northern Eyewall Moves Away21:51 Winds Subside as Eye Approaches23:48 Eye Moves Over Port Charlotte24:25 Minimum Pressure During Eye Passage25:10 Part Two (Intro)25:50 Extreme Wind Warning28:57 Winds Rapidly Increase to Hurricane Force30:32 Onset of Western Eyewall (Back Half)33:37 Maximum Winds in Western Eyewall Begin39:07 Heaviest Rainfall Rates Begin42:27 Hurricane Conditions Are Relentless46:18 Western Eyewall Slowly Moves Away51:09 Winds Decrease as Nightfall Approaches53:48 NGS Damage Assessment Imagery58:21 Credits & Special Thanks
Hurricane IRMA - Naples, Florida - September 10, 2017 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2017-10-15 | On the morning of Sunday, September 10, 2017 Hurricane IRMA made landfall in the lower Florida Keys as a category four on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The center of the storm crossed Cudjoe Key with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (115 kt) and a minimum central pressure of 931 mb (27.49 in). After passing the Florida Keys, IRMA made a second landfall in southwest Florida, over Marco Island and Naples, as a category three, with sustained winds of 115 mph (100 kt) and a minimum central pressure of 936 mb (27.64 in).From September 9th - 10th, storm chasers Michael Laca, Greg Nordstrom, Devin Thomas, Dylan Federico, and Brant Beckman intercepted Hurricane IRMA in Naples, Florida (26.14207 N / 81.79721 W)Between 3:45 pm and 4:35 pm EDT our location was directly impacted by the hurricane's intense northern eyewall, which was characterized by exceptionally turbulent bursts of violent winds. While the highest normalized surface winds, in our immediate vicinity, were sustained (1 min) around 100 mph (85 kt), peak (3 sec) gusts were likely in the 130-140 mph (115-120 kt) range, coming in frequent, explosive bursts which engulfed everything in blinding whiteouts of wind and rain. A peak gust of 142 mph (123 kt) was reported from a MESONET site at the Naples Municipal Airport, 1.5 miles east of our location, and a gust to 130 mph (115 kt) was reported at the Marco Island Police Department. Post-storm damage surveys have indicated that IRMA's eyewall was likely producing a number of transient mesovortex features, which may have resulted in some of the more extreme wind values, and exceptional turbulence observed.My location experienced a 40 minute calm (from 4:40 pm to 5:20 pm EDT) during the passage of the hurricane's eye. At 4:53 pm EDT, shortly after the onset of the calm conditions, I recorded a minimum pressure of 938.7 mb (27.72 in). A minimum pressure of 936.9 mb (27.67 in) was reported from a storm spotter on Marco Island.
Hurricane OPAL (High Quality) - Fort Walton Beach, Florida - October 4, 1995 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2015-09-20 | During the latter half of September 1995 a tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa, crossed the tropical Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, merging with a broad area of low pressure over the western Caribbean, before developing into a tropical depression southeast of Cozumel, Mexico on September 27th. During the next several days, the depression meandered slowly across the Yucatan peninsula, before emerging over the Bay of Campeche in the southern Gulf of Mexico and reaching tropical storm strength on September 30, 1995. Over the next two days, Opal gradually strengthened with the system reaching hurricane intensity on October 2nd, about 150 miles west of Merida, Mexico.Taking advantage of a well-established upper-level anticyclone, centered over the Gulf of Mexico, and very warm sea-surface temperatures, Opal underwent rapid intensification and by early on October 4, 1995 reconnaissance reports indicated that the hurricane had developed a pinhole eye, less than 10 nautical miles in diameter, with the minimum central pressure falling to 916 mb (27.05 in)**, and maximum sustained winds increasing to near 150 mph (130 kt), while about 250 miles south-southwest of Pensacola, Florida. At this time, Hurricane Opal was a high-end category four on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. During this period, Opal's motion had begun to accelerate towards the north-northeast and the northern Gulf coast.During the following twelve hours Hurricane Opal underwent an Eyewall Replacement Cycle with the small inner-eyewall and eye collapsing and a much larger outer eyewall becoming dominant. The hurricane steadily weakened during this time, however, Opal was still a very large and powerful category three hurricane at the time of landfall, near Pensacola Beach, Florida on the afternoon of October 4, 1995, with sustained winds of 115 mph (100 kt), a minimum central pressure of 942 mb (27.82 in), and peak storm surge values near 15 ft. The highest officially recorded surface winds in Opal included a gust to 144 mph (125 kt) at Hurlburt Field, near Mary Esther, Florida (three miles west of my location), 115 mph (100 kt) at Eglin AFB, and 88 mph (76 kt) at Pensacola PNS.During the afternoon and evening of October 4, 1995, my chase team intercepted Hurricane Opal at Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Highest winds at my location, during the peak of the eyewall, were sustained near 100 mph (85 kt) with gusts to 125 mph (110 kt). The peak storm surge at my location was approximately 13 ft, accounting for an 8-10 ft ground elevation, this resulted in a surge depth of 3-5 ft with higher waves. The eastern edge of Opal's eye passed over my location with a 30 minute lull, during which time sustained winds fell to 20-30 mph (15-25 kt). I recorded a minimum pressure of 960.3 mb (28.36 in) during this time.Across all impacted areas, Hurricane Opal was responsible for 63 direct fatalities, and $5.14 billion (1995) in damage. Opal is ranked as the 14th costliest hurricane in U.S. history.**Hurricane Opal retains the distinction of having the lowest pressure measured in an Atlantic basin tropical cyclone (916 mb) which did not reach category five intensity.
Hurricane ELENA - Biloxi, MS & Northern Gulf - Aug. 30 - Sep. 2, 1985 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2015-08-30 | A well-organized tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa and was first identified on satellite imagery north of the Cape Verde islands on August 23, 1985. An unusually fast westward motion near 35 mph (30 kt), combined with a dry Saharan Air Layer inhibited development of the system until it approached Cuba on the evening of August 27th. The system's forward motion slowed as it approached the western edge of a strong ridge that had been building westward across the Atlantic to the north of the disturbance. A tropical depression formed on August 28th as the system moved over the Windward Passage (between Haiti and Cuba).With an increasingly favorable environment, the tropical depression strengthened and was designated Tropical Storm Elena while moving over, and parallel to, the north coast of central Cuba late on August 28th. At this time reconnaissance aircraft measured winds of 50-60 mph (45-50 kt) across the Florida Straits to the north of the storm's center. It is interesting to note that the central pressure dropped 9 mb while the center of Elena was still inland over central Cuba.After moving into the Gulf of Mexico north of Havana, Cuba Elena quickly intensified and reached hurricane strength on the morning of August 29th. After entering the Gulf of Mexico, steering currents collapsed and, over the next several days, Hurricane Elena began a slow and highly erratic motion over the northern Gulf. Elena eventually reached category three strength with sustained winds of 125 mph (110 kt) before finally moving onshore near Biloxi, Mississippi on the morning of September 2nd.Between August 30th and September 2nd, 1985, storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard and Richard Pasch chased Hurricane Elena across the northern Gulf coast from Mississippi east to the big bend of Florida, and back again, following Elena's erratic motion. The team finally intercepted the core of Hurricane Elena as it made landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi with maximum sustained winds of 110-120 mph (95-105 kt).This 30th anniversary remaster combines footage from legendary storm chaser, Jim Leonard (1950-2014) and Michael Laca, and is presented as a tribute to Jim's legacy.
Hurricane ISAAC - New Orleans, Louisiana - August 28-29, 2012 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2012-09-23 | From August 28th - 29th, 2012 storm chasers Michael Laca, Robert Jones, Greg Nordstrom and Devin Toporek intercepted Hurricane Isaac in downtown New Orleans and the surrounding areas of southeastern Louisiana. With the large windfield and slow motion of Hurricane Isaac, impacts in southeastern Louisiana began well before the closest point of approach to the hurricane's center. By 10am CDT on the morning of August 28th, tropical storm conditions had already begun near the mouth of the Mississippi river in extreme southeastern Louisiana and continued to spread farther inland throughout the day. By late evening, strong convection associated with the core of Isaac was rapidly approaching New Orleans and winds in the downtown area began to increase dramatically.Our chase team's position, in a highly urbanized location, experienced significantly stronger winds in several isolated areas compared to many surrounding sites, due to the accelerated wind flow around the large high-rise office buildings and hotels in the downtown New Orleans area.Between 3:30 am and 5:00 am CDT (0830 and 1000 UTC), Hurricane Isaac's northern eyewall moved over downtown New Orleans and our chase team's location. The peak normalized (1-min 10m) surface winds we experienced during this time were likely sustained around 65 mph (55 kt) with gusts to 75-80 mph (65-70 kt). However, in isolated locations, especially along Poydras and Canal streets, where the wind flow was accelerated around and down some of the larger buildings, peak gusts likely approached 95-105 mph (85-90 kt), frequently coming in powerful downward bursts, or resulting in turbulent vortex shedding where winds would change direction 180 degrees in just a few seconds. With the intense rainfall that accompanied the storm's eyewall, Hurricane Isaac was a significantly different experience in downtown New Orleas than in many surrounding areas.The minimum pressure observed by our team was 983.0 mb (29.03 in) at 6:42am CDT (1142 UTC) on August 29th. However, given the hurricane's slow movement, the barometric pressure remained near its minimum value all the way through 9:45 am CDT (1445 UTC), fluctuating between 983-984 mb (29.03 - 29.06 in) during that period. Damage throughout the downtown area was characteristic of a category one hurricane, with trees snapped or uprooted, unprotected plate glass windows broken, business awnings and scaffolding torn loose, street lamps and traffic signals broken off and metal siding ripped from some buildings.
