Vortex Times 
           Storm Chase Report   

Saturday September 22, 2001 
Terror On The Triple Point Chase
Location: Clay Co. Nebraska
Chase Partner : Jeff Piotrowski
Tornadoes : 1 (F3 tornado)....from ground zero !!
SPC Risk/Watch : Slight Risk, Tornado Watch
2001 Chase Rank : #2....but will always be #1 in intensity

The Chase:
This chase consisted of the most intense and life threatening 2 hours I have encountered in my 17 years of storm chasing. Bar none this day provided me and my chase partner Jeff Piotrowski the unusual and nearly unfortunate side of tornado survival. Please understand that neither Jeff nor I had ever hoped or thought we would be in this position as a storm chaser. A bizarre sequence of events abruptly turned an exciting and controlled chase to a life threatening run for shelter. Here is how this unforgettable chase transpired....

The forecast models indicated a favorable combination of shear and instability for Saturday across C/E Nebraska into NC/NE Kansas. A strong shortwave was going to approach C.Nebraska by evening. A surface low was forecasted to be near Concordia KS, with a warm front extending into SE Nebraska and SW Iowa. Fairly strong nw mid-level flow and southeast surface winds were going to combine for good veering wind profiles for supercells and isolated tornadoes, particularly by evening when a stronger belt of mid-level winds was to approach Nebraska and N.Kansas. The forecast models were indicating surface temps were going to warm into the lower 80's and dew points would be between 60-65. A dryline bulge was even indicated on the forecast models by Saturday afternoon across NC/C Kansas. The SPC forecasters outlooked the area for a slight risk, but did mention a strong possibility of isolated tornadic supercells over SC/SE Nebraska and NC/NE Kansas. The ingredients were all there, deep pooled low level moisture, pronounced thermal ridge, deep layer shear, and good upper support. The models were indicating that this would likely be a late show, or one that would pop very close to sunset. This was all based on the later arrival of the strong shortwave sweeping southeast.

Jeff and I were still trying to decide if the chase was worth the 6-7 hour drive to get in place. I woke up hard and was not tremendously fired up about chasing. It had been a long work week, and I was planning on more of a relaxed football focused weekend. Jeff also had some chores he had to knock out but after a short meeting of the minds, we both decided it was a go. Jeff and I were both in agreement that our target zone would be near Fairbury/Beatrice Nebraska. I got my stuff ready quickly and caught a quick shower while Jeff finished up his projects. Jeff's wife Kathryn was thinking about joining us. I knew she was kidding, but Kathryn was truly wanting to go. She had some errands to do so she was a late scratch from the chase list. Jeff and I left Tulsa around 11am and headed up US-75 towards Topeka. By the time we reached Yates Center KS on US-75, we could see a line of cb's to our distant north through northwest. A few overshooting domes were seen. Apparently, overnight convection over SC/SE Nebraska had sent an outflow boundary southward into N.Kansas between the border and I-70. As with the very early morning storms over SC Nebraska, a few of the storms pulsed to severe levels dropping 1-1.5 inch hail. This early round of storms was a combination of an exiting vortmax/shortwave and strengthening warm advection at low levels. The further north we drove, the stronger the signals that the storms along the outflow boundary were very much elevated and on the wane. We wondered what type of effect this boundary would have on later events. We wouldn't find this out for quite awhile.

We reached Topeka at the same time the weakening storms did. The elevated storms were still fairly electrical but they had no structure and it appeared the cap was starting to build in behind the exiting morning shortwave. The SPC surface test page, one of the best chaser forecasting tools out there, showed that a strong bubble high had formed across SE Nebraska into NE Kansas. The airmass in this area was stabilizing quickly and the strong northeast winds were advecting in drier air from W.Iowa and NW Missouri. Further west, a surface low was developing near Hill City KS. A moisture convergence max center was forming near the low, and the dryline was starting to show up on the moisture plots. This position was a lot further west than the 18z forecast models had indicated. The SPC forecaster recognized this and backed up the slight risk and associated tornado threat area further west and northwest from near Grand Island NE to the Hays KS area. We watched the line of storms on the outflow boundary fizzle out as the cap strengthened by early afternoon. Based on all the info we had, Jeff and I both adjusted our target area back to between Red Cloud NE and Concordia KS. This area would certainly recover quicker than further east where the bubble high was in control. 

