I pledged some bucks via Kickstarter to make Tornado Chasers 2013 happen, and was gifted with a couple of passes to watch the 2012 episodes.
Does anyone want one? Convince me of your worthiness. (I suppose I’ll keep this open for a few days, maybe a week, depending on interest.)
Seriously? Seven thousand active members and I’m the only one interested in daredevil meteorology?
Oh, well.
I couldn’t think of anything to convince you of my worthiness! Other than my poker skills.
Hmm… not much competition, but I’ll put in my shot anyway:
Dallas, Texas, about 1994 I think.
Sittin’ on my ass in my living room, watching TV. Flip to the radar channel and I see a big nasty line of storms heading my way. Notice that the front is going from NW to SE, mostly east, and the very southern bit of the storm is going to be crossing the highway outside, about 30 miles north, in about 30 minutes. I don’t have to be at work for another two hours.
Shoes on, and I’m in the car before you can blink.
About 20 minutes up the road, I can see the clouds and the rain, other drivers heading south with their wipers and headlights on. Good signs, I think.
Few minutes later, I pass a little car covered with antennae. In the window, a decal for some official storm chaser group, I forget which. Rain is just starting; people in the know are beginning to pull over underneath bridges. We drive on. Eventually I lose him somewhere behind me.
Couple minutes later, I see the intersection I was aiming for… two highways, big mixmaster to hide under if need be. I pull off, and into the parking lot of a motel to watch the skies. Yep… here it comes. I decide to stay by the hotel as the hail starts. And gets bigger. And bigger.
People are running for cover; I stand under the overhang outside the front lobby. As the hail gets to be the size of golf balls, then the size of eggs, I yell inside “Get away from the windows, here it comes!” Like a fool, I stay outside. I wanna SEE this, dammit!
…and there it is. Tiniest damn tornado I’ve ever seen. Doesn’t even touch the ground! But at least it’s something.
Storm passes. People come out. I look around and the window right next to the front lobby has been shattered; I didn’t hear a thing. Look behind me and am glad the same thing didn’t happen to the big glass doors I was standing right next to! Branches laying everywhere, people coming out to check the damage to their cars; I pick up a few of the bigger hailstones and stick 'em in my cooler. Talking to folks, I meet a couple from Missouri; first trip to Texas, they said. They also happen to have had a camera, and got a shot of the twister. I gave 'em a few bucks to get the roll developed (kids, ask your parents) and they mailed me a copy of it a few weeks later.
On the way home, I stop at a gas station… and there’s the same little storm-chaser car. Heh… my aim was better than his. SUCKER! 
Got to work in plenty of time, too.
I’m not sure what to make of your comments. PM me your email address if you are interested.
I had no idea they were doing another series. I loved Storm Chasers, and I actually bought the signed version of Into the Storm off Reed Timmer’s website back when it first came out. I totally would have dropped $35 on the Kickstarter if I had known it existed (I normally ignore kickstarter, because frankly I think it is mostly silly indy games, and I am surprised their hasn’t been a higher profile “ha ha suckers I stole all your money and didn’t make shit” incident)
Discovery channel dropped them after 2011. This effort is Reed et al doing all their own shooting and editing.
My gf is a HUGE fan. She’d love a pass!
My comments were just to show an interest in tornado chasing; I was hoping other Dopers might chime in with some of their own adventures.
If I won the pass, Oslo, please give it to Mike’s girl? Thanks.
She just got back from a meeting of the American Meteorological Association at the College of DuPage. Im waiting to tell her if she gets the pass:)
Still waiting for private messages with email addresses…
I wasn’t sure, but it appears that I can do them one at a time. Mike’s girl gets one.
I still have one to give. I just need a PM with an email address.
OMG! Have you guys seen Dominator 3?