1 00:00:02,280 --> 00:00:05,160 It's like she's trying to do something right in front of us. You've got to go 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,080 faster. You've got to punch it. She's here! 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:09,520 Tornado Alley, USA. 4 00:00:09,900 --> 00:00:13,920 Yeah, there's a tornado there to the south-southwest of you. Coming right for 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,620 us! For eight weeks, every spring, a maverick team of filmmakers and 6 00:00:18,620 --> 00:00:20,740 scientists takes on the impossible. 7 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,720 Go for it, Pat, but I don't think you're going to make it. 8 00:00:24,540 --> 00:00:26,900 Intercepting one of nature's most deadly phenomena. 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:28,238 There it is. 10 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:29,099 It's here. 11 00:00:29,100 --> 00:00:30,100 It's here. 12 00:00:30,180 --> 00:00:31,560 Rock everything. It's here. 13 00:00:32,740 --> 00:00:34,480 Tornadoes. We're going to haul ass right now. 14 00:00:34,940 --> 00:00:36,620 Okay, we got to go. We got to go. We got to go. 15 00:00:37,140 --> 00:00:39,020 Using state-of-the-art technology. 16 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:41,080 Looks like it's crossing the road right now. 17 00:00:41,660 --> 00:00:42,649 And this. 18 00:00:42,650 --> 00:00:44,950 armored 14,000-pound tank. 19 00:00:45,170 --> 00:00:50,270 Go right, go right, go right. They try to plunge into the heart of deadly 20 00:00:50,270 --> 00:00:51,270 twisters. 21 00:00:53,250 --> 00:00:59,050 If they survive, they may find scientific data that can help save 22 00:00:59,050 --> 00:01:02,810 hundreds of lives and land the ultimate storm-chasing image. 23 00:01:03,130 --> 00:01:05,030 That is so close. We should probably go. 24 00:01:05,269 --> 00:01:07,410 A shot from inside a tornado. 25 00:01:07,710 --> 00:01:09,750 Go forward. We're going to drive right into it. 26 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:26,280 Sean Casey is an adventurer and extreme filmmaker who lives life on the edge. 27 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:28,120 Camera's up! 28 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:33,560 For nearly a decade, he's traveled the world filming natures of dreams. He's 29 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:34,499 got it! 30 00:01:34,500 --> 00:01:37,400 Hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons. 31 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:43,660 But every spring for the last seven years, Sean's returned to the Midwest to 32 00:01:43,660 --> 00:01:47,480 shoot the deadly natural spectacle which has captured his soul. Where is it? 33 00:01:47,500 --> 00:01:48,500 Where's that film? 34 00:01:51,399 --> 00:01:54,880 tornado. Witnessing these storms and the power and the beauty and the excitement 35 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:59,000 and the adrenaline rush and being close to something that's so powerful. 36 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:05,420 It feels like you're under the foot of a giant that's right on top of you. 37 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,180 And it's that feeling that I want to try and capture in this film. 38 00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:11,960 Right there, a little funnel. 39 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:18,340 Sean's great ambition is to make film history with the one shot that no one 40 00:02:18,340 --> 00:02:19,340 else has. 41 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,700 Get ready to roll. A shot from inside a tornado. 42 00:02:26,780 --> 00:02:28,760 All I want is one shot. 43 00:02:29,220 --> 00:02:33,820 Tornado coming right at us, and the earth is boiling, and there's trees 44 00:02:33,820 --> 00:02:37,560 whipping around, and we're just filming it and filming it and filming it. 45 00:02:38,420 --> 00:02:40,320 And then it just impacts us. 46 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,620 The film I'm making relies upon that one shot. 47 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:53,000 To get the shot he needs, Sean designed an armored tripod on wheels. 48 00:02:53,420 --> 00:02:56,000 One strong enough to survive a tornado. 49 00:02:57,180 --> 00:03:01,600 He calls it the Tornado Intercept Vehicle, or TIV for short. 50 00:03:03,060 --> 00:03:04,620 This could be something. 51 00:03:04,860 --> 00:03:09,840 Sean built it five years ago, combining the frame and chassis of a Ford 450 52 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:10,840 pickup truck. 53 00:03:11,230 --> 00:03:13,030 with a 400 horsepower engine. 54 00:03:14,010 --> 00:03:20,070 He added 8,000 pounds of steel plating. I mean, there is so much welding, so I 55 00:03:20,070 --> 00:03:23,350 had to learn how to weld. And bulletproof windows to protect him and 56 00:03:23,350 --> 00:03:24,650 his crew from flying debris. 57 00:03:24,910 --> 00:03:27,830 I gave us attitude by cutting angry eyes. 58 00:03:28,970 --> 00:03:32,410 There is a rotating turret on top to support the IMAX camera. 59 00:03:33,650 --> 00:03:35,710 We need to be able to get around quickly. 60 00:03:36,650 --> 00:03:37,970 We need to have protection. 61 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,100 And we need to be able to film at a moment's notice in any direction. 62 00:03:44,620 --> 00:03:47,580 So the design, really, it was mandated by the function. 63 00:03:51,540 --> 00:03:55,260 But the TIV alone can't guarantee Sean will achieve his dream. 64 00:03:55,580 --> 00:04:01,000 It would be suicidal to build a vehicle like this and go off to the Midwest and 65 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,280 try and drive it into a tornado without radar. 66 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:13,200 To find and film fast-moving tornadoes, and to survive the adventure, Sean needs 67 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:14,200 help. 68 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,079 So he's on his way to Tornado Alley. 69 00:04:17,579 --> 00:04:20,200 Here he'll meet the one man who can aid him. 70 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:25,960 Dr. Josh Worman, a world-renowned weather expert with state-of-the-art 71 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:26,960 radar technology. 72 00:04:27,300 --> 00:04:30,420 Dr. Josh Worman is the superego, and I'm the id. 73 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,700 Josh, I have a present for you. 74 00:04:33,570 --> 00:04:37,930 Something to remember me by when Tib gets destroyed this year. 75 00:04:39,890 --> 00:04:43,950 For the past seven years, Josh and Sean have chased tornadoes together. 76 00:04:45,250 --> 00:04:50,270 Tornadoes are some of the most stunning and fascinating, but also very dangerous 77 00:04:50,270 --> 00:04:51,270 things in nature. 78 00:04:51,470 --> 00:04:53,450 It's a pretty donut with this thing. I mean, this is beautiful. 79 00:04:53,730 --> 00:04:57,910 And they represent one of the unknown in our scientific knowledge. 80 00:04:59,130 --> 00:05:02,570 What I'm trying to do is penetrate into that unknown. 81 00:05:03,070 --> 00:05:04,070 with radar. 