Jeff and I headed west on US-36 from US-75 and towards our new target zone. Time was certainly on our side, but Jeff and I became concerned that the action would be after dark now.  We pulled over first at Marysvile KS for some lunch and a fuel stop. The cap was in control now. All the clouds seemed to dry up quickly and full sunshine was now occurring across W/C Kansas and much of W/C Nebraska. The south winds were gusting hard as the pressure falls with the developing surface low combined with the bubble high well to the east. We were still too far east so we decided to hold near Washington KS. We actually held at the intersection of US-36 and KS-15, the road north to Fairbury NE. Jeff and I watched satellite and the SPC surface test page closely. The airmass was really recovering nicely from Dodge City northward into the Grand Island area. CAPEs had climbed to over 3000j-kg and a sharp dryline was setting up from surface low east of Hill City southwest towards Garden City KS. While most of the unstable air was confined to C.Kansas, the nose of the axis of instability was aiming right for the Grand Island/Hastings NE area. This became even more pronounced by 5pm. The surface low had moved northeast and was now located near Phillipsburg. The warm front had moved northward into SC Nebraska. A strong thermal ridge was poking into that area as well. We recognized this, but at the same time were very worried about comitting too far northwest. A decision which made us miss the first very photogenic tornado near Clay Center and Saronville NE. 

A mesoscale discussion was issued by SPC highlighting the SC Nebraska and NC Kansas area for rapid supercell development. It indicated the cap was weakening and that a tornado watch would be issued by 22z or 5pm. Patches of well developed accas formed all around us. Jeff said this happened on June 13th Seward NE day, just before the storms erupted. We decided to drift north into Nebraska as some weak radar echoes were now showing up northeast and southeast of Grand Island. By the time we reached Beatrice, the storm north of Hastings was already a highly sheared mini-supercell, with a small hook on the northwest side. We could already see the towers going up. They had not yet fully exploded but were probably about 30,000-35,000 ft tops. We pulled over west of Fairbury and watched the towers grow and then lean way over. After figuring out the situation days later, these towers had popped because of the strong moisture convergence. However, they had not fully taken off because the wave had not hit yet. At about 5:45pm, the wave hit and the storm took off finally. Our view of the storm tower was masked by the expanding anvil that was spreading southeast very quickly. The storm was venting and surely had to be severe by now. Jeff finally got one Hastings radar image. The storm was now a super beast with hail in excess of 4 inches indicated and a well developed hook east of Hastings in N.Clay Co. . The size of the inflow notch was suggestive that something was on the ground already !!

