I have a real problem with the Weather Channel's Vortex 2

[malaise]

tornado chasing crew. They seen way more preoccupied with finding tornadoes than with the damage that is meted out to people in these communities.
It is very interesting to watch and clearly of scientific value, but they are way too excited about chasing this possible tornado in Holt County, MO.

They are obsessed with a tornado forming - they even sound annoyed that it hasn't formed yet - why the fugg do they want a tornado? DO they think a tornado won't damage people's lives.

[BlooInBloo]

1. Twice the problem you thought you had, apparently.

:P

[malaise]

2. LOL

Now how did that happen? :rofl:

[Gman]

3. These people are obvious adrenaline junkies of the first order

I think you would have to be an adrenaline junkie to be a storm chaser.

[arcadian]

4. That whole phenomenon made the weather guys sexy.

Before that a lot of local TV stations were just referring to a weather board. I'll bet it's gotten more than one weather guy laid.

[and-justice-for-all]

5. Does'nt satillite imaging of tornados tell use all we need to know?

so why are they still 'chasing' them?

[malaise]

6. Well they have this new equipment and they're behaving

like kids on Christmas morning.

http://www.weather.com/tv/programs/Vortex.html
<snip>
The Great Tornado Hunt

VORTEX2 - The hunt continues! Tune into The Weather Channel and take a 5 week ride with The Weather Channel's Mike Bettes and scientists from around the world as they hit the roads in search of tornadoes all in the name of science.
---------------
We know this will help people understand tornadoes better, but they way they ignore people in the path of these storms sickens me.

[and-justice-for-all]

7. ah...I see..nt

[armyowalgreens]

20. That isn't true.

Some measurements need to be taken from within the storm to get accurate readings.

Tornadoes are still largely a mystery to scientists.

[RoyGBiv]

24. No, it doesn't ...

Satellite imagery doesn't tell us much at all of what's going on inside a tornado.

Various kinds of radar tell us more, but from a distance, the information gathered is only helpful up to a point.

The goal is to produce better predictions and better understanding of the process of formation and dissipation, how the funnels move, why they move where they do, etc. Satellites tell us nothing of that.

Most of all, satellite imagery can also not detect an actual funnel. At best it can tell you where wall clouds are likely to be, but that can encompass hundreds of square miles where a funnel could form. Radars can pinpoint it better, but you still need a visual to know precisely where it is and how it is moving.

Unfortunately, with weather reporting getting into the entertainment business, a lot of the talking heads will tell you their wonderful equipment has detected a tornado. In reality what has happened is that their equipment detected a wall cloud. That information was relayed to spotters and chasers, and they watch a wide area and then spot the actual funnel, which they relay back to a television station. But, you're "spared" all that detail and get the impression some guy in a tie in his cubicle is doing it all.

[MercutioATC]

8. Their PURPOSE is to chase tornadoes.

They're not tasked with covering the effects of the storm or the human interest angle...other journalists do that.

...and they can't fulfill that purpose unless there's a tornado.


Can you honestly tell me you've never wished for a huge blizzard or a large thunderstorm just because they're kinda cool?

[malaise]

11. After hurricane Gilbert in 1988

I don't need another storm in my life ever.

I know their purpose and I think it's important, but the excitement while ignoring the cost to people is unacceptable to me. Just a little note or comment about the human suffering brought by tornadoes would be 'sensitive.

madaboutharry said it well.

[madaboutharry]

9. I despise the weather channel.

It annoys me no end.

On the point you make, I sense that also. They are focused on the science rather than the human tragedy.

[MercutioATC]

14. Well, yeah....they're the friggin' WEATHER Channel.

That's like despising televised racing because they focus on racing and not the "human tragedy" of the crashes.

[madaboutharry]

16. That is not why I despise the weather channel.

You don't even understand my post. Some people here just love to jump to some conclusion and post something snarky.

[MercutioATC]

19. Ok, so you randomly despise the Weather Channel.

...for reasons that have nothing to do with the OP.

[NYC_SKP]

10. Have you never heard of "The Tornado Intercept Vehicle"? OMG!

Yes, they ARE disappointed when the tornado doesn't develop. Human suffering seems to be secondary, at best.