82 00:05:04,470 --> 00:05:08,710 Josh was the first scientist to build a mobile weather station with a custom 83 00:05:08,710 --> 00:05:10,890 -built eight-foot Doppler radar dish. 84 00:05:11,130 --> 00:05:13,830 He calls it the DOW, Doppler on Wheels. 85 00:05:15,930 --> 00:05:21,530 I took on to try to get big radars, very ambitious instrumentation, right next to 86 00:05:21,530 --> 00:05:27,030 the tornado and study them. Push the envelope of what we thought our 87 00:05:27,030 --> 00:05:28,030 technology could do. 88 00:05:29,870 --> 00:05:33,750 The two men and their two vehicles should make the perfect tornado hunting 89 00:05:33,750 --> 00:05:34,750 team. 90 00:05:35,190 --> 00:05:40,370 Josh's DAO tracks the twisters, while Sean's PIV reaches the one area the DAO 91 00:05:40,370 --> 00:05:41,370 can't go. 92 00:05:42,130 --> 00:05:45,070 Close to the ground, where the worst damage is. 93 00:05:46,910 --> 00:05:50,510 That's the area Sean wants to film, and Josh wants to study. 94 00:05:51,150 --> 00:05:54,850 In order to forecast how strong a tornado is going to be, how big it's 95 00:05:54,850 --> 00:05:59,080 going to be, to forecast more precisely its track, We need to understand what's 96 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,680 happening in that lowest 50 or 100 feet in the tornado. 97 00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:07,100 To capture that information, Josh has equipped the TIB with sensing devices 98 00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:11,840 which sample wind speed, temperature, and air pressure. It's a very symbiotic 99 00:06:11,840 --> 00:06:15,180 relationship. We arrive into a tornado and sample those winds. 100 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,760 Can you go 100 meters north of the intersection? 101 00:06:18,140 --> 00:06:22,380 And he, in turn, gives us guidance and tells us those winds are safe to drive 102 00:06:22,380 --> 00:06:25,220 into. So the relationship is... 103 00:06:26,510 --> 00:06:27,510 It's awesome. 104 00:06:30,150 --> 00:06:35,790 The only problem is, after seven years of storm chasing, neither man has 105 00:06:35,790 --> 00:06:36,790 achieved his dream. 106 00:06:39,150 --> 00:06:42,690 That's why Josh added a new team member with a new task this year. 107 00:06:43,230 --> 00:06:46,450 Mara is a freelance writer who volunteered to join the crew. 108 00:06:46,830 --> 00:06:49,030 Josh, how's it going? Nice to meet you. 109 00:06:49,310 --> 00:06:50,850 Welcome to our crazy spring. 110 00:06:51,090 --> 00:06:52,090 I'm very excited. 111 00:06:52,270 --> 00:06:54,970 She'll be driving a vehicle nicknamed the Scout. 112 00:06:55,390 --> 00:06:58,430 and helping deploy a whole new tracking device called a probe. 113 00:06:59,570 --> 00:07:03,370 So what we're doing differently this year is these probes. It's basically 114 00:07:03,370 --> 00:07:06,490 just a heavy steel disc with a bunch of instruments on it. What you're going to 115 00:07:06,490 --> 00:07:11,410 do is get those out of the car, drop them, and hopefully they get run over by 116 00:07:11,410 --> 00:07:12,410 the tornado. 117 00:07:13,070 --> 00:07:17,050 My tornado probe enables us to see what's happening in the ground, see 118 00:07:17,050 --> 00:07:20,350 what's happening where the radar can't see, and see what's happening where the 119 00:07:20,350 --> 00:07:21,350 kid isn't. 120 00:07:22,410 --> 00:07:26,230 It's 4 o'clock, and all of the team members have now arrived at the home 121 00:07:26,230 --> 00:07:28,890 base, and the chase season can now begin. 122 00:07:29,250 --> 00:07:30,250 Ready? 123 00:07:30,570 --> 00:07:31,570 Race! 124 00:07:32,990 --> 00:07:37,310 The Dow driver is Herb Stein, a 20-year chasing veteran. 125 00:07:37,950 --> 00:07:41,030 The scout team consists of Mara and Justin. 126 00:07:42,630 --> 00:07:47,490 Driving the Tid is Sean's college buddy, Ronan, and the navigator and cameraman 127 00:07:47,490 --> 00:07:48,490 is Byron. 128 00:07:50,050 --> 00:07:53,380 Tomorrow. Chase season can finally begin. 129 00:07:57,660 --> 00:08:01,660 They're about to chase some of the deadliest storms on the planet. Keep 130 00:08:01,660 --> 00:08:03,640 going. Push it, push it, push it. 131 00:08:11,890 --> 00:08:15,950 It's the beginning of tornado season, and the team has gathered in Goodland, 132 00:08:15,990 --> 00:08:16,990 Kansas. 133 00:08:18,650 --> 00:08:22,650 Intercepting twisters is a deadly game, and this season Josh has raised the 134 00:08:22,650 --> 00:08:24,210 stakes by adding an extra vehicle. 135 00:08:25,210 --> 00:08:28,490 Having the probes out this year makes the mission much more potentially 136 00:08:28,490 --> 00:08:30,130 dangerous if we lose track of vehicles. 137 00:08:30,910 --> 00:08:33,789 The key for me is I have to keep a mental image of where everybody is and 138 00:08:33,789 --> 00:08:35,409 where the tornado is coming towards them. 139 00:08:35,630 --> 00:08:39,730 Before Josh and his team face off against the tornado, they develop a 140 00:08:39,730 --> 00:08:40,489 battle plan. 141 00:08:40,490 --> 00:08:43,150 Okay, I guess if we're pretending the tornado's half a mile north, I'm going 142 00:08:43,150 --> 00:08:44,250 to deploy the probe here. 143 00:08:44,690 --> 00:08:49,710 For each intercept, the DAO stops in a safe place and scans to determine the 144 00:08:49,710 --> 00:08:51,350 tornado's speed and direction. 145 00:08:51,810 --> 00:08:57,450 Then, with Josh's instructions, the TIV races ahead of the tornado, deploys, and 146 00:08:57,450 --> 00:08:58,970 waits for the tornado to hit. 147 00:08:59,910 --> 00:09:01,430 The scout's mission is new. 148 00:09:01,730 --> 00:09:06,330 Using Josh's guidance, it gets in front of the tornado's path, drops four 149 00:09:06,330 --> 00:09:08,670 probes, and retreats to a safe distance. 150 00:09:10,530 --> 00:09:13,090 Now, Josh must test his plan. 151 00:09:13,390 --> 00:09:14,930 Cargo, is this out free? Are you ready? 152 00:09:15,390 --> 00:09:17,270 Uh-huh. Okay, please start rolling. 153 00:09:17,570 --> 00:09:21,130 For this practice, a white cargo van will act as the tornado. 154 00:09:21,350 --> 00:09:25,550 It will travel over the same ground and at the same speed that the eye of the 155 00:09:25,550 --> 00:09:26,550 twister would cover. 156 00:09:26,940 --> 00:09:31,900 Uh, Tiv, would you please go north about a mile and a half from this location? 157 00:09:32,300 --> 00:09:35,960 From the Dow, Josh directs the Tiv and Scout into position. 158 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:37,760 Okay, 159 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:40,200 copy. 160 00:09:42,060 --> 00:09:44,800 Okay, lower everything. Go down, go down. Lower everything. 161 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:47,080 Kim is up. 162 00:09:47,180 --> 00:09:48,180 Kim is rolling. 163 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:49,840 Tiv is all set. 164 00:09:49,980 --> 00:09:52,900 Okay, thanks, Tiv. That was four minutes, nine seconds. 165 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,800 Scout, start deploying at the intersection, half a mile north. 166 00:09:58,460 --> 00:10:00,900 Each probe weighed 120 pounds. 167 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:05,660 Oh, man, this is heavy. And for Mara, the job is more difficult than she 168 00:10:05,660 --> 00:10:06,660 anticipated. 