Hurricane ANDREW (High Quality) - Miami-Dade County, Florida - August 23-24, 1992 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2012-08-19 | Between August 23rd and 26th, 1992 one of the most violent and infamous storms in Atlantic history, Hurricane Andrew, devastated portions of the Bahamas, South Florida and Louisiana. Andrew was responsible for 26 direct fatalities and resulted in insured losses nearing $27 billion, making the storm the costliest Atlantic hurricane, as well as the most destructive natural disaster in United States history, at that time. Just after 4:00am EDT (0800 UTC) on August 24th, 1992 twenty-seven years of near misses, complacency, and luck in South Florida ended as Hurricane Andrew's western eyewall moved onshore in Dade county, just south of Miami, with a phenomenal violence unequaled in the city's history. Sustained winds of 165mi/h (145kt) with gusts in excess of 200mi/h (175kt) spread ashore with catastrophic effect. The first major hurricane to strike the area since Betsy in 1965, and the first major hurricane to directly affect Miami since "King" in 1950, Andrew began a reign of destruction that would forever change the face of the region and would redefine the word "hurricane" for all who experienced its full fury. Alongside the hundreds of thousands of residents who suffered through that terrifying experience two decades ago, a small group of veteran storm chasers, including myself, had the rare opportunity to document Hurricane Andrew's incredible violence at a direct coastal location. In commemoration of Andrew's 20th anniversary I'm presenting this digitally re-mastered, high-quality edition of my chase footage. Of course, nighttime hurricane landfalls are notoriously difficult to record and Hurricane Andrew was no exception, with the peak of the storm occurring in near total darkness. This made filming conditions exceptionally challenging, however, using a portable spotlight I was able to videotape a good portion of the storm's impact at my location during the entire landfall period. That said, given the arduous filming conditions, and the limitations of the video equipment at that time, a concession must be made to the quality of this footage. Without actually experiencing an event of this magnitude, first-hand, it's difficult to truly understand the incredible ferocity, unrelenting power, and somber aftermath a violent hurricane commands. This new 20th anniversary commemorative edition of my chase footage is dedicated to all those who were affected by Hurricane Andrew... to the meteorological, scientific, and storm chasing communities who strive to further our understanding of these amazing forces of nature... and to future generations who will carry the quest for that knowledge forward.
Hurricane KATE - Indian Pass, Florida - November 21, 1985 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2011-12-12 | On November 13th, a weak tropical wave began interacting with a trough to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles. Over the next two days, the system gradually became better organized and on November 15th was upgraded to Tropical Storm Kate while located 240 miles (385 km) northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. After initially drifting northwestward, Kate accelerated to the west over the southern Bahamas reaching hurricane strength on November 16th. An unusually favorable upper-level environment allowed Hurricane Kate to strengthen steadily and the hurricane's winds reached 110 mph (95 kt) on November 19th prior to making landfall on the northern coast of Cuba. As the core of the hurricane moved inland over Cuba, Kate's winds weakened to 90 mph (75 kt) before the storm turned towards the northwest and emerged into the Gulf of Mexico later that day. Despite its passage over land, Hurricane Kate maintained its organization while crossing northern Cuba and quickly re-strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm began to rapidly intensify on November 20th and maximum sustained winds reached a peak of 120 mph (105 kt) with a minimum central pressure of 954 mb (28.17 in) as the hurricane turned towards the north in response to an approaching frontal trough. At (18:00 UTC) on November 20th Hurricane Kate passed directly over a NOAA Data Buoy located at 26.0N 85.9W which recorded an 8-min average wind of 107 mph (93 kt) with a peak gust of 134 mph (117 kt) as well as a minimum pressure of 957 mb (28.26 in).By the morning of November 21st, Hurricane Kate was beginning to accelerate towards the northeast over the cooler waters over the northern Gulf of Mexico. Slow weakening ensued as Hurricane Kate approached landfall in the Florida panhandle. The hurricane moved onshore near Mexico Beach, Florida at (22:30 UTC) on November 21st with maximum sustined winds near 100 mph (85 kt) and a minimum central pressure of 967 mb (28.56 in). The strongest observed surface winds from a land station were at Cape San Blas, Florida where a 1-min sustained value of 74 mph (65 kt) with a peak gust of 101 mph ( kt) was recorded at (20:12 UTC). This location also experienced the peak storm surge associated with Hurricane Kate with a value of 11 ft (3.3 m) recorded. The Apalachicola NWS recorded a peak wind of 85 mph (74 kt) at (22:15 UTC). The minimum pressure reported from a land station was 973.1 mb (28.74 in) at Panama City, Florida at (21:30 UTC); Cape San Blas reported a minimum pressure of 975.3 mb (28.80 in) at (22:08 UTC). On the afternoon of November 21st through the early morning of the 22nd, storm chasers Michael Laca and Jim Leonard intercepted Hurricane Kate between Indian Pass and Cape San Blas, Florida. Our chase team was located near the RMW (Radius of Maximum Winds) in the right-front quadrant, on the immediate coastline, with direct onshore flow from St. Vincent Sound. We encountered sustained winds of 85 mph (74 kt) with peak gusts near 100 mph (85 kt) and a minimum pressure of 983.1 mb (29.04 in) at (21:40 UTC). Hurricane Kate weakened rapidly while inland and, after crossing Georgia, Kate approached very cold waters and increasing upper-level shear. The system became post-tropical on November 23rd while southeast of North Carolina. Making landfall along the northern Gulf coast just two months after Hurricane Elena, Kate obliterated what was left of the oyster industry in Apalachicola Bay resulting in significant job loss in the oystering and fishing industries. Hurricane Kate was responsible for 15 fatalities and resulted in $530 million (2005 USD) in damage. Kate has an unusual notoriety as one of the latest occurring major hurricanes on record, having reached category three intensity on November 20th. In addition, Kate now has the distinction of being the latest landfalling hurricane in U.S. history, as well as the strongest U.S. landfall in November.
Vintage 8mm Home Movies - Storyland Nursery Rhyme Theme Park - Pompano Beach, Florida Circa 1956 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2011-11-25 | I have been restoring/preserving some of my family's old 8mm home movies, and this is vintage footage of my father, mother and brother (filmed by my dad) visiting the Storyland amusement park on Federal Highway (US1) in Pompano Beach, Florida in 1956. The clip shows several of the park's nursery rhyme themed attractions including: Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, The Old Woman That Lived in a Shoe, Jack and the Beanstalk and Jonah and the Whale. It also shows some of the featured kiddie rides, such as pony carts and motor-boats. Storyland was a fairy tale themed amusement park located at 891 Federal Highway (US1) in Pompano Beach, Florida. Storyland opened in November, 1955 and featured nursery rhyme themed attractions, such as: Humpty Dumpty and Rub-A-Dub-Dub Three Men in a Tub. It also featured a miniature train ride, merry-go-round, ferris wheel, airplane ride, a monkey village, Seminole Indian village, little red schoolhouse, and a chapel with carillon. Plagued by declining revenues in the early 1960's Storyland was dealt a second blow when it was heavily damaged during Hurricane Cleo in August of 1964. The park was finally closed and torn down later that year.