From the Discovery Channel show, "Storm Chasers", I give you "T.I.V" the Tornado Intercept Vehicle.

This is how nutty some of these people are.

[malaise]

12. LOL

I remember that crap. :D

[Berry Cool]

21. LOL

That looks like a really bad version of Doc Brown's DeLorean.

[RoyGBiv]

22. That's crap ...

I worked with many of these individuals over a long period of time, and human suffering is what they were trying to prevent deep down. I saw people cry and rage when they failed because the first thing they thought about was that someone had died in part because with all their science and advanced technology they could still not do a damn thing to save them.

Please remember you're watching a media presentation, not the real, full life of these people.

Now, there are the "amateur" chasers, and those people tend to suck.

FWIW, there were many days I would have wished for an ITV. Spending time face down in a ditch after you've jumped out of your truck because some freak funnel started forming right on top of you will make you wish for anything but the shit-bath you're lying in while half the world explodes around your head.

[RoyGBiv]

13. Well, okay ...

But remember that what you're seeing is entertainment packaged for a viewing audience, and the audience in general wants this sort of presentation.

What you don't see is what goes on behind the scenes, and there's a lot of it.

I was a storm spotter (contrasted to a scientific chaser team ... we did the same thing for a limited area but had no desire to "catch" the storm) for the a county civil defense (emergency management) team in the 90s. An observation made by GMan is completely true. You have to be an adrenaline junkie even to want to do this because the adrenaline pumps hard. (I mean, when we got a sighting and had to start moving, the first thing on the checklist was making sure Ride the Lightning was cued up in the stereo.) There is no way to remain a disinterested observer when you're staring down one of the climate's most monstrous creations. The adrenaline along with proper training and some basic intelligence will save your ass too.

Another thing that goes on here with the scientific teams is that they wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait ... for days and weeks and months to find themselves in the right place at the right time. Take the personality type involved here, combine that with all the waiting, and when something does happen, you're going to witness some extremes of emotional energy.

I experienced this myself. I mean, you just sit there, on edge, senses like a fine razor, and then something boils up, and whooosh. There goes the adrenaline and you spring like a cat on a mouse. But I also saw it from a different perspective during the filming of Twister. The film crew, who knew *nothing* about tornadoes I am compelled to add, were in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas all season trying to catch real tornado footage. They failed except for one, singular shot of a dissipating wall cloud. They coordinated with local civil defense crews, and they ended up following my team around once during a proverbial dark and stormy night. These people were seriously on edge. Months of trying and failing had left them coiled and ready, and even the slightest hint that something was brewing caused them to boil over. They were funny.

Finally, and more seriously, scientific storm chasers are not equipped to deal with aftermath. That's not their job, and when they get involved in it, they tend to make things worse rather than better. Having worked more than one of these scenes, I can tell you that the last thing you want is some chaser crew showing up, especially if they have cameras. Those people need to stay the hell away from disaster scenes and do what they do best, gathering information and doing analysis that helps prevent more of those scenes from occurring.

Anyway, I haven't seen the show. I don't tend to like them because they cause weird flashbacks. But, if it's raising awareness and interest in a way that helps with continued study, I don't see a problem with it.

[malaise]

25. Interesting post

I understand their purpose - more knowledge about tornadoes is a good thing but given my world view, I like to believe that knowledge is ultimately for the benefit of people and our environment and as donco6 puts it, hearing them screaming 'what a beautiful tornado' annoys the hell out of me.

[donco6]

15. Hearing them say "What a beautiful tornado" kinda sickens me.

So, yeah, I know what you mean.

[RoyGBiv]

23. Nature is beautiful ...

It's also horrible.

Some of the most breathtaking images of nature in all its fury are taken of phenomenon that kill.

[Berry Cool]

17. But it's providing SUCH a great education for Keith Olbermann's girlfriend.

She just had her first up-close-and-personal tornado experience in Wyoming (when they finally found one) and said it was "awesome!"

At least that tornado was way out in the middle of nowhere and wasn't going to destroy anybody or anything.

I had MY first tornado experience at age 7, and it wasn't what I would call "awesome." More like, I was thankful my family's house was left standing in its wake.

[knitter4democracy]

18. After living through one coming within 22' of our house, I agree.

I can't watch that crap and think they're all nuts.