169 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:09,960 Down just a little bit, up, up, down. 170 00:10:10,580 --> 00:10:11,580 Okay. 171 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,920 Scout has deployed probe one and is continuing to deploy probe two. 172 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,100 Okay, at about four minutes, it took them to get to their first one. 173 00:10:21,670 --> 00:10:27,010 Four minutes is too long for one probe. They must deploy all four probes in six 174 00:10:27,010 --> 00:10:29,350 minutes to avoid getting run over by the tornado. 175 00:10:30,470 --> 00:10:32,790 Tib, this is Dow 3. Prepare for the tornado. 176 00:10:33,890 --> 00:10:37,610 Okay, the van just passed us, so we are in the tornado right now. 177 00:10:38,470 --> 00:10:39,510 Brace for impact! 178 00:10:41,430 --> 00:10:46,410 Tib was out there really fast, but it seems like Gowd is not having enough 179 00:10:46,410 --> 00:10:47,630 time to deploy its probes. 180 00:10:48,270 --> 00:10:50,670 We're going to see if we can get them out of there before the tornado hits. 181 00:10:50,810 --> 00:10:54,070 Scouts in the car, we are heading back south to deploy the fourth probe. 182 00:10:55,010 --> 00:10:56,490 Cargo's coming up on 15 now. 183 00:10:58,250 --> 00:11:00,370 So you may not have time to complete your mission. 184 00:11:00,690 --> 00:11:01,690 There's the tornado. 185 00:11:02,130 --> 00:11:03,230 It's going to be close for comfort. 186 00:11:04,410 --> 00:11:07,910 The tornado is just nine-tenths of a mile from the scout vehicle. 187 00:11:08,390 --> 00:11:11,410 These are more vehicles than I've had to coordinate, so I'm losing track. 188 00:11:12,730 --> 00:11:15,750 This is pretty chaotic. And just imagine if the... 189 00:11:19,260 --> 00:11:24,760 Before the scout vehicle can move, the tornado crosses the road right in front 190 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:25,579 of them. 191 00:11:25,580 --> 00:11:30,140 If this was a real tornado, Mara and Justin could be dead. 192 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,880 I'm starting to get worried that there's so many little pieces to think about. 193 00:11:38,860 --> 00:11:43,080 For Josh to now think about... 194 00:11:43,290 --> 00:11:46,550 where the probes are going to go, how far they're going to be spaced, and 195 00:11:46,550 --> 00:11:47,549 where in the road. 196 00:11:47,550 --> 00:11:49,650 I mean, that's got to take some time to think about. 197 00:11:50,250 --> 00:11:52,630 And while he's thinking about that, he's probably not thinking about other 198 00:11:52,630 --> 00:11:54,130 things. And that's the tip. 199 00:11:58,010 --> 00:11:59,330 I mean, I feel like I'm going to cry. 200 00:12:05,390 --> 00:12:09,270 In reality, this is going to be nightmarishly complicated. 201 00:12:23,630 --> 00:12:27,890 Today is the very first day of the actual storm chasing. 202 00:12:28,190 --> 00:12:29,530 This is like the real deal. 203 00:12:30,210 --> 00:12:34,670 They've practiced just one, but the next morning the team is off chasing a nearby 204 00:12:34,670 --> 00:12:37,970 storm. I think today what we're looking at is almost guaranteed convective. 205 00:12:38,670 --> 00:12:42,690 The National Weather Service has predicted a line of supercells across 206 00:12:42,690 --> 00:12:47,370 the Texas Panhandle. These rotating thunderstorms are the precursors for 207 00:12:47,370 --> 00:12:49,710 tornadoes. All right, let's go. I'm ready. 208 00:12:50,130 --> 00:12:52,470 The team heads down to Amarillo, Texas. 209 00:12:52,830 --> 00:12:55,630 to position themselves for the check. Are you ready? 210 00:12:56,010 --> 00:12:57,010 I'm ready. 211 00:13:00,710 --> 00:13:04,450 We're going to go over to Dumas, and then we're going to go south to 212 00:13:04,450 --> 00:13:05,450 Amarillo. 213 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:36,760 After five hours of driving, the convoy pulls off the road a few miles south of 214 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:40,200 Amarillo. We're just going to stop and get data. 215 00:13:42,020 --> 00:13:45,080 The Dow begins to scan for supercells. 216 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:50,820 These severe thunderstorms have deep, persistently rotating updrafts called 217 00:13:50,820 --> 00:13:51,940 mesocyclones. 218 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:56,000 If you find a supercell, you may find a tornado. 219 00:13:56,540 --> 00:13:59,740 One of the hardest things to forecast is where the thunderstorms are going to 220 00:13:59,740 --> 00:14:03,380 form. So I'm scanning now basically every 30 seconds, and as soon as one 221 00:14:03,380 --> 00:14:05,780 pops, we're going to dive in after it. 222 00:14:06,020 --> 00:14:08,840 Josh finally spots a supercell on his radar. 223 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,700 Two of these storms right now are looking stronger than the other, 75, 224 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:12,960 661. 225 00:14:13,420 --> 00:14:15,180 Josh, what is this? 226 00:14:15,500 --> 00:14:19,820 A bulletin from the National Weather Service signals even more danger for the 227 00:14:19,820 --> 00:14:20,980 first chase of the season. 228 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,520 What happened? It's PDS. Oh, my God. 229 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:25,300 It's PDS. We're doomed. 230 00:14:25,500 --> 00:14:26,099 Game over. 231 00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:26,759 It's PDS. 232 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:28,500 Particularly dangerous situation. 233 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,740 We're actually expecting destructive tornadoes, not just regular tornadoes. 234 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:32,659 Oh, okay. 235 00:14:32,660 --> 00:14:34,480 Big, mean day. 236 00:14:34,860 --> 00:14:35,860 First day out. 237 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:40,960 Potentially fast-moving tornadoes. Potentially violent tornadoes. 238 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:42,900 Woo! Maybe. 239 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:45,760 Mara prepares for hail and flying debris. 240 00:14:46,100 --> 00:14:47,840 This is like dork central. 241 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,060 This sucks. I hate this. This does not feel good. 242 00:14:54,750 --> 00:14:57,470 As a rookie, she has no idea what to expect. 243 00:14:57,850 --> 00:15:01,590 I've never gone into a dangerous situation just for kicks. 244 00:15:02,550 --> 00:15:07,110 I'm just trying to counterbalance the freakiness of it by just staying calm. 245 00:15:07,510 --> 00:15:10,630 I don't see any reason not to go for this. Let's undeploy and go for it. All 246 00:15:10,630 --> 00:15:14,110 right, we're going to undeploy right now. Let's start going after this Briona 247 00:15:14,110 --> 00:15:18,890 one. All team vehicles start rushing southwest towards the storm fronts. 248 00:15:19,150 --> 00:15:20,150 Byron! 249 00:15:20,410 --> 00:15:22,350 You're going to the bathroom and everybody's leaving. 250 00:15:26,380 --> 00:15:31,160 After seven years of frustration chasing storms, Sean is ready for a shot. 251 00:15:31,980 --> 00:15:33,700 All I want is one shot. 252 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,560 We have an IMAX camera that has three minutes of film loaded. We have a 253 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:40,340 thousand foot roll. It's extremely expensive. 