Hurricane IRENE - Outer Banks, North Carolina - August 26-28, 2011 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2011-09-06 | On the evening of August 20th an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft found a small low-level circulation center about 200 miles east of Dominica, associated with a tropical wave that had moved off the west coast of Africa several days prior. At this time, the plane also measured maximum winds of 61 mph (53 kts) at 1400 ft (425 m) and 50 mph (45 kt) surface winds, along with a minimum pressure of 1006 mb (29.71 in). Based on these observations, advisories were initiated on Tropical Storm Irene at 7:00 pm AST.Over the next 36 hours, Irene moved toward the west-northwest and began to strengthen significantly as it approached Puerto Rico. Irene was just below hurricane strength late on August 21st as the center of the storm moved over the island of Vieques, and then made landfall over eastern Puerto Rico in the early morning hours of August 22nd. Shortly after moving onshore Puerto Rico, Irene reached hurricane strength, although hurricane-force winds remained over the open waters north of the center, and did not affect the island. Tropical storm conditions spread across Puerto Rico with a sustained wind of 54 mph (47 kts) and a gust to 76 mph (66 kts) reported on Vieques and a sustained wind of 41 mph (36 kts) with a gust to 59 mph (51 kts) reported at San Juan. Widespread tree and power line damage was reported across eastern Puerto Rico during Irene's passage. Irene produced a significant amount of rainfall over Puerto Rico and trailing rain bands from the storm aggravated the flooding problems for several days after the storm moved past the island. Maximum three-day rainfall totals exceeded 20 inches (505 mm) in several locations with a maximum of 33 inches (835 mm) reported.The storm continued to intensify as it moved west-northwest, just offshore the Dominican Republic, towards the Turks & Caicos islands.As Hurricane Irene moved through the southeastern Bahamas on the afternoon of August 24th, maximum sustained winds reached 120 mph (105 kts) making Irene the first major hurricane of the 2011 season. For the next 24 hours, the hurricane pounded the central and northwestern Bahamas as it began to recurve towards the northwest and then north-northwest by late on the 25th. Winds in excess of 100 mph (85 kts) likely occurred over several Bahamian islands and data is still being collected and verified. By the morning of August 26th, Hurricane Irene had weakened to a category two with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (95 kts) and had turned towards the north. Although slightly weaker, the storm's central pressure reached a minimum value near 942 mb (27.82 in) at this time with the cyclone's wind field expanding significantly. Hurricane force winds extended outward up to 90 miles (145 km) from the center and tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 290 miles (465 km).During the afternoon of August 26th, the forecast movement of the hurricane placed large sections of the U.S. east coast from North Carolina through New England under significant threat from the storm. However, despite the expectation that some re-strengthening would occur, Irene weakened as it approached landfall with maximum sustained winds decreasing to 85 mph (75 kts) as the center moved onshore near Cape Lookout, North Carolina at 8:00 am EDT on August 27th. Several locations across eastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks reported winds of hurricane force, with an unofficial report of a 115 mph (100 kt) gust at the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal and an 84 mph (73 kt) gust at Cape Hatteras.Several tornadoes were also observed in some of the outer rain bands that spread across the area in the early morning hours of the 27th, with a confirmed EF2 just east of Columbia, North Carolina causing significant damage to several homes.After moving across eastern North Carolina, Hurricane Irene emerged over the Atlantic a short distance east of Norfolk, Virginia around 8:00 pm EDT on the 27th. Moving towards the north-northeast with an increasing forward speed, Irene skirted the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast while continuing to weaken. Irene made its final landfall at New York City, New York as a strong tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (55 kts) at 9:00 am EDT on August 28th. During the remainder of the day, Tropical Storm Irene moved inland over New England and became post-tropical near the U.S. / Canadian border. Although weakening significantly, Irene's rainfall was responsible for horrific flooding over portions of upstate New York, Vermont and New Hampshire resulting in over 40 fatalities and extensive damage. Final totals are still pending.
Hurricane GILBERT (Wes Skiles Tribute) - September 14, 1988 - Playa del Carmen, Mexico Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2011-02-14 | Amazing footage of Hurricane Gilbert in Playa del Carmen, Mexico on the morning of September 14, 1988, as shot by the late, great, Wes Skiles. Gilbert was a category five hurricane at landfall in the Yucatan with maximum sustained winds of 160mph and a central pressure near 900mb.
Tropical Storm ELENA - South Florida & Florida Keys - August 28-29, 1985 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-12-22 | A well-organized tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa and was first identified on satellite imagery north of the Cape Verde islands on August 23, 1985. An unusually fast westward motion near 35mph (30kts), combined with a dry Saharan Air Layer inhibited development of the system until it approached Cuba on the evening of August 27th. The system's forward motion slowed as it approached the western edge of a strong ridge that had been building westward across the Atlantic to the north of the disturbance. A tropical depression formed on August 28th as the system moved over the Windward Passage (between Haiti and Cuba). With an increasingly favorable environment, the tropical depression strengthend and was designated Tropical Storm Elena while moving over (and parallel to) the north coast of central Cuba late on August 28th. At this time reconnaissance aircraft measured winds of 50-60mph (45-50kts) across the Florida Straits to the north of the storm's center. It is interesting to note that the central pressure dropped 9mb while the center of Elena was still inland over central Cuba. After moving into the Gulf of Mexico north of Havana, Cuba Elena quickly intensified and reached hurricane strength on the morning of August 29th. From August 28th through 29th, storm chasers Michael Laca and Jim Leonard intercepted Tropical Storm Elena in southern Miami-Dade county and in the Florida Keys, including Key West. During this time Elena brought minimal tropical storm conditions to the lower Florida Keys with peak winds between 40-50mph (35-45kts). Key West measured just under 2 inches of rain during the storm's passage. Minimal storm surge flooding was observed along south-facing coastal locations in the lower Keys on the morning of August 29th. After entering the Gulf of Mexico, steering currents collapsed and, over the next several days, Hurricane Elena began a slow and highly erratic motion over the northern Gulf. Elena eventually reached category three strength with sustained winds of 125mph (110kts) before finally moving onshore near Biloxi, Mississippi on the morning of September 2nd.
Vintage 8mm Home Movies - Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade - New York - November 25, 1954 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-11-25 | I have been restoring/preserving some of my family's old 8mm home movies, and this is vintage footage of my father, mother, brother and grandmother (filmed by mostly by my dad) in New York on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1954, during the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The clip shows several floats as they pass near Times Square, including Felix the Cat, a Macy's toy soldier, a pink elephant, roller skaters and Santa Claus... as well as the giant Christmas tree and holiday ice skaters at Rockefeller Center.
Hurricane IGOR - Approach Time-Lapse (8X) - Bermuda - September 17-18, 2010 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-10-21 | This is a short time-lapse documenting the approach of Hurricane Igor to the island of Bermuda. The first portion of the clip is looking eastward over The Causeway and Castle Harbor on the mornings of September 17 and 18, 2010 as Hurricane Igor's cloud shield (initially far in the background) expands northward toward Bermuda, and then completely covers the island by the next morning. The second portion of the clip, is looking southeast over the Atlantic Ocean from the south shore of Bermuda, in the vicinity of Spittal Pond, on the afternoon of September 18, 2010, and shows the storm's low-level Cumulus field moving southwest (parallel to the shore) while rotating around the center of the hurricane... as large waves roll onshore.
Hurricane IGOR - Grotto Bay, Bermuda - September 18-19, 2010 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-10-19 | On September 6th a large and complex area of disturbed weather associated with a tropical wave, moved off the west coast of Africa attended by two distinct areas of low pressure. The dominant low passed to the south of the Cape Verde islands while steadily increasing in organization, becoming a tropical depression on the morning of September 8th and reaching tropical storm strength later that day. For the next couple of days, Igor moved westward reaching hurricane strength late on September 11th. Rapid intensification ensued on September 12th and by late that afternoon, Hurricane Igor reached category four strength with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph (115 kts). An ERC (eyewall replacement cycle) began on September 13th which resulted in a slight weakening, followed by a new period of intensification, culminating in Hurricane Igor's peak intensity, with the storm producing maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (135 kts) and a minimum central pressure of 925 mb (27.32 mb) late on September 14th. During this time, Hurricane Igor was very near category five intensity. After reaching its peak, Hurricane Igor turned toward the west-northewst and began a slow weakening process over the next few days with several additional ERCs observed. By September 16th, the hurricane had weakened to category three intensity while its windfield continued to expand. The weakening trend continued and by September 17th Igor was downgraded to a category two while turning more towards the northwest. On September 18th, extremely large Hurricane Igor continued to weaken while turning more towards the north. Although weakening, the storm's massive windfield was producing hurricane condtions outward as much as 105 miles from the storm's center, with tropical storm force winds extending out near 350 miles. Tropical storm conditions spread across Bermuda by the early morning hours of September 19th and continued to worsen as the day progressed with hurricane conditions reaching the island shortly after nightfall. As Hurricane Igor approached Bermuda, the storm began moving more towards the north-northeast, making its closest point of approach near 11:00 pm AST (0300 UTC) while passing 40 miles west of the island. At this time, Igor was a category one hurricane with sustained winds of 75 mph (65 kts) and a minimum central pressure of 955 mb (28.20 in). From September 17th - 20th, storm chaser Michael Laca intercepted Hurricane Igor on the island of Bermuda. With the exceptionally large windfield that Hurricane Igor produced, impacts on Bermuda began well before the core of the storm approached the island. On September 17th, more than two days prior to Igor's closest approach, large and damaging waves had already reached south facing beaches along the island with several cliff side roadways experiencing overwash from breaking wave crests. Wave heights continued to increase on September 18th with exposed sections of the island's South Road becoming impassable as huge waves crashed onshore. By the early morning of September 19th, with Hurricane Igor still over 250 miles away, tropical storm conditions had spread across the island with gusts frequently exceeding 50 mph (45 kts) at my location in Hamilton Parish, on the northwest side of Castle Harbour. Conditions continued to deteriorate throughout the day with the onset of hurricane conditions occuring just after nightfall on the 19th. Peak conditions occurred from 10:00 pm to midnight AST, as Igor passed just to the west of the island. I estimate maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (65 kts) with gusts near 90 mph (78 kts) impacted my location. The minimum pressure I recorded at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort was 965.7 mb (28.52 in) at 10:55 pm AST during a period of rapid pressure fluctuations, followed by a temporary recovery to 983.3 mb (29.03 in) at 12:25 am on the 20th, and then a second minimum of 966.7 mb (28.55 in) at 3:25 am. Sustained tropical storm conditions impacted my location for approximately 36 contiguous hours. The highest officially reported winds on Bermuda during Igor's passage were 74 mph (64 kts) with a peak gust of 93 mph (81 kts) from the official weather observing site at L.F. Wade International Airport (approximately two miles east-northeast of my location). A peak gust of 89 mph (77 kts) was also observed from an elevated location on the island. The lowest official pressure on the island was 965 mb (28.50 in), though storm chaser Mike Theiss observed a pressure of 964 mb (28.47 in) at Elbow Beach.
