2009-04-26 Report

A high risk of severe weather was issued by the SPC this day.

A rarely seen 30% hatched risk for tornadoes plus most of the central plains under PDS tornado watches!

5000 Capes forecast by the RUC by 4pm CDT!



Tornado #1 21:29z west of Roll, OK on hw33 - funnel forms and touches down just to our southeast.

It tears up trees and throws sheet metal in the air.

Two cows can be seen standing to the lower right of the ground swirl. Shortly before this I saw the tornado rip a 30 foot high tree into the air and it completely disappeared before my eyes!

I punch the accelerator and floor it back east barely staying in front of it as it passes within 5o feet of the rear of our car. Dirt, rain and grass are blasting against Eric's side of the car and his face as he films!

I swing the car around as Eric films the tornado pass just behind us.





Tornado #2 21:41z south of Arnett, OK on hw283 Reed Timmer is just ahead of us coming up the hill from the Canadian river as the new stronger tornado passes just ahead of us. The RFD winds were howling from the west here!

Tornado seems to pause for a bit in the valley to our east as it climbs the hill. Unfortunately at least one house is hit. A mobile home apparently. There were no known injuries with either of these tornadoes thankfully.

The tornado is on the ground for 15 maybe 20 minutes.

A long lived stout cone that might rate as EF3 maybe low end EF 4 at it's strongest. Damage surveys will tell.

The entire meso exposes itself for a bit and we can see how powerful this tornado is!


You have to see this video!!