254 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,900 Okay. But I only need 20 seconds. 255 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:48,960 All I want out of this two months is 20 seconds of footage. 256 00:15:49,180 --> 00:15:54,100 And that 20 seconds is a tornado coming right at us and hitting us. All I want. 257 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:55,640 20 seconds. 258 00:16:03,530 --> 00:16:06,170 have a tornado warning. One of these cells around here has been tornado 259 00:16:06,170 --> 00:16:07,170 warned. 260 00:16:07,390 --> 00:16:08,650 Storm coming. 261 00:16:11,810 --> 00:16:13,490 I love the little birds chirping. 262 00:16:14,350 --> 00:16:16,270 The calm before the storm. 263 00:16:21,330 --> 00:16:23,830 We're just going down this road to take a look at this storm. 264 00:16:24,590 --> 00:16:27,310 Josh, Tiff is in front of you guys awaiting directions. 265 00:16:28,070 --> 00:16:29,170 Thank you, Tiff. Stand by. 266 00:16:33,079 --> 00:16:34,160 How's it look to you, Sean? 267 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:35,960 I'm seeing the base now. 268 00:16:36,460 --> 00:16:39,740 There's a slight lowering to the base from the storm right now. Could be a 269 00:16:39,740 --> 00:16:42,320 wall cloud forming, but it's still pretty light. 270 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:47,900 A rotating wall cloud is the area of a thunderstorm most likely to produce a 271 00:16:47,900 --> 00:16:48,900 tornado. 272 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:51,500 Sean, get the hail. 273 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:53,580 Here comes the lightning. 274 00:16:55,500 --> 00:16:58,980 Whoa, dime-sized hail. It's like bouncing off the car. 275 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:00,960 Pack! Pack! 276 00:17:02,070 --> 00:17:04,069 Hail means a tornado could be near. 277 00:17:04,730 --> 00:17:07,810 What we're going to do here is see how this thing evolves and see if we have 278 00:17:07,810 --> 00:17:10,150 one play on this, maybe in 15 minutes or so. 279 00:17:12,710 --> 00:17:13,810 Okay, it's starting to clear. 280 00:17:14,470 --> 00:17:15,470 Starting to see features. 281 00:17:17,670 --> 00:17:20,369 Okay, this is it. This is when it's going to happen, right? 282 00:17:21,930 --> 00:17:22,930 Come on, baby. 283 00:17:22,970 --> 00:17:24,450 Let's see it. Let's see this tornado. 284 00:17:27,890 --> 00:17:28,789 Coming up. 285 00:17:28,790 --> 00:17:30,270 That thing is lowering quickly. 286 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:45,780 It's day one, and the team has been on the road for 11 hours. The storm they 287 00:17:45,780 --> 00:17:50,060 are chasing has produced rain and hail, but so far no twister. 288 00:17:54,100 --> 00:18:00,900 There's tremendous pressure on Josh to 289 00:18:00,900 --> 00:18:05,360 find a tornado to intercept, but even with the most advanced technology, storm 290 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:08,880 chasing is a combination of guesswork and unbelievable luck. 291 00:18:09,230 --> 00:18:11,030 Right now, this storm does not look great. 292 00:18:11,310 --> 00:18:13,570 And sometimes, the weather is not your friend. 293 00:18:13,850 --> 00:18:17,390 I want to look a little further out and see what we're passing up in the bigger 294 00:18:17,390 --> 00:18:18,390 world. 295 00:18:18,610 --> 00:18:21,890 Josh calls a fellow meteorologist, Curtis, for some advice. 296 00:18:22,130 --> 00:18:23,029 Hello, Curtis? 297 00:18:23,030 --> 00:18:24,030 What do you know? 298 00:18:24,690 --> 00:18:25,750 Boy, that's far away. 299 00:18:27,310 --> 00:18:31,570 Curtis alerts him to a more promising storm developing 70 miles to the south 300 00:18:31,570 --> 00:18:33,570 between Plainview and Tulia. 301 00:18:34,270 --> 00:18:35,810 All right, just got off the phone with Curtis. 302 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:39,240 He said the one we're on right now is going to interfere with a lot of other 303 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,780 storms. And we said if he had any choice, he'd be on the one that's west 304 00:18:42,780 --> 00:18:45,180 of Plainview. But it has recently been tornado warned. 305 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:49,620 So I think we're going to bail on this and head south towards Tulia. 306 00:18:51,620 --> 00:18:53,400 Go ahead and get turning around. 307 00:18:54,780 --> 00:18:58,700 Mara is beginning to see that storm chasing is as frustrating as it is 308 00:18:58,700 --> 00:18:59,700 dangerous. 309 00:19:00,060 --> 00:19:03,540 Seems like you have to have a pretty strong ego to be just freaking calling 310 00:19:03,540 --> 00:19:04,540 the shots. 311 00:19:05,900 --> 00:19:10,480 If you choose the wrong way, you've got this whole team of people sort of forced 312 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:11,480 to go your way. 313 00:19:11,660 --> 00:19:12,660 Go, go, go. 314 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:14,220 It's a judgment call. 315 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,020 Someone has to make it, so we'll leave that to Josh. 316 00:19:18,940 --> 00:19:23,120 Just as Josh is abandoning the storm they are on in favor of the Plainview 317 00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:27,620 -Tulia supercell, his team reports a cone formation at the base of the cloud. 318 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,440 This is usually the start of a tornado. 319 00:19:35,900 --> 00:19:36,900 South, southwest. 320 00:19:37,220 --> 00:19:39,580 Where do you see this supposed funnel? 321 00:19:39,980 --> 00:19:41,240 It's north of 40. 322 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:43,580 Something's dropping down. 323 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,620 That thing is lowering quickly. 324 00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:47,320 Oh, I see it. 325 00:19:47,660 --> 00:19:49,820 I think we should probably make one stand on it. 326 00:19:50,020 --> 00:19:52,940 I'm going to find that part of the sand right now. 327 00:19:53,300 --> 00:19:57,480 Following his crew's advice, Josh decides to stay on the storm in front of 328 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:00,000 them rather than drive all the way south to Tulia. 329 00:20:01,410 --> 00:20:03,850 Basically, we're going to go north up to I-40. 330 00:20:04,190 --> 00:20:07,170 I'll have to make 100 decisions during the course of a mission. 331 00:20:07,670 --> 00:20:10,910 Which state to pick? Which storm should we go after? When should we give up on 332 00:20:10,910 --> 00:20:11,509 that storm? 333 00:20:11,510 --> 00:20:13,990 I'm not sure we can catch the plain view on. That's the problem. 334 00:20:14,330 --> 00:20:16,810 There are a ton of different decisions like that. 335 00:20:17,210 --> 00:20:20,830 Hopefully, I can make most of them right and we'll still get there. 336 00:20:21,230 --> 00:20:23,610 If you could loop it, we might have a couple images. 337 00:20:24,150 --> 00:20:25,310 I have a little bit at home. 338 00:20:28,170 --> 00:20:29,870 Hello? Curtis calls again. 339 00:20:30,980 --> 00:20:32,120 With bad news. 340 00:20:32,340 --> 00:20:35,800 Okay, right now, we just decided to try once more on this Hereford cell. 341 00:20:36,460 --> 00:20:37,460 Lovely. 