Labor Day Lightning - Miami, Florida - September 6, 2010 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-09-13 | On the evenings of September 5th and 6th, 2010 strong thunderstorms developed over the east coast metro areas of southern Florida and produced periods of heavy rainfall with intense electrical activity. The slow-moving storms produced very heavy rainfall, with several observing stations in Broward county reporting accumulations between 3-4 inches, with locations in Miami-Dade county receiving amounts of 1-2 inches. This clip shows the vivid lightning display produced by the September 6th storm over downtown Miami, Florida. Power flashes were observed just north of downtown Miami with one of the more intense cloud-to-ground strikes.
Tropical Storm BONNIE - Miami Beach, Florida - July 23, 2010 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-07-25 | On July 23rd, 2010 Tropical Storm Bonnie became the second named, and second landfalling, storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. Between July 20th and 21st an area of disturbed weather associated with a tropical wave, interacting with a large upper-level low, moved west-northwest over the northeastern Caribbean and southeast Bahamas producing very heavy rainfall and extensive flooding over Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. On July 22nd, the strong shear, that had been preventing development, relaxed as the upper-low moved far enough west of the disturbance. By morning, visible satellite imagery indicated that a low-level center had formed over the central Bahamas and by 11am, the system was classified Tropical Depression Three, while moving west-northwest towards Southeast Florida. By early evening on the 22nd, the depression reached Tropical Storm strength and was named Bonnie. In response to strong southeasterly winds on the east side of the upper-low, Bonnie moved more towards the northwest before bending back towards the west-northwest on the morning of the 23rd. These strong upper-level winds also prevented strengthening and Bonnie struggled to maintain deep convection near the center while remaining a weak tropical storm as it rapidly approached southeast Florida. Between 9am and 11am on July 23rd, the center of Tropical Storm Bonnie moved rapidly west-northwest at 18 mph (16 kts) across Biscayne Bay, making landfall near Cutler Bay, Florida (just south of Miami) as a minimal tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (35 kts) and a minimum central pressure of 1008 mb (29.77 in). One large primary rainband to the northwest and west of the storm's center brought some brief heavy squalls to the coastal areas of Miami-Dade county as Bonnie neared landfall. On the morning of July 23rd, storm chaser Michael Laca intercepted Tropical Storm Bonnie at Miami Beach, Florida. At my location I encountered a brief period of sustained winds near 35-40 mph (30-35 kts) with peak gusts near 45 mph (40 kts) and heavy rain. Tropical Storm Bonnie had a very small wind field and produced a brief period of minimal tropical storm condtions across portions of Miami-Dade county. The highest officially reported winds in southeast Florida during Bonnie's passage were 47 mph (41 kts) with a peak gust of 58 mph (50 kts) at RSMAS on Virginia Key (just south of Miami); 31 mph (27 kts) with a peak gust of 39 mph (34 kts) at Tamiami airport and 26 mph (23 kts) with a peak gust of 36 mph (31 kts) and a minimum pressure of 1009.4 mb (29.81 in) at Homestead General Airport in extreme southern Miami-Dade county. Unofficial wind readings include 41 mph (36 kts) with a peak gust of 47 mph (41 kts) from a private anemometer in the community of Palmetto Bay, along with a minimum pressure of 1007 mb (29.74 in). During the late morning and afternoon, Tropical Storm Bonnie exited the southeast metro areas and crossed the southern Florida peninsula, emerging into the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical depression by early evening. Due to the continued proximity of the large upper-level low to the west of Bonnie, strong southeasterly shear prevented the depression from restrengthening and Bonnie degenerated into a low-level remnant swirl over the northern Gulf of Mexico on July 24th. The remnant low eventually crossed directly over the BP oil spill area and made landfall over southeastern Louisiana with little effects.
Hurricane ALEX - Brownsville, Texas (KBRO) Radar Loop - June 30 - July 1, 2010 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-07-03 | Level 2 base reflectivity radar loop of Hurricane Alex from the lowest tilt of the KBRO (Brownsville, Texas) site. The loop runs from 1004UTC on June 30, 2010 to 0857UTC on July 1, 2010 and shows Hurricane Alex making landfall over northeastern Mexico, near Soto La Marina and Campo Pesquero Enramadas and then moving west-southwest across the state of Tamaulipas. The loop includes a volumized 3D view of the hurricane's base reflectivity. The color table highlights reflectivity values of 25 DBZ or greater. For a portion of this loop the hurricane's radar presentation displays a double eyewall structure with a distinct "moat" delineating the inner and outer eyewalls... as well as the brief formation of a "hub" cloud (at the center of the eye) just prior to landfall. The following paper goes into more detail on the relationship of subsidence within the eye of hurricanes and the formation of a hub cloud. http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~kossin/articles/schubertetal2007.pdf
Hurricane KATRINA (High Quality) - Coral Gables, Florida - August 25, 2005 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-05-17 | Between August 23rd and 30th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina, became the 11th named storm, fifth hurricane, third major hurricane and second Category Five hurricane of the record-shattering 2005 season. Katrina also has the infamous distinction of being both the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the top five deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. On August 23rd an area of disturbed weather associated with a tropical wave became better organized over the western Bahamas and was classified Tropical Depression 12, while moving west-northwest towards the Florida east coast. The following morning, the depression reached Tropical Storm strength and was named Katrina. Turning towards the west, the storm began to intensify steadily and reached hurricane strength a few hours prior to reaching the Florida coast. Katrina made landfall at Golden Beach, Florida (near Miami) as a minimal Category One hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (70kts) and a minimum central pressure of 984 mb (29.06 in). From the evening of August 25th through the early morning hours of the 26th, storm chaser Michael Laca intercepted Hurricane Katrina at Coral Gables, Florida. At my location I encountered sustained winds near 80 mph (70 kts) with peak gusts near 100 mph (85 kts). Hurricane Katrina produced minimal hurricane condtions across portions of the extreme southern Florida peninsula (from Ft. Lauderdale southward through southern Miami-Dade county), with tropical storm conditions elsewhere across the region and through the Florida Keys. The highest officially reported winds in southeast Florida during Katrina's passage were 73 mph (63 kts) with a peak gust of 93 mph (81 kts) at Virginia Key (just south of Miami); 70 mph (60 kts) with a peak gust of 88 mph (76 kts) at the Miami WSFO (near Sweetwater) and 60 mph (52 kts) with a peak gust of 82 mph (71 kts) at Fort Lauderdale. Unofficial wind readings include a peak gust of 92 mph (80 kts) at Port Everglades and 97 mph (84 kts) at the Homestead General Airport. The lowest pressures observed in South Florida were 983 mb (29.02 in) from the Miami WSFO and 988 mb (29.17 in) at AOML on Virginia Key. Katrina also produced exceptionally heavy rainfall over southern Miami-Dade county with several locations reporting storm totals between 10-15 inches. After passing South Florida, Katrina emerged into a very favorable environment over the Gulf of Mexico and strengthened rapidly. By the afternoon of August 28th, Katrina reached its peak intensity with a central pressure of 902 mb (26.64 in) and maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (150 kts). In addition the hurricane's windfield expanded significantly, nearly doubling in size. After reaching peak intensity, Katrina began to turn towards the north and gradually weaken as it neared landfall across the northern Gulf. On the morning of August 29th, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Buras, Louisiana as a high-end Category Three with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (110 kts) and a minimum central pressure of 920 mb (27.17in). A few hours later, the hurricane made its final landfall near the mouth of the Pearl River, on the Mississippi/Louisiana border with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (105 kts) and a minimum pressure of 928 mb (27.40). Although the hurricane weakened significantly prior to landfall the storm's very large windfield, along with the perpendicular approach, and the bathymetry of the northern Gulf coast combined to produce an extremely high storm surge on the east side of the hurricane. Values between 24 - 28 ft (7 - 8.5 m) were observed, devastating virtually all of the vulnerable low-lying Mississippi coastline and sweeping many locations completely clean. On the west side of the storm, the high surge values also resulted in the overtopping, and subsequent failure, of several levees within the New Orleans area, releasing massive flooding in numerous low-lying communities. Hurricane Katrina's combined impacts across the affected areas, resulted in a staggering 1,836 direct fatalities (the highest death toll from a U.S. hurricane since the Lake Okeechobee storm of 1928) and $90.1 billion (adjusted) in damage, making Katrina the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. After moving inland, Katrina maintained hurricane strength for nearly 150 miles (240 KM) inland. The storm was eventually absorbed into a frontal boundary over the eastern Great Lakes on September 31st.