After our long wait, we were still going to be late on this supercell.  A tornado was reported on the ground between Saronville and Clay Center for nearly a half hour. Dean Cosgrove and Roger Hill nailed this tornado-good job guys. And in an hour a F3 tornado nearly nailed us !!  The chase from this point on seemed to be in a fast forward state. We headed north through Alexandria and Bruning (Thayer Co.) to US 81. The supercell had nearly double in size and now had 2 strong circulations off Hastings radar. The first circulation was occluding southwest of Sutton, and a brand new circulation was forming near Clay Center. As we headed north on US-81, we could see the very ominous core and a pronounced rain-free base well to our northwest. We picked up the pace and tried to avoid the advancing hailcore which was very mean looking (radar indicated a large baseball size hailcore in Clay Co. ) was steadily moving southeast. We did not want to lose the windshield (yet) so we kept away from the leading edge which was advancing on W.Fillmore Co. We had to slow down for a tractor trailer full of bananas that went off the road earlier in the day apparently. We reached Strang (Fillmore Co.) before the hailcore cut us off from reaching our desired highway NE-74. To our west a large rain-free base was developing fingers and a wall cloud was forming about 15 miles to our w-nw. By the time we reached Shickley, golfball hail started to pound us ands we also noticed a dramatic increase in the positive lightning all around us. The sky had that eerie tornado look as the sun started to set and the base grew darker. Things were about to get stranger in this eerie pre-tornado scene. We were getting nailed with all sorts of unusually shaped hailstones ranging from dime sized to approaching tennis ball sized. Almost instantaneously as we came upon the small town of Ong (Clay Co.) , the wall cloud began to drop rapidly from the rain-free base. The whole bowl lowered and a very strong east wind started to blow. The sky was darkening as the depth of the bowl shaped wall cloud dropped amazingly fast. A large cigar cloud/inflow band was forming on the northeast side of the wall cloud and was racing into the updraft. Distinct collars also formed on the wall cloud which by now was about 5 miles to our west-northwest. Intermittent very large hail pounded the van as intense cloud to ground lightning zapped all around us. A tornado was soon...very very soon. As we headed further west on NE-74 towards Edgar, rotation in the wall cloud became very violent, and very quickly a classic cone tornado appeared within the rain curtains about 3 miles to our northwest. Very rapid and scary cloud motions were overhead as long writhing inflow bands moved into the updraft/wall cloud. We had already selected an escape route to use if the tornado continued on towards us and we had to flee the scene. Just as we prepared to pull over for some video of the tornado that was growing wider, Jeff and I heard a loud pop, then a bang, and then a loud metal-metal grinding noise. At first Jeff and I both thought it was maybe a blown tire. But then the van came to a scary abrupt stop. It would not go forward any longer. We were doomed, screwed, and certainly in a big heap of trouble. 

Jeff called 911 first to see about getting a tow truck, but the call quickly became a mayday like call. Jeff gave the operator our position and our names. I was out shooting video and becoming very nervous. The tornado was widening and looked to be over 1/4 mile wide now. I was beginning to hear the roar. Oh no!! We were in the direct path of the tornado. Every time I have heard the roar that distinctly in the past, I have been in the path or very near the path of the tornado. Jeff continued to call in our info to 911, and I started to scan all areas for some place to seek shelter. Luckily, a ranch type farm home was about 1/4 of a mile of a mile north of us. I quickly did some panicked math in my head and made the decision that we had to make a run for it now. I yelled for Jeff to start running for the farm house. The tornado was closing in on us quickly. All we could see to our west was a wall of intensely rotating rain curtains that had a VERY intimidating roar coming out from the rain. We started off getting hit by lots of golfball hail and 60-70 mph winds out of the east-southeast. The sun had already set so it was getting much darker now. By the time we reached the halfway point up the long gravel drive, the tornado was ALREADY under a mile away from us. Running was becoming very difficult in the nasty wind and rain soaked clothes. Jeff ran past me and I was sucking serious wind by the halfway point. Winds were now well over 80mph, and now even larger hailbombs were nailing Jeff and I. At one point I got hit in the neck and on the back, but my adrenaline kept me from feeling the pain. At one point, I was so spent from sprinting that I fell to my knees. While I was down there, I said a quick prayer for the Lord to give me strength to reach the house before the tornado did. I was seriously trembling at this point, and I started to have doubts I would reach the house before the tornado did. I was as scared as I have EVER been and probably the closest brush with death I have ever been. Jeff reached the house first, just as part of the front porch blew off the front of the house and lifted up over the roof. The roar of the large tornado was one I felt in my chest. A serious rumbling roar. Freight train hell no!! It was like standing next to a couple F-18's taking off. Unbelievable and so hard to describe. Words do not give it any justice !!