342 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:39,720 Great. Okay. 343 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:47,240 Curtis just called. There's a confirmed tornado on the Plainview cell. 344 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,780 Ooh, that hurt. That really hurt. 345 00:20:53,340 --> 00:20:55,480 That was probably the tornado of the day, I'd say. 346 00:20:56,420 --> 00:20:58,480 This time, Josh picked the wrong storm. 347 00:20:59,070 --> 00:21:03,050 The big tornado is on the ground, 70 miles south of where they are. 348 00:21:03,650 --> 00:21:07,830 743, Doppler radar indicated a thunderstorm producing a tornado. The 349 00:21:07,830 --> 00:21:11,310 most dangerous part of the storm located four miles southwest of Tulia, moving 350 00:21:11,310 --> 00:21:15,370 northeast at 35 miles per hour. Doppler Dave here. We have a classic tornado 351 00:21:15,370 --> 00:21:16,810 touching down at this time. 352 00:21:17,010 --> 00:21:20,650 Very dangerous storm. I mean, it's the same storm that's been producing 353 00:21:20,650 --> 00:21:21,650 tornadoes. 354 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,760 Josh. What? The engine, for the first time this year, went all the way to H. 355 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,600 I want to get out and just check. Actually, we're stopped at one second 356 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:33,760 because our engine looks like it may be having an overheating problem. 357 00:21:34,100 --> 00:21:37,760 And to make matters worse, the Dow is having engine problems. Oh, 358 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:41,080 no. 359 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,400 While the team waits for the Dow to cool down, they're stuck. 360 00:21:51,340 --> 00:21:55,280 unable to continue chasing the storm that they're on or the one further south 361 00:21:55,280 --> 00:22:00,440 near Tulia. We had to choose among a few storms and it looks like we didn't pick 362 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:01,440 the right one. 363 00:22:01,500 --> 00:22:05,980 It's just a real kick in the gut to have that happen on our first day out. 364 00:22:06,540 --> 00:22:12,220 To make matters worse, the Tulia tornado was in fact a PDS, a particularly 365 00:22:12,220 --> 00:22:13,360 dangerous situation. 366 00:22:13,740 --> 00:22:17,420 The tornado has caused injuries and property damage. 367 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:19,360 Why are you doing this to me? 368 00:22:21,130 --> 00:22:23,810 Vehicles should turn around wherever they can. We're going to go back south 369 00:22:23,810 --> 00:22:27,430 to take a look. I really would like to document the damage. 370 00:22:29,950 --> 00:22:34,810 Josh decides to drive 70 miles south to Tulia, where they will survey the damage 371 00:22:34,810 --> 00:22:36,390 and test the storm's intensity. 372 00:22:41,370 --> 00:22:45,590 Today, very well, could have been the only chance we'd get for the whole 373 00:22:45,590 --> 00:22:46,590 season. 374 00:22:58,540 --> 00:23:01,900 After a two-hour drive, the team arrives in Tulia. 375 00:23:03,620 --> 00:23:06,440 They are shocked to see the extent of the damage. 376 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:09,280 Wow. Yeah, it's pretty raked over. 377 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,100 Wow, that's a mean storm. 378 00:23:11,360 --> 00:23:12,360 Yikes. 379 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:19,080 It made a damaging tornado, and it went through a town, which is a shame. But 380 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,880 scientifically, it's an additional shame that we weren't there to document it, 381 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:25,980 and we don't really know what kind of winds did the damage. 382 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:32,600 To determine the tornado's intensity, Josh will need to wait and see the 383 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:33,860 damage in the light of day. 384 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:51,640 The next morning, the science team heads back to Julia for a closer look. 385 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:54,160 This is all from the tornado? 386 00:23:54,620 --> 00:23:55,640 Oh my God. 387 00:23:57,870 --> 00:23:58,870 Look at that. 388 00:23:59,710 --> 00:24:01,690 This is absolute destruction. 389 00:24:02,750 --> 00:24:07,750 Daylight reveals the enormous damage a single medium-sized tornado can do in 390 00:24:07,750 --> 00:24:08,750 under a minute. 391 00:24:09,210 --> 00:24:11,130 It just tears right through brick. 392 00:24:11,670 --> 00:24:16,530 This is sort of the more tedious work of doing our science. It's not out there 393 00:24:16,530 --> 00:24:20,150 chasing an excitement, but it's an equally critical part to complete the 394 00:24:20,150 --> 00:24:23,050 picture to understand what's happening in the tornado. 395 00:24:23,470 --> 00:24:25,090 All the poles are all bent over. 396 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:29,500 Hi there. Nice to meet you. 397 00:24:30,020 --> 00:24:34,620 Tim Marshall is a structural engineer who will help Josh classify the tornado 398 00:24:34,620 --> 00:24:39,940 from 0 to 5 on the enhanced Fujita scale by examining the extent of the damage. 399 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:47,320 This wasn't a really strong tornado. This, I think, was in the EF2 range. 400 00:24:48,220 --> 00:24:54,940 EF2 means the winds were 111 to 135 miles per hour. An EF5 tornado would 401 00:24:54,940 --> 00:24:57,280 have winds of over 200 miles per hour. 402 00:24:58,429 --> 00:25:01,550 Last night, the tornado must have come directly up the street. That's right. 403 00:25:02,430 --> 00:25:05,030 We're actually standing very close to the center. 404 00:25:05,250 --> 00:25:08,510 We saw our probes, and I don't think they would survive this environment. 405 00:25:08,650 --> 00:25:11,770 They'd be shredded by all this metal flying around. Look at this fence over 406 00:25:11,770 --> 00:25:13,510 here. It's filled with debris. 407 00:25:13,770 --> 00:25:17,570 All this came from that grocery store right behind us over here. 408 00:25:18,530 --> 00:25:22,290 When I'm targeting a storm and collecting data, it's very abstract. But 409 00:25:22,290 --> 00:25:26,190 when I come into a place like this, I really see the human impact. 410 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,740 There's nothing I can do to stop these tornadoes. The only thing I can do is 411 00:25:30,740 --> 00:25:36,020 study them, and if we have better warnings, better forecasts, the number 412 00:25:36,020 --> 00:25:38,200 of deaths from these tornadoes can go way down. 413 00:25:43,620 --> 00:25:46,100 Coming up... It's behind us! 414 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:48,280 Oh, my God. This is insane. 415 00:25:58,060 --> 00:26:02,540 After leaving Tulia, where a 130-mile-an-hour tornado destroyed much 416 00:26:02,540 --> 00:26:06,960 of the town, the chase team has drifted north for three days into Kansas. 417 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:13,860 Without spotting any significant weather events. 418 00:26:17,140 --> 00:26:20,960 Team members are beginning to feel as if they missed the big one in the season. 