Hurricane RITA (High Quality) - Key West, Florida - September 20, 2005 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-05-16 | Between September 17th and 24th, 2005 Hurricane Rita, became the 17th named storm, 10th hurricane, fifth major hurricane and third Category Five hurricane of the record-shattering 2005 season. Hurricane Rita also has the distinction of producing the fourth lowest central pressure on record in the Atlantic basin, as well as the lowest pressure ever observed over the Gulf of Mexico. By September 17th an area of disturbed weather associated with the combination of a tropical wave and the remnants of a old frontal boundary, became better organized over the Atlantic, north of the Dominican Republic and east of the southern Bahamas. The system was classified Tropical Depression 18 as it moved west-northwest towards the Florida Straits. On the following day, the depression reached Tropical Storm strength and was named Rita. On the night of September 19th, intensifying Rita entered the straits south of the Florida Keys and by the morning of September 20th had reached hurricane strength. Hurricane Rita continued to strenghten as it passed south of the Keys, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (85 kts) and a minimum pressure near 970 mb (28.64 in) at the time of its closest approach, about 40 miles to the south of Key West, Florida. From the evening of September 19th through the evening of the 20th, storm chaser Michael Laca intercepted Hurricane Rita at Key West, Florida. At my location I encountered sustained winds near 75 mph (65 kts) with peak gusts near 95 mph (80 kts). Rita produced minimal hurricane condtions across the lower Florida Keys, with tropical storm conditions elsewhere throughout the middle and upper Keys. The highest winds reported in Florida during Rita's passage were a ten-minute average of 76 mph (66 kts) with a peak gust of 92 mph (80 kts) at the Sand Key lighthouse, 6 miles southwest of Key West. The Sand Key anemometer was destroyed and it's possible higher winds occurred there. The Sand Key station also recorded a minimum pressure of 988 mb (29.18 in). At the Key West Airport a two-minute average wind of 62 mph (54 kts) with a peak of 76 mph (66 kts) was recorded with a minimum pressure of 995 mb (29.38 in). An unofficial report of a 101 mph (85 kts) was also reported from a private anemometer on Key West. Dry Tortugas reported a peak gust of 88 mph (76 kts). The highest storm surge in the Keys was estimated at 5.0 ft (1.5 m) near the southernmost point in Key West. After passing the lower Keys, Rita underwent a period of explosive deepening over the Gulf of Mexico with the central pressure falling to a record low value of 895 mb (26.43 in) and maximum sustained winds reaching 180 mph (155 kts) with peak gusts over 200 mph (175 kts). A peak flight level wind of 235 mph (204 kts) was reported by LT. Col. Warren Madden (OCM for The Weather Channel) during a reconnaissance mission he participated in. Rita's approach to the Gulf coast occurred only weeks after the devastating landfall of Hurricane Katrina, prompting an unprecented evacuation (likely in excess of two million people) across portions of Texas and Louisiana in advance of the storm. The resulting gridlock stranded tens of thousands of motorists along highways and evacuation routes as vehicles ran out of fuel during the extremely slow egress. After reaching peak intensity, Rita began to gradually weaken as it moved west-northwest to northwest across the Gulf. Hurricane Rita made landfall between Johnson Bayou, Louisiana and Sabine Pass, Texas in the early morning hours of September 24th as a low-end Category Three with sustained winds of 115 mph (100 kts) and a minimum central pressure of 937 mb (27.67 in). Although the hurricane weakened significantly prior to landfall, the storm had a rather large windfield that produced very high storm surge values, in excess of 15 ft (4.6 m), across portions of the vulnerable low-lying coastline of southwestern, Louisiana. After moving inland, Hurricane Rita weakened rapidly and was absorbed by into a frontal boundary early on September 26th. Across the affected areas, Hurricane Rita was responsible for $11.1 billion (adjusted) in damage as well as 7 direct, and 113 indirect fatalities.
Hurricane BONNIE - High Island, Texas - June 26, 1986 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-05-05 | Between June 23rd and 28th, 1986 Hurricane Bonnie, the second named storm and first hurricane of the 1986 season, formed over the central Gulf of Mexico before moving inland across the upper Texas coast, near High Island. Intensifying gradually, Bonnie became a minimal hurricane and reached its peak intensity, with sustained winds of 85 mph (75 kts) and a minimum central pressure of 990 mb (29.23 in), just prior to landfall. The highest winds reported during Hurricane Bonnie's landfall were 77 mph (67 kts) with gusts to 98 mph (85 kts) from the south-southwest (on the back side of the hurricane) at the Sea Rim State Park C-MAN station. Several offshore oil rigs also recorded some high winds, with platform P12 reporting a peak gust of 97 mph (84 kts) and platform WC459A reporting sustained winds of 83 mph (72 kts) with a peak gust of 91 mph (79 kts). Through the early to mid-morning hours of the 26th, storm chaser Michael Laca intercepted Hurricane Bonnie on the upper Texas coast at High Island, Texas. At my location I encountered sustained winds estimated at 60 to 65 mph (55 kts) with peak gusts near 85 mph (75 kts). After landfall, Bonnie weakend rapidly and dissipated while being absorbed within a frontal boundary over southwestern Missouri. Within the affected areas, Hurricane Bonnie was responsible for $14.1 million (adjusted) in damage and three direct fatalities.
Squall Line Timelapse - Miami, Florida - April 26, 2010 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-04-28 | On the morning of April 26th, 2010 a strong squall line, associated with a large area of low pressure across the eastern United States, moved through South Florida. This squall line was produced by the same system that generated the violent tornadic outbreak over the southern United States, including the Yazoo City, Mississippi tornado, two days prior (April 24, 2010). The squall line intensified as it moved rapidly east-southeast across the southern Florida peninsula, reaching the east coast metro areas of Miami-Dade and Broward counties by 10 am (ET). The fast-moving line produced strong straight-line winds in several locations, with a gust of 67kts (77 mph) at the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse C-MAN station, in Biscayne Bay offshore Miami-Dade county, Florida. This timelapse sequence shows the approach and passage of the squall line in Miami, Florida. The view in this clip is towards the northwest from the Port of Miami as the line approaches the downtown area. Several fairly obvious northward propagating undulations (gravity waves) are evident within the cloud base, before the heaviest rain arrives. Peak winds at my location were between 30 - 40 mph. Heavy rainfall accompanied the line, with accumulations near one inch. Several embedded thunderstorms within this line produced rotational couplets that may have been associated with some brief tornadic activity, including one well-organized cell that crossed the lenght of Florida Bay west of the upper Florida Keys.
Valentines Weekend Squall Line - Miami, Florida - February 12, 2010 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-02-14 | On the afternoon of February 12th, 2010 a strong pre frontal squall line developed offshore the southwest coast of Florida, in association with an area of low pressure advancing eastward across the Gulf of Mexico. The squall line intensified as it moved rapidly eastward across the southern Florida peninsula, reaching the metro areas of Miami-Dade and Broward counties by early evening. The fast-moving line produced a brief, but widespread, straight-line wind event across the region, with numerous observing stations reporting gusts between 50 - 65 mph (including a mesonet station on Miami Beach reporting a gust of 64 mph). The timelapse sequences of this clip show the cloud motion prior to, and during the approach of the squall line to downtown Miami, Florida, followed by the very brief, but intense storm passage. Peak winds were between 50 - 60mph. Power flashes were observed just prior to the arrival of the strongest winds and small debris was noted falling from high-rise buildings.