Anyway, Jeff was let in by Mrs. Olson who had seen us running up to the house. She had gone to the basement earlier, and then came up and saw the van off the highway. Jeff frantically tried to see if they had a basement. She said yes, but Jeff said she seemed unaware that a 1/2 mile wide tornado was bearing down on the house. I was struggling to run/walk in the winds that were gusting to over 100mph. I was knocked down a few times and for those that don't know me, I am built like a fireplug 5-8 and 250lbs. By the time I reached the front fenced in yard, Jeff was yelling directions on how to get into the yard. I could not hear him the roar was now that loud. Lightning was zapping all around and I could now hear the tornado roar mix in a whistling sound as it moved through a wind row not more than a few hundred yards west of the house. I found the gate, and Jeff said debris was whizzing past me. I was unaware of this, my heart was pounding so hard and I was so focused on the front door. As I ran into the yard, large trees were beginning to uproot and break off on the west side of the yard. My best wind estimation was 110 mph by this time. I was getting knocked and pushed back with every step I took for the door. I scrambled up the front stairs of the front porch that was blown away minutes earlier. I more or less just collapsed when I hot the opening of the front door. Just totally spent. My thigh muscles were cramping bigtime. Mrs. Olson thought I had a coronary as hard as I hit the floor after collapsing. Jeff and Mrs. Olson waited for me to recover a bit. Then the west windows all exploded. Glass was crashing into the walls and doors on the bedrooms on the west side of the house. The tornado was knocking on the door and about to unleash full fury on the Olson's large established farmstead.

We all made our way in the darkness with a tremendous roaring blast hitting the west wall of the house. Lots of popping wood/timber and breaking glass. We found the door to the basement. Fortunately she had a small flashlight so this helped us tremendously. We all piled down the stairs. Just as I reached the bottom step, we could hear the entire roof getting ripped off the house. The edge of the tornado was now hitting, less than 2 minutes after I had stumbled into the front doorway and collapsed. SECONDS DO SAVE LIVES !! Mrs. Olson dived for under a large well built pool table. Jeff and I hunkered down under the stairs when the full force of the tornado was upon us. The whole house shook violently like a real bad earthquake. The roar was even louder than earlier and our ears popped really bad. I don't know if it was because I was seriously out of wind, but when the full force of the tornado hit, both Jeff and I found it hard to get any deep breaths. The large tornado was blasting the farm outside as we could hear the outbuildings banging and debris blasting the house. The floor above us was buckling towards the center of the house and we could hear the floor joists popping. I looked down during one of the lightning flashes and the stairs was lifting upwards a good 2 feet off the basement floor. The incredible shaking lasted about 3 solid minutes and then a deathly quiet. The tornado had moved on. We could still hear debris falling through the open air roof so we stayed down in the basement a few more minutes. The tornado struck around 8:10pm according to Mrs. Olson's clock. The basement floor had an inch of water on it. Mrs. Olson was unhurt and so were we. We had survived a tornado; how bad of a tornado remained to be seen. We also wondered if the van was still anywhere to be found. Jeff went up the stairs first. He looked up and could see clear skies and the edge of the violently spinning wall cloud above the house. Even though it was dark, Jeff looked out the broken kitchen window and could easily see the huge white cone moving east, about 1/2 mile to the east of the house. The roar was gone, and it was eerily still. I helped Mrs. Olson up the stairs. Jeff prepared her for how bad the damage was. The kitchen looked like a million raccoons got to it. Stuff was everywhere. The ceiling fan was stuck in the floor like a chinese star. A very messy scene. The whole roof of the house was gone, and the wrap around rain started to fall lightly. Oddly enough her phone worked so she called 911 to have emergency crews come to her place. In the debris, I found shoes for Mrs. Olson to put on to walk through the torn up house. We all made our way outside through all the glass/debris in the family room. Every outbuilding was either totally gone or wrapped against trees. A scary thought because Jeff and I both eyed the largest shed for a hiding spot before making a last gasp dash for the house. The house was apparently on the very south edge of the large tornado. The house had F1 to F2 damage, but an intense core of damage was found by Jeff and I not more than 100 yards north of the house. Well anchored steel beams were pulled from the concrete footings. Other F3 consistent damage was found in this intense damage core through the farmstead. Mrs. Olson's car was lifted and thrown about 70 yards north from where it was parked. Oddly enough all 4 wheels were still inflated.