419 00:26:21,780 --> 00:26:24,740 Another hotel, another city. 420 00:26:27,469 --> 00:26:31,490 Then finally, we need to know where the tip support vehicle is too. Their 421 00:26:31,490 --> 00:26:32,490 spirits jump. 422 00:26:32,630 --> 00:26:35,710 There are four cells between Dodge and I-7. 423 00:26:36,190 --> 00:26:41,350 A line of supercells is reported near Dodge City, 150 miles to the southwest. 424 00:26:43,030 --> 00:26:44,290 They're back on the chase. 425 00:26:44,830 --> 00:26:48,610 Right now we're trying to place ourselves ahead of this line. 426 00:26:48,810 --> 00:26:52,470 First we're going to go up to about here and let this come towards us. If that 427 00:26:52,470 --> 00:26:55,450 doesn't organize or do anything, and then we get the next one coming up the 428 00:26:55,450 --> 00:27:00,070 line. Hey, Justin, what would you give today from 1 to 10? 429 00:27:01,670 --> 00:27:03,590 Woo-hoo! 430 00:27:04,490 --> 00:27:08,410 This type of setup is a pretty rare setup. It's basically all the 431 00:27:08,410 --> 00:27:12,090 ingredients we want to see storms develop we have today. 432 00:27:12,890 --> 00:27:13,910 This is insane. 433 00:27:14,430 --> 00:27:15,770 It's an unusual day. 434 00:27:16,090 --> 00:27:20,570 It's critical to us that we succeed this year. Last season was a disaster for us. 435 00:27:20,650 --> 00:27:23,210 We had all the technology, we had all our logistics in play, 436 00:27:26,209 --> 00:27:27,990 The atmosphere did not cooperate. 437 00:27:28,250 --> 00:27:29,270 Just be all ready to go. 438 00:27:29,630 --> 00:27:31,610 We might need to operate instantly. 439 00:27:31,910 --> 00:27:33,110 Doing science is not free. 440 00:27:33,470 --> 00:27:36,050 And we're only going to get grants if we have success. 441 00:27:36,490 --> 00:27:40,370 If you have a bad year, you need that next year even more. 442 00:27:41,930 --> 00:27:44,070 The team gets in front of the supercell. 443 00:27:44,690 --> 00:27:45,730 But there's a problem. 444 00:27:46,310 --> 00:27:48,910 The storms are not developing the way Josh had hoped. 445 00:27:49,390 --> 00:27:50,650 This doesn't look too impressive. 446 00:27:50,910 --> 00:27:52,530 It's not really the kind of target we want. 447 00:27:52,890 --> 00:27:54,850 As Josh stands for the next target. 448 00:27:55,260 --> 00:27:58,760 Byron takes a moment to recalibrate the tips of scientific instruments. 449 00:27:59,940 --> 00:28:03,900 All right, let me throw out a different option. We just go way east of this and 450 00:28:03,900 --> 00:28:08,220 give them another couple hours to evolve into a set of supercells. All right, we 451 00:28:08,220 --> 00:28:11,300 ready? Yes, let's go. Do a U-turn and turn back south. 452 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:13,540 We're moving, we're moving. 453 00:28:15,100 --> 00:28:19,520 In their rush to keep up with the Dow, Sean and Ronan almost leave Byron 454 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:20,880 behind. Byron! 455 00:28:21,780 --> 00:28:22,780 Get in! 456 00:28:31,199 --> 00:28:36,500 The caravan zigzags over 500 miles of Kansas roads, chasing ghosts. 457 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:40,980 We plod our breadcrumbs today. It's going to look like we don't have any 458 00:28:40,980 --> 00:28:43,440 clue what we're doing, which I guess would be accurate. 459 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:46,180 The team spears take a nosedive. 460 00:28:48,180 --> 00:28:50,720 I've had many days where I've just driven in circles before. 461 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:55,160 Today, I'm thinking it's not going to turn out to be a good day. 462 00:29:06,860 --> 00:29:13,240 Bojica. There, I said it. Bojica. In the world of storm chasers, bojica is a 463 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:14,139 dirty word. 464 00:29:14,140 --> 00:29:15,440 Bojica, bojica, bojica. 465 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,660 An acronym that translates into, I surrender. 466 00:29:20,780 --> 00:29:21,780 Bojica. 467 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:23,520 No. 468 00:29:24,300 --> 00:29:25,300 Shut up. 469 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:27,080 Get out. 470 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:29,700 According to Herb, today's case is over. 471 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,860 It is I, the driver of Dow 3. 472 00:29:37,950 --> 00:29:39,090 They're a bunch of babies. 473 00:29:39,910 --> 00:29:43,350 The team pulls over to discuss where to bed down for the night. 474 00:29:45,510 --> 00:29:48,070 What, you guys punched your ticket already? 475 00:29:48,490 --> 00:29:51,270 But Sean has no interest in calling it quits. 476 00:29:52,110 --> 00:29:55,330 No, nothing's going to happen. I feel tired today. 477 00:29:55,790 --> 00:29:58,890 Oh, I want my favorite pillow. 478 00:30:00,590 --> 00:30:02,110 I'm curious about this. 479 00:30:02,990 --> 00:30:07,290 Got this nice dark cloud moving probably 40 miles an hour. 480 00:30:07,630 --> 00:30:08,630 I'm tired. 481 00:30:09,130 --> 00:30:11,170 You know, it's 4 o'clock, nothing's changing. 482 00:30:11,510 --> 00:30:15,730 Other people in our group are holding out hope that it's going to be good. 483 00:30:21,510 --> 00:30:25,790 Here comes a warning. The National Weather Service in Dodge City has issued 484 00:30:25,790 --> 00:30:29,190 a severe thunderstorm warning for Pratt County. Okay. 485 00:30:29,950 --> 00:30:32,310 Okay, people, right, like I've been talking about? 486 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:34,820 Sean's instinct was on the money. 487 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,300 The spell that we were kind of loosely targeting and looked disorganized all of 488 00:30:39,300 --> 00:30:40,420 a sudden looks a little more organized. 489 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,920 It's certainly sliding northeast fast, which I guess we need to do too. 490 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:47,660 Okay, I think we should go north. We've got to stay ahead of this. We're moving, 491 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:48,639 we're moving. 492 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:49,640 We're moving. 493 00:30:49,780 --> 00:30:50,780 We're going to go. 494 00:30:50,940 --> 00:30:51,940 What are we doing? 495 00:30:53,580 --> 00:30:55,120 I know, we're going to tornado warning. 496 00:30:55,700 --> 00:30:57,360 Woo, tornado warning. 497 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:00,460 That went from boring to interesting very fast. 498 00:31:01,150 --> 00:31:02,470 You can blame my mojito. 499 00:31:04,850 --> 00:31:07,550 Next, the probe team's first deployment. 500 00:31:07,830 --> 00:31:10,790 Oh, my God. And Tim rushes for an intercept. 501 00:31:11,110 --> 00:31:14,550 Keep your eyes on the ground for the tornado. Keep going. Push it, push it, 502 00:31:14,550 --> 00:31:15,550 push it. 503 00:31:25,410 --> 00:31:26,410 Okay, 504 00:31:26,810 --> 00:31:30,350 basically we're looking at a hook feature that is to our south. 505 00:31:30,620 --> 00:31:31,620 Southwest. 506 00:31:32,780 --> 00:31:37,740 The frustrated team have been chasing storms for 12 hours with nothing to show 507 00:31:37,740 --> 00:31:38,740 for it. 508 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:40,860 That thing is getting low to the ground. 