Hurricane WILMA - Key West, Florida (KBYX) Radar Loop - October 24, 2005 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-01-17 | Level 2 base reflectivity radar loop of Hurricane Wilma from the lowest tilt of the KBYX (Key West, Florida) site. The loop runs from 0800UTC to 1300UTC on October 24, 2005 and shows the hurricane making landfall on the southwest Florida coast, near Cape Romano and then moving northeast across the southern peninsula. The color table highlights reflectivity values of 25 DBZ or greater.
Hurricane KATRINA - Miami Florida (KAMX) Radar Loop - August 25, 2005 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-01-17 | Level 2 base reflectivity radar loop of Hurricane Katrina from the lowest tilt of the KAMX (Miami, Florida) site. The loop runs from 1200UTC on August 25, 2005 to 0900UTC on August 26th and shows the hurricane making landfall near Golden Beach and then moving southwest across Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The color table highlights reflectivity values of 25 DBZ or greater.
Hurricane RITA - Key West, Florida (KBYX) Radar Loop - September 20, 2005 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2010-01-14 | Level 2 base reflectivity radar loop of Hurricane Rita from the lowest tilt of the KBYX (Key West, Florida) site. The loop runs from 1100UTC on September 20, 2005 to 0400UTC on September 21st and shows the hurricane moving through the Florida Straits between southern Florida and Cuba. The color table highlights reflectivity values of 25 DBZ or greater.
Hurricane GLORIA - Cedar Island, North Carolina - September 26-27, 1985 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-12-30 | From September 26th through the 28th, 1985, large and powerful Hurricane Gloria impacted the east coast of the United States from North Carolina northward through New England. Prior to landfall, Hurricane Gloria reached its peak intensity, east of the Bahamas, on the afternoon of September 25th. With maximum sustained winds of 145mph and a minimum central pressure of 919mb (27.14in), at this time, Gloria was a strong category four. After this, the hurricane gradually weakend as it accelerated northward. On the early morning of the 27th, Gloria made its first landfall over eastern North Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 105mph and gusts to near 125mph. Diamond Shoals lighthouse recorded sustained winds of 98mph with gusts to 120mph. Between 1am - 2am, the eye of Gloria moved directly over Hatteras Island with the village of Buxton reporting nearly calm winds and a pressure of 947.5mb (27.98in). At this time, the hurricane's minimum central pressure, as reported by reconnaissance aircraft, was 942mb (27.82in). From the afternoon of the 26th through the early morning of the 27th, storm chasers Michael Laca and Jim Leonard intercepted Hurricane Gloria at Cedar Island, North Carolina. Our chase team recorded a minimum pressure of 975.6mb (28.81in) and encountered sustained winds of 80mph with peak gusts of 100-105mph. Our location during the worst part of the storm was on the immediate coastline with direct onshore flow from Pamlico Sound. We were also adjacent to large utility transmission towers, whose high-tension lines produced some of the most incredible wind noise our team has ever heard. After passing North Carolina, Gloria continued to accelerate northward making a second landfall over Long Island in New York, and a third in Connecticut, bringing hurricane conditions to several locations in New England. Across the affected areas, Hurricane Gloria was responsible for $1.8 billion (adjusted) in damage and eight fatalities.
Hurricane HUGO (High Quality) - Luquillo, Puerto Rico - September 17-18, 1989 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-06-29 | Between September 16th and 22nd, 1989 one of the most infamous and disastrous tropical cyclones in Atlantic history, Hurricane Hugo, devastated portions of the Caribbean and South Carolina. From the evening of the 17th through the morning of the 18th, the US Virgin Islands, and the northeastern tip of Puerto Rico bore the brunt of Hugo's exceptional violence. Alongside the thousands of residents who suffered through the terrifying experience, a small group of veteran storm chasers, including myself, had the rare opportunity to document the full force of an intense hurricane, during daylight hours, at a direct coastal location.At the time of Hugo's landfall in Puerto Rico the storm was producing sustained winds near 130mph, with gusts over 160mph. In commemoration of Hugo's 20th anniversary I'm presenting a new, digitally re-mastered, high-quality DVD edition of my chase footage, including many previously unreleased scenes, new special features and extra content. This seven minute introductory clip showcases some of the highlights from the main feature.Without actually experiencing an event of this magnitude, first-hand, it's difficult to truly understand the incredible ferocity, unrelenting power, and somber aftermath a violent hurricane commands. The new 20th anniversary commemorative edition DVD is dedicated to all those affected by Hurricane Hugo... to the meteorological, scientific, and storm chasing communities who strive to further our understanding of these amazing forces of nature... and to future generations who will carry the quest for knowledge forward.
Vintage 8mm Home Movies - Miami, Florida - Circa 1957 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-06-13 | I have been restoring/preserving some of my family's old 8mm home movies, and this is vintage footage of my mom and brother (filmed by my dad) in and around Miami, Florida c1957. The clip includes embarkation for a Bahamas cruise (on the ship SS Florida) from the Port of Miami... which, at the time, was located just off Biscayne Boulevard at the site of the present day American Airlines Arena and Bicentennial Park... the Miami News tower (now known as the 'Freedom Tower') can be seen in the background along with glimpses of the tops of the old Columbus and McAllister hotels. Other parts of the clip show the Goodyear blimp, a Cuban airliner taxying at Miami International Airport and scenes from the old Crandon Park Zoo and kiddie train ride on Key Biscayne.
Double Rainbow with Severe Thunderstorm - Miami, Florida - June 6, 2009 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-06-08 | Following the violent June 5th, 2009 thunderstorm that produced exceptionally heavy rainfall and flooding over Miami Beach, another severe thunderstorm moved across the downtown Miami area on Saturday, June 6th... producing a small area of notable rotation (within a broader circulation), some very low and rapidly developing scud, and a brief period of torrential rain, followed by a beautifully vivid supernumerary double rainbow. I am frequently asked: 1. Whether this footage/rainbow are real... and 2. What camera/equipment the footage was shot on. In response to the first question, yes... everything I shoot in all of my videos is real, including the rainbow in this clip. For the second question, this footage was shot on a Sony HDR-FX1000 paired with a Hoya Pro-Digital polarizing filter on the lens.
South Florida Rainy Season Begins - May 19, 2009 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-05-25 | After several months of dry conditions, the 2009 rainy season got underway in South Florida during the week of May 19th. The heavy rains have brought welcomed relief to a severe drought over Southeast Florida, helping to balance significant rainfall deficits (8 to 11 inches) between Miami and Palm Beach.
Sony HDR-FX1000 - Full Daylight Test #2 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-04-14 | Sony HDR-FX1000 full daylight testing. Iris: f/5.6, Shutter: 1/350th sec, WB: Auto, Gain: Auto, Gamma: Cinematone 2, Black Comp: Stretch, Knee Point: Auto, Color Level: +4, Color Depth: +4, Sharpness +4, Filter: Circular Polarizer
Sony HDR-FX1000 - Low Light Test #4 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-04-13 | Sony HDR-FX1000 low light testing. Zoom: Full (20x), Iris: f/3.4, Shutter: 1/60th sec, WB: Auto, Gain: 18dB, Gamma: Cinematone 2, Black Comp: Compress, Knee Point: Auto, Color Level: +2, Color Depth: +2, Sharpness: +2, Filter: UV(0)
Sony HDR-FX1000 - Full Daylight Test #1 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-04-13 | Sony HDR-FX1000 full daylight testing. Iris: f/5.6, Shutter: 1/350th sec, WB: Auto, Gain: Auto, Gamma: Cinematone 2, Black Comp: Stretch, Knee Point: Auto, Color Level: +4, Color Depth: +4, Sharpness +4, Filter: Circular Polarizer
Sony HDR-FX1000 - Low Light Test #3 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-04-12 | Sony HDR-FX1000 low light testing. Zoom: Full (20x), Iris: f/3.4, Shutter: 1/60th sec, WB: Auto, Gain: Auto, Gamma: Cinematone 2, Black Comp: Compress, Knee Point: High, Sharpness +2, Filter: UV(0)
Sony HDR-FX1000 - Low Light Test #2 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-04-12 | Sony HDR-FX1000 low light testing. Zoom: Full (20x), Iris: f/8, Shutter: 1/250th sec, WB: Auto, Gain: Auto, ND: 1/64th, Gamma: Cinematone 2, Black Comp: Compress, Knee Point: High, Sharpness +2, Filter: UV(0)
Sony HDR-FX1000 - Low Light Test #1 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2009-04-12 | Sony HDR-FX1000 low light testing. Zoom: Full (20x), Iris: f/3.4, Shutter: 1/60th sec, WB: Auto, Gain: Auto, Gamma: Cinematone 2, Black Comp: Compress, Knee Point: High, Sharpness: +2, Filter: UV(0)
Hurricane ELENA (Eye) - Biloxi, Mississippi - September 2, 1985 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-12-26 | A short clip from my chase footage as Hurricane Elena's textbook eye moves over Biloxi, Mississippi on the morning of September 2, 1985.