Jeff decided to run out to the van and look it over while I stayed with Mrs. Olson. She seemed like she was in shock somewhat but was still fairly cognizant of what had just happened and how bad the damage was. Jeff's van was amazingly upright. Mrs. Olson went out to the shed were her car was, and off in the distance the tornado which hit the farm was doing a Wizard of Oz curtain call about 4 miles to our east. Kind of a surreal scene with the classic rope white tornado in the background and lightning illuminated damage in the foreground. I was still very much shaking and was still very nervous. I told Mrs. Olson to come closer to the house since the rope tornado started moving back westward and our winds abruptly picked up. A brand new supercell also popped northwest of the farm and it had a beautiful sculpted updraft. It looked like a classic dryline storm and was heading right for the farm. The Clay Co. Sheriff arrived with the Edgar Fire Dept. He asked first if we were all okay. Then he asked if there was any livestock on the property. I did not know but I said from what I remember seeing as I ran up to the house, that this was a corn farmers property. He also asked if I knew where the gas tanks were. I had no idea on that one, but I could smell the tracer. The Fire Dept. made sure all the gas valves were shutoff. Then they all were very amazed at my story of how we ran 1/4 of a mile to the house in front of a 1/2 mile wide tornado. All said we were damn lucky we decided to run when we did. I said few prayers of thanks while I was alone and was still fairly stunned as to what just happened an hour before. I was pretty dazed, and my stomach was in knots from all the stress my body and mind went through. My thighs stopped cramping so that was a plus.

Jeff's van was pushed further off the road by the wind. Jeff said a large piece of debris smashed in the driver's side of the windshield and a fine powdery glass blanket was all across the front and middle seats. Shards of glass were all over the front seats. Lucky we decided not to stay in the van! Other than some minor body damage near the windshield, the van escaped without serious damage. The second storm hit the farmstead with another round of heavy rain and quarter sized hail. It moved off quickly and then I was treated to one of the wildest anvil crawler lightning displays I have seen in a long time. Jeff headed on to pick up the rental. An extremely helpful local resident from near Edgar (who's name escapes me) helped us secure a rental car with a car dealership out of Sutton (Friesens Chevrolet). Jeff and I wish to thank all who helped us that night. We were in a serious jam and needed to get to a hotel after the KETV (Omaha) camera man met us at the tornado damage scene. Jeff was able to get a Suburban rental to use until we could get a rental to drive back to Tulsa on Sunday. We stayed in Hastings (actually Grand Island) at a Holiday Inn Express. A huge square dance convention had all the hotels sold out in Hastings. The hot shower felt great and it was good to finally find a hotel with a good shower head. After a quick sandwich, I literally passed out until Sunday morning about 8am. Had some crazy dream flashbacks from the scary close call with that tornado. I heard the roar again, but this time it was in my sleep.

Sunday morning, we went back to the tornado damage scene at the Olson's farmstead, which was virtually destroyed by the tornado. Several of the relatives thanked Jeff and I for being with Mrs. Olson during the tornado. We felt the thanks was likewise. Had it not been for the house to seek shelter in, Jeff and I would have probably been either hurt real bad by debris or worse. Jeff and I walked the property with one of the grandsons and he showed us where things were situated before the tornado. He said that some very memorable things on the farm were completely blown away. He said the corn crop had not yet been harvested yet. The tornado leveled all the corn crop and most of the fields were stripped clean. This was a fairly substantial corn farm and the only thing standing was the roofless house we took shelter in. The damage path was about 8 miles long and at one point 1/2 mile wide. The NWS Hastings confirmed the F3 damage north of the farmhouse later on Sunday. After getting the rental car and having a big lunch in Grand Island, we headed back to Tulsa at 4pm Sunday.

I wrote this story as if it happened yesterday, that is how deeply affected I was from this chase. I hope never to be in a situation like that again. I strongly suggest that the phrase SECONDS SAVE LIVES be added back into tornado warnings. It is a very true and verifiable statement. If permanent structures are available I strongly urge that people in the direct path take shelter as we did. A vehicle is not a good choice for shelter from a tornado!! Jeff and I are lucky to be alive and able to chase another day. Jeff's van situation was a failure of the left u-joint which triggered a chain reaction with the transmission and drive shaft. The u-joints Jeff had recently serviced too so it was either a part failure or an improper installation that put our lives in jeopardy. Fortunately the only things harmed were 2 cameras which were damaged.  A very close call !!


This chase account was written 2 weeks after the madness...and a safe return to Tulsa OK...there's no place like home !!