509 00:31:41,460 --> 00:31:45,160 But out of nowhere, a tornado warning has them back on the road. 510 00:31:45,620 --> 00:31:47,380 I can't believe how far you can see it. 511 00:31:48,940 --> 00:31:51,720 Mara and Justin prepare for their first interception. 512 00:31:52,060 --> 00:31:57,680 I think I'll ditch the phone, ditch the wallet, in case it's wet, in case I die. 513 00:32:00,090 --> 00:32:01,170 Oh, my God. 514 00:32:05,490 --> 00:32:08,870 I think it has a pretty good mezzo, but it's probably not making a tornado right 515 00:32:08,870 --> 00:32:12,790 now. I see it, too. 516 00:32:15,870 --> 00:32:17,790 See to the right? It's a big cone. 517 00:32:17,990 --> 00:32:19,470 Holy moly. 518 00:32:19,770 --> 00:32:21,950 There's debris on the ground. It's a relatively large circulation. 519 00:32:22,650 --> 00:32:23,650 We should stop. 520 00:32:23,870 --> 00:32:26,630 This is the moment the storm chasers have been waiting for. 521 00:32:27,450 --> 00:32:30,010 Josh can finally put his battle plan into action. 522 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:58,400 Josh, how close is it to the road right now? 523 00:32:58,620 --> 00:33:03,760 With the tornado less than a mile and a half away, Mara and Justin deploy their 524 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:05,060 first probe of the season. 525 00:33:05,260 --> 00:33:06,360 That is unbelievable. 526 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:12,040 As a journalist, you can't talk about deploying probes the same way if you see 527 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:15,120 somebody deploy them or if you're out there running. 528 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:16,279 Probe 1 deployed. 529 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:17,880 I'm first person on this story. 530 00:33:20,100 --> 00:33:24,120 Tornado's going to cross one quarter mile east of 70th Avenue. 531 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:25,980 With the probe positioned. 532 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,720 Josh focuses his attention on the TIV. Okay, right here. 533 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,340 Back to the driveway, point your nose to the south. 534 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:36,960 The TIV reaches its deployment destination and the team members brace 535 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:38,000 themselves for impact. 536 00:33:40,020 --> 00:33:42,100 I do not see it. I do not see it. 537 00:33:42,740 --> 00:33:45,980 Keep your eyes on the ground. Keep your eyes on the ground for the tornado. 538 00:33:47,220 --> 00:33:52,540 A tornado is turning to the north and may cross the main road at... 539 00:33:52,750 --> 00:33:53,689 70th Avenue. 540 00:33:53,690 --> 00:33:57,650 The twister keeps changing direction, and Josh makes a last-minute adjustment 541 00:33:57,650 --> 00:33:59,150 to Tiv's intercept point. 542 00:34:00,150 --> 00:34:03,070 Tiv, if you can move over to 70th Avenue, you have about a minute. 543 00:34:03,310 --> 00:34:04,490 All right. 544 00:34:04,690 --> 00:34:09,010 All right. Following Josh's orders, the Tiv moves three blocks west. 545 00:34:09,350 --> 00:34:10,989 Tiv is moving towards 70th. 546 00:34:11,350 --> 00:34:12,989 All right. Where's this tornado? 547 00:34:13,389 --> 00:34:15,310 Tornado should be crossing the road any second. 548 00:34:15,710 --> 00:34:16,710 Look for circulation. 549 00:34:16,909 --> 00:34:19,330 I do not see it. Looks like it's crossing the road right now. 550 00:34:19,810 --> 00:34:20,810 Just pause. 551 00:34:27,870 --> 00:34:31,150 Ronan makes a quick 180 and heads back the way they came. 552 00:34:34,389 --> 00:34:34,949 But 553 00:34:34,949 --> 00:34:46,090 it's 554 00:34:46,090 --> 00:34:49,170 too late and they miss the tornado by 400 yards. 555 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:55,100 The twister barreled through an open field, but the chasers are not equipped 556 00:34:55,100 --> 00:34:56,100 to leave the road. 557 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:58,140 The event has now crossed the road. 558 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:05,160 If I hadn't done a last-minute adjustment, they would have been fine. 559 00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:09,500 The tornado dropped north of us. 560 00:35:09,720 --> 00:35:12,240 Well, I sent it to the wrong location. Well, actually, first I sent it to the 561 00:35:12,240 --> 00:35:15,960 right location, then I moved them west to the wrong location, and I wish they 562 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:17,900 had dated the first one. 563 00:35:18,270 --> 00:35:21,330 The tornado was moving, and then it turned north, and then it went like 564 00:35:21,330 --> 00:35:22,330 that. 565 00:35:23,450 --> 00:35:29,570 I had the fear that Josh was taking too big of a bite, in that he was going to 566 00:35:29,570 --> 00:35:34,410 have to place the TIFF and the probes into the path of a tornado. 567 00:35:35,770 --> 00:35:39,370 He's a brilliant man, but there might be too many elements. 568 00:35:40,810 --> 00:35:42,650 So tell me about your probe deployment. 569 00:35:42,870 --> 00:35:43,870 You just got one deployed? 570 00:35:44,170 --> 00:35:47,390 We got probes around it, just didn't... 571 00:35:47,670 --> 00:35:51,190 hit it, so it wasn't a success in that sense, but we did the best we could. 572 00:35:58,570 --> 00:36:04,130 It's nearly 7pm, and the chase day should be over, but Josh is not willing 573 00:36:04,130 --> 00:36:05,830 to accept defeat just yet. 574 00:36:06,550 --> 00:36:11,390 Tim and Scott, this is Josh. Our new target storm is coming up towards Pratt. 575 00:36:11,490 --> 00:36:13,610 We're going to be going south towards Pratt. 576 00:36:14,050 --> 00:36:17,050 There's a tornado out there. We're kind of... 577 00:36:17,310 --> 00:36:23,630 Paralleling it. All we want to do is go faster than it, but we've got to go 578 00:36:23,630 --> 00:36:24,630 fast. 579 00:36:29,590 --> 00:36:32,130 Oh, we're taking big hail. 580 00:36:33,270 --> 00:36:38,550 After 13 hours of chafing, the caravan continues to follow Josh and the Dow. 581 00:36:38,970 --> 00:36:40,330 Okay, Harbaugh, stop for a minute. 582 00:36:40,770 --> 00:36:42,330 They're stopping, they're stopping, they're stopping. 583 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:45,799 What do you want to do? 584 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:47,160 I just took a meter reading. 585 00:36:47,540 --> 00:36:53,420 There's no light. Even if I filmed it, say, 10 frames per second, I mean, it's 586 00:36:53,420 --> 00:36:56,580 going to make the tornado look muddy. So I'm done. 587 00:36:58,400 --> 00:36:59,400 We're shooting film. 588 00:37:00,060 --> 00:37:02,320 And with film, you need light for exposure. 589 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:03,660 I can't film in the dark. 590 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,600 I'm going to go out in the hatch and get hit by a hill because that's how I feel 591 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:08,440 it. Sean, you really want to go out there? 592 00:37:08,940 --> 00:37:10,740 I want to get hit right on the head. 593 00:37:12,140 --> 00:37:13,140 Right on my head. 594 00:37:14,410 --> 00:37:16,130 Just go ahead and blame me. 595 00:37:16,570 --> 00:37:20,210 We weren't going to get anything out of it, so Tiff decided to stop. 596 00:37:20,670 --> 00:37:22,550 Tell Josh that we're done. 597 00:37:23,190 --> 00:37:24,190 Tiff, to doubt? 