Hurricane IKE - Florida Keys - September 8-9, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-10-19 | During the first week of September, 2008 Hurricane Ike tore through the islands of Turks & Caicos and Great Inagua as a major hurricane, with sustained winds of 125mph, before making landfall on the north coast of Cuba as a low-end category four, with 130mph winds. Ike crossed the eastern and central provinces of the Cuban mainland and moved offshore, paralleling the south coast of the island, making another landfall over the western portion of Cuba and emerging into the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane continued across the Gulf and made a final landfall near Galveston, Texas as a borderline category two/three, with 110mph winds, during the early morning hours of September 13th. The hurricane caused extensive wind and storm surge damage in the affected areas, virtually obliterating several coastal communities on the Bolivar peninsula of the upper Texas coast. With monetary losses over $31 billion (USD), Ike is now ranked as the third costliest hurricane in United States history. From the afternoon of September 7th through the evening of September 9th, storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard, Jose Garcia and Max Hagen intercepted numerous outer rainbands, from Hurricane Ike, in the middle and lower Florida Keys, as the storm passed well to the south. At the time of Ike's closest point of approach to the Keys, the hurricane was a category one with sustained winds of 80mph and a central pressure of 965mb (28.50in). Although the center of Ike remained a significant distance (150 miles) to the south, the hurricane had a very large windfield and produced sustained tropical storm conditions (39-73mph), with gusts of near hurricane-force, across most of the Florida Keys, which resulted in some minor wind damage. These strong winds produced a 2-3ft storm surge in exposed locations on the Atlantic side of the lower Keys. During high-tide, many low-lying areas experienced significant flooding. Numerous tornadic thunderstorms were also embedded within the outer rain bands of Hurricane Ike and several confirmed reports of tornadoes and tornadic waterspouts have been received from locations throughout the Keys.
Hurricane GUSTAV - Morgan City, LA - September 1, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-09-15 | Hurricane Gustav ravaged portions of the Caribbean in late August 2008, resulting in deadly flooding over Haiti and then crossing western Cuba on the 30th as a strong Category Four, with 150 mph winds. A day after emerging into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, Gustav leveled off as a Category Three. The hurricane remained at that intensity as it approached the coast of Southern Louisiana, prompting the largest evacuation in the state's history on fears of another Katrina-type disaster. Throughout the evening of August 31st, drier air began to work its way into the system and Gustav responded by weakening slightly to Category Two intensity. Just prior to, and during, landfall Gustav began a trend of increasing organization with intense convection developing within the northwest and western eyewall. The hurricane made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana on September 1st at 14:30UTC with sustained winds of 110mph and a central pressure of 955mb. Storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard and Max Hagen, as well as filmmaker Chris Terrill, intercepted Hurricane Gustav in Morgan City, Louisiana. Our chase team recorded a minimum pressure of 957.3mb at 17:26UTC and estimated peak winds at our location between 80-100mph. An unofficial observation of 103mph was reported by another chase team in Morgan City. Official wind readings include 86mph at Grand Isle; 82mph at Amerda Pass; 75mph at New Iberia; and 91mph at Baton Rouge. After intercepting Gustav's eyewall and eye in Morgan City, our chase team repositioned ourselves to the northwest and intercepted the northwestern eyewall a second time between Franklin and New Iberia. During this second eyewall intercept, we encountered exceptionally heavy rainfall that made driving conditions extremely hazardous. After Gustav's eyewall moved on, we once again repositioned ourselves to the northwest in Lafayette, Louisiana and intercepted Gustav's core a third time. Though weakening, the storm still produced intense winds, driving rains and significant damage well inland.
Tropical Storm FAY - Florida Keys - August 18, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-08-24 | On the August 18, 2008 storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard and Max Hagen intercepted Tropical Storm Fay as it crossed the middle and lower Florida Keys making its first landfall (out of a record four separate landfalls) within the state of Florida. Fay produced moderate tropical storm conditions across the Keys, with very heavy rainfall, rough seas, and sustained winds of 45-50mph, with gusts between 60-70mph. An automated offshore station at Sombrero Key reported a 2-minute average wind of 60mph and a 10-min average of 52mph, while the Sand Key station reported a peak gust of 71mph. Over the next six days, Fay slowly crawled across the Florida peninsula producing exceptionally heavy rainfall accumulations, with localized totals between 20-30 inches over several areas of east-central Florida, and a large swath of 10-15 inch storm totals. The resulting flooding was disastrous in several areas. However, many locations in Florida received a welcome ending to the severe drought conditions which have persisted for well over a year. After its second landfall near Cape Romano, Florida on August 19th, Fay uncharacteristically strengthened while over land, exhibiting a well-defined "eye" and partial eyewall feature on radar and satellite imagery as it approached Lake Okeechobee in south-central Florida. There were several unofficial reports of winds between 60-80mph in this area.
Tropical Storm NOEL - Miami, FL - October 31, 2007 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-08-11 | Though never directly affecting South Florida, Tropical Storm Noel moved through the northwestern Bahamas from October 31st through November 1st, 2007. The combination of the storm to the east and an area of high pressure to the northwest, resulted in a strong gradient across southern Florida producing intermittent periods of gusty winds. A sustained wind of 43mph with a gust to 54mph was recorded on Miami Beach.
Tornadoes - Noble County, OK - May 24, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-06-25 | On the afternoon of May 24, 2008 an isolated supercell thunderstorm developed over north-central Oklahoma, to the northwest of Oklahoma City, and quickly became tornadic as it moved slowly east-northeastward. The cyclic cell became a prolific tornado producer and, over a four hour period, generated no less than 15 individual tornadoes... possibly more. After already observing numerous tornadoes, the hail core from this cyclic supercell overtook our chase team (Michael Laca and Max Hagen) and we were forced to find shelter in the town of Douglas, Oklahoma. Once the hail let up, we decided to head back towards I-35 and drop south to get a good vantage point as the cell continued to advance. We stopped on the west side of I-35 between Perry and Orlando and to our amazement the large, rain-wrapped wedge was still on the ground to our southwest. As we watched, the tornado became more diffuse and within a few minutes had lifted into a large rotating base. Shortly after this, a new satellite tornado formed to the left of, and behind, the larger circulation. This tornado lasted for a few minutes before dissipating. The other half of our chase team (Jim Leonard, Ray Walker and Eric Baker) who were in another location, photographed this tornado and another one, which was very close, but apparently obscured from our view by the parent circulation. A few minutes later another small needle-like funnel appeared and touched down briefly. Just before the main circulation crossed I-35, a new funnel formed and lowered toward the ground with a quick swirl of condensation appearing at the surface. The circulation became quickly rain-wrapped, but reports on the radio indicate that debris was observed as the circulation crossed the interstate, moving east-northeast toward Perry, Oklahoma. After the circulation crossed I-35, the core overtook us once again and we experienced intense rain, marble to quarter-sized hail, and winds gusting to 60-65mph as the cell weakened.
Tornadoes - Garfield County, OK - May 24, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-06-25 | On the afternoon of May 24, 2008 an isolated supercell thunderstorm developed over north-central Oklahoma, to the northwest of Oklahoma City, and quickly became tornadic as it moved slowly east-northeastward. The cyclic cell became a prolific tornado producer and, over a four hour period, generated no less than 15 individual tornadoes... possibly more. That morning our chase team (Michael Laca, Jim Leonard, Ray Walker, Eric Baker and Max Hagen) began the day in Hutchinson, Kansas and had opted to forego a northern chase target in Nebraska, in favor of an area of less vertical shear but deeper moisture to the south in Oklahoma. As we headed south on I-35 we quickly noticed the rapidly developing tower well to our southwest, and it wasn't long before we started hearing reports of confirmed tornadic activity in the Bison/Hennessey area (one of these tornadoes was made famous through widely seen aerial footage as it destroyed a hog farm near Hennessey). Assuming the activity was going to be relatively short-lived, we quickly turned west on highway 64, and then south on 74 towards Covington, Oklahoma. All the while, continual reports of new tornadoes kept flowing in. We stopped very briefly for gas and noted an obvious "stacked plate" appearance to the cell. We continued south on 74 and then turned west on E0520. Almost immediately the base came into view to our southwest and we could see a smooth lowered wall cloud towards the right-side of the rainfree area. As we neared the cell, the wall cloud became more defined and, after passing a clump of trees, a small funnel appeared right in the middle of the rotation. We quickly stopped and filmed as the funnel briefly extended to the ground and then quickly lifted before dissipating. Before reaching the town of Douglas, we turned south on a dirt road and approached an ominously rotating mesocyclone, which was now fully backlit and very dark. The cloud motion was absolutely incredible, both the strong rotation within the meso and the seething, boiling in other areas of the base. As we watched, another small funnel appeared near the center of the base and then quickly dissipated We got back in our cars and drove a little farther down the road positioning ourselves just north of a now extremely well-defined and violently rotating wall cloud. Shortly after stopping, we noted that the entire base of the wall cloud was quickly getting closer to the ground and a small tendril-like funnel appeared right in the middle. The funnel rapidly rotated to the left side of the wall cloud and extended down to the ground, just as a second and then third suction spot appeared, coiling around one another. The multi-vortex circulation dissipated as the wall cloud continued moving on. As the meso approached the road directly in front of us, a new larger cone began to peek out from the middle of the larger circulation. The funnel briefly condensed to the ground, before lifting into a large bowl shaped protrusion. Continuing on, the funnel extended downwards again and this time planted itself firmly, swelling into a large cone. Simultaneously, the previous circulation also briefly generated a new multi-vortex tornado. Inflow winds, which were already strong, increased significantly at this time. After a couple of minutes, both the large cone and the new multi-vortex circulation lifted and dissipated. A few minutes later, a new lowering appeared and within seconds extended fully to the ground as a large, ragged, multiple vortex. The tornado lifted quickly, only to be replaced a few minutes later by another large funnel, which quickly connected with the ground and grew into a large wide cone.
Tornado / Large Hail - Douglas, OK - May 24, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-06-25 | On the afternoon of May 24, 2008 an isolated supercell thunderstorm developed over north-central Oklahoma, to the northwest of Oklahoma City, and quickly became tornadic as it moved slowly east-northeastward. The cyclic cell became a prolific tornado producer and, over a four hour period, generated no less than 15 individual tornadoes... possibly more. After already observing numerous tornadoes from this cyclic supercell our chase team (Michael Laca and Max Hagen) observed a large funnel develop just to our south, which quickly grew into a large wide cone. After a few minutes, this tornado lifted as the overall circulation became wrapped in dense precipitation while approaching the road directly in front of us. As we slowly trailed behind the now very large circulation, the hail core began to overtake us and we noted several stones between golf ball and baseball size bouncing off the ground. As we continued slowly east, the parent mesocyclonic circulation became nearly stationary over highway 74 and extended fully to the ground as a large rain-wrapped wedge, less than ¼ mile east of our position. With the hail core continuing to advance, and a large tornadic circulation directly in front of us, we were forced to turn northward and found some limited shelter alongside a gas station in Douglas, Oklahoma as the hail became more intense. Luckily we escaped with no damage to our car. Once the hail let up, we decided to head back towards I-35 and drop south to get a good vantage point as the cell continued to advance.
Tornadic Supercell - South Hutchinson, KS - May 23, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-06-24 | After nightfall on the evening of May 23, 2008, numerous long-track supercell thunderstorms developed over south-central Kansas, rapidly becoming tornadic. One of these cells produced an ominously well-defined hook echo on radar, headed straight for the tornado ravaged town of Greensburg, Kansas, with another tornadic cell to the east near Medicine Lodge. While the Greensburg cell did initially produce a tornado that impacted Protection, Kansas, luckily that tornado lifted before the cell reached Greensburg and the meso moved over the previously stricken town producing only minor damage. Meanwhile the eastern cell (which had started west of Medicine Lodge) was headed north-northeast towards Pratt, Kansas. This cyclic cell produced a strong tornado which crossed highway 54 just to the east of Pratt, causing two fatalities. As the cell moved on, it turned towards the northeast, paralleling highway K61 towards Hutchinson, Kansas. As the cell approached the city, spotters frequently reported a large tornado on the ground. At this time, our chase team (Michael Laca, Jim Leonard, Ray Walker, Eric Baker, Max Hagen and Mike Ratliff) was headed east on highway 50, on an intercept path, that brought us into South Hutchinson a few minutes before midnight, just as the cell arrived. We observed a strong rotational couplet on radar and, as we stopped on the side of the highway, could see a large wall cloud illuminated by the frequent lightning. At this point, sirens began blaring loudly throughout Hutchinson and we decided to move off the highway. We exited on S. Main Street and proceeded north, stopping briefly in the parking lot of a motel where, in the light of increasingly intense lightning, we spotted a very broad conical funnel just to the southwest of highway 50, with an intense precipitation core close behind. With the core rapidly approaching, we continued a few more blocks north and found some minimal shelter in a self-serve car wash. Once inside, the core quickly overtook us producing intense rainfall and winds gusting to 60-65 mph, while sirens wailed eerily in the background. Luckily for Hutchinson, the funnel likely remained aloft, since no significant damage was observed. On May 25th, our chase team surveyed the tornadic damage path from this cell, just to the east of Pratt, Kansas. Tragically, the fatalities had occurred when the tornado threw a car and its two occupants into an open field about ¼ mile to the north of the road. The mangled remains of the vehicle were still out in the field when we surveyed the area. Based on the severity of the tree damage we observed, and the distance the vehicle was thrown, our team estimated that the tornado was at least a high EF3, possibly EF4, at the time it crossed highway 54.
Tornadic Supercell - Ness City, KS - May 23, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-06-24 | After driving south on highway 283 towards Ness City, storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard, Ray Walker, Eric Baker, Max Hagen and Mike Ratliff turned west on highway 96 with an ominous supercell thunderstorm approaching from the southwest. After passing the DOW (Doppler On Wheels), we got to a position on the west-end of a long chaser lineup (closest to the storm), but after seeing violent rotation about to overtake us, we retreated a bit eastward as the meso edged closer to Ness City. During this time we also observed some incredibly close and intense staccato lightning strikes. As the cell approached we moved farther east, back into Ness City (with tornado sirens blaring), and decided to head back north along 283 as the meso moved off to the north-northeast, in the direction of Brownell, Kansas. As we caught up to the meso, we observed a large area of strong rotation directly in front of us, with several satellite vorticies developing along the periphery, to the right of the road. One of these satellite vorticies quickly evolved into a full tube. Towards the end of this clip the TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle), from the Discovery Channel's television series 'Storm Chasers', makes a cameo appearance.
Tornado / Core Punch - WaKeeny, KS - May 22, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-06-24 | After two prior intercepts during the afternoon, storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard, Linda Kitchen, Kathy Velasquez, Ray Walker, Eric Baker and Max Hagen moved south along Higway 283 in Trego County, Kansas to a position two miles south of WaKeeny. A strong rotational couplet was evident on radar as an intesifying supercell thunderstorm approached from the south-southwest after sunset. As the cell neared, a distinct wall cloud developed and as our chaser convoy turned west off of 283, a large, partially rain-wrapped, cone descended and headed rapidly north-northeast. The funnel briefly condensed all the way to the ground as it crossed the road about 1/2 mile in front of us. Immediately after the funnel passed, the rain and hail core rapidly followed and trying to make a three point turn on a very narrow dirt road, lined with chase vehicles, delayed things just long enough for the core to overtake us. Blinding rain, quarter-sized hail and winds gusting to 60-65 mph made driving back north along 283, towards WaKeeny, extremely treacherous. As we found out later, the parent circulation that produced the tornado we had witnessed, approached highway 283 just south of I-70 and a new intermittent tornadic damage track began near there. A corrugated metal shed was completely destroyed (seen at the end of this clip). The new tornadic circulation moved northeastward through the eastern sections of WaKeeny with isolated damage.
Tornado - Lane County, KS - May 23, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-06-24 | Storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard, Linda Kitchen, Kathy Velasquez, Ray Walker, Eric Baker, Max Hagen and Mike Ratliff intercepted a cyclic supercell thunderstorm that produced a classic 'elephant trunk' tornado in Lane County, Kansas to the west-northwest of Dighton. The full life-cycle of the tornado is captured within this clip. This cell was part of a complex of tornadic thunderstorms that also produced the widely photographed Quinter, Kansas tornadic family, as it moved northward from this location.
Tornadic Supercells - Lane & Graham Co., KS - May 22, 2008 Tropmet | Storm Chasing 2008-06-24 | Storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard, Ray Walker, Eric Baker and Max Hagen intercepted a developing supercell thunderstorm in Lane County, Kansas on the afternoon of May 22, 2008. The storm produced several intense staccato lightning strikes and developed a distinct rotating wall cloud with an associated area of rotating dust at the surface, though no condensation funnel was initially visible. As the rotation approached our area, the visible surface reflection disappeared, but a small conical funnel with strong rotation developed almost directly overhead with our surface winds increasing significantly. The funnel quickly dissipated as the cell moved off to the north-northeast. The DOW (Doppler On Wheels) makes a brief appearance at the beginning of this clip. The chase team then repositioned ourselves farther to the northeast, meeting up with numerous other chasers in Graham County, Kansas north of I-70, as a separate tornado-warned cell approached from the south, around sunset. This second cell produced strong outflow winds that kicked up a large area of dust. Though not tornadic, the appearance of the dust as it rose rapidly towards the thunderstorm base was quite ominous.