598 00:37:24,390 --> 00:37:25,390 Go ahead, to doubt. 599 00:37:25,450 --> 00:37:27,730 We kindly ask permission to cease and assist. 600 00:37:28,650 --> 00:37:32,870 Okay, and he may just have other possibilities. Because the next one is 601 00:37:32,870 --> 00:37:37,670 really just a few minutes away, and that really is the endgame of what we're 602 00:37:37,670 --> 00:37:42,820 doing. Despite the dangers of chasing tornadoes at night, Josh urges the Tib 603 00:37:42,820 --> 00:37:46,220 to go for an intercept so he can collect his scientific data. 604 00:37:46,740 --> 00:37:51,240 I mean, if we go into a tornado in the next 10 minutes, in the name of science 605 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:53,640 and humanity, that's okay. 606 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:57,160 10-4, we are turning around. Tell Josh he's a mean man. 607 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:02,260 Tib, go for it fast, but I don't think you're going to make it. 608 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:06,260 Are you ready? Get some! Get some! 609 00:38:07,100 --> 00:38:08,300 At least we have that. 610 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,500 Sean rushes into the black hole of an invisible tornado. 611 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:23,560 Toward what might be the most dangerous moments of his life. 612 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:29,060 Coming up... What's up? What are we doing? 613 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:43,100 As day ends and darkness descends, the exhausted chase team is inside a violent 614 00:38:43,100 --> 00:38:45,760 supercell. which has just generated a tornado. 615 00:38:46,860 --> 00:38:52,200 The TIV races towards an intercept, but it's too dark for Sean's IMAX mission. 616 00:38:52,380 --> 00:38:56,920 If they succeed, it will be solely to collect Josh's scientific data. 617 00:39:09,500 --> 00:39:13,160 They can only get glimpses of the tornado as lightning bolts flash across 618 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:14,160 the sky. 619 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:16,000 Slow down, slow down, slow down. 620 00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:17,240 There it is. 621 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:18,440 Should I stop? 622 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:19,600 Yeah, stop. 623 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:22,940 Don't touch any metal. 624 00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:29,640 The TIV deploys down Country Road 281. But without warning, the tornado grows 625 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:33,020 and is now on a collision course with the Dow and Scout as well. 626 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:34,860 Sounds like I hear something. 627 00:39:44,380 --> 00:39:48,420 Josh needs to get Dow and Scout out of its path before it's too late. 628 00:39:54,020 --> 00:40:00,920 My biggest fear 629 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:05,900 is that when we're driving in these very bad weather conditions, that we'll 630 00:40:05,900 --> 00:40:08,100 swerve and cause an accident. 631 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:11,100 Josh, I'm afraid we're leaving people behind. 632 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:14,800 I can't see. 633 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,400 You've got to watch this sort of phantom thing popping up here. 634 00:40:18,660 --> 00:40:21,740 All of a sudden, that could look a lot meaner when we pop out of the preset. 635 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:26,320 I am so freaking flying out here. 636 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:28,320 Whoa! 637 00:40:29,020 --> 00:40:33,980 As the Dallin scouts leave for safety, Josh directs the TIV to hold its ground. 638 00:40:34,300 --> 00:40:36,860 Tornado is one mile south of the intersection. 639 00:40:37,510 --> 00:40:39,090 Exactly where the TIV is. 640 00:40:39,870 --> 00:40:41,750 Is that it? 641 00:40:42,730 --> 00:40:43,950 Something's crossing the road. 642 00:40:44,410 --> 00:40:45,328 It's here! 643 00:40:45,330 --> 00:40:46,530 Push all the buttons! 644 00:40:46,810 --> 00:40:48,170 Push all the buttons! 645 00:40:48,450 --> 00:40:51,890 The TIV is positioned directly in the path of the tornado. 646 00:40:52,350 --> 00:40:54,690 Oh, yeah, she's rocking a bit. She's rocking. 647 00:40:55,090 --> 00:40:56,290 Yeah, she's shuddering. 648 00:40:56,790 --> 00:41:00,570 The swirling winds of the twister reach 200 miles per hour. 649 00:41:00,930 --> 00:41:02,490 Hold on, guys. Hold on. 650 00:41:03,570 --> 00:41:06,010 It's the TIV's biggest test ever. 651 00:41:07,010 --> 00:41:08,010 Wow. 652 00:41:09,330 --> 00:41:11,690 How's the mask look? Mask is holding. 653 00:41:13,490 --> 00:41:15,190 What the f*** are we doing? 654 00:41:16,550 --> 00:41:17,550 Oh. 655 00:41:19,690 --> 00:41:20,750 It's easing up. 656 00:41:21,490 --> 00:41:22,830 Oh, that was amazing. 657 00:41:23,190 --> 00:41:25,570 Perfect deployment, my friend. 658 00:41:26,230 --> 00:41:28,090 We did this for science, guys. 659 00:41:28,630 --> 00:41:31,510 Why don't we have a science grant for doing this, right? 660 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:35,839 That was scary. 661 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:38,640 We actually drove right into the center of the mesocyclone. We drove right into 662 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:39,760 the center? That's crazy. 663 00:41:41,700 --> 00:41:42,820 It had its moment. 664 00:41:43,940 --> 00:41:45,320 I'm glad. I'm glad we're done. 665 00:41:45,540 --> 00:41:52,160 There's no other science team, ever, that has done this kind of grueling 666 00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:53,200 tornado science. 667 00:41:54,540 --> 00:41:59,300 At the end of the first chase week, The score is science one, tip zero. 668 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:03,920 It was cool whenever it was lit up, but, you know, we still couldn't shoot it on 669 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:08,380 the IMAX. Yeah, today was a complete failure for us, but a complete success 670 00:42:08,380 --> 00:42:09,299 for science. 671 00:42:09,300 --> 00:42:12,660 We still have half a season to go, so I'm optimistic. 672 00:42:12,940 --> 00:42:14,140 We're going to get this data. 673 00:42:16,810 --> 00:42:22,250 Coming up on Storm Chasers. We're driving down a dirt road towards at 674 00:42:22,250 --> 00:42:23,510 least one monster tornado. 675 00:42:23,830 --> 00:42:26,710 Sean finds himself in a deadly situation. 676 00:42:26,950 --> 00:42:29,310 This has gotten bad. You need to back up right now. 677 00:42:29,530 --> 00:42:31,990 Sean! This is how people die. 678 00:42:32,510 --> 00:42:35,670 And the convoy is surrounded by three twisters. 679 00:42:35,950 --> 00:42:38,110 We are between two tornadoes right now. 680 00:42:38,330 --> 00:42:39,430 Yeah, there's a tornado there. 681 00:42:39,650 --> 00:42:40,950 Where? What's where? 682 00:42:41,170 --> 00:42:42,930 You could just die. 683 00:42:43,230 --> 00:42:44,630 I'm so scared right now. 684 00:42:45,350 --> 00:42:46,910 Okay, we gotta go, we gotta go, we gotta go!