Often as storm chasers, we talk about how we never want to see tornadoes going through populated areas, but would rather see them out going through fields not hurting anything. The real truth of that really hit home with me today as I noted a story by the station I chase for, KCBD, about a relatively benign landspout tornado that happened a couple of days ago on 09.26.07.
This day really wasn’t a typical “tornado day” really. Actually, any severe weather was only expected to be very marginal for our area. However, as nature would have it, one lone wind shift boundary interacted with an otherwise harmless thundershower to produce severe weather, and a nice landspout tornado.
What would have otherwise been a nice surprise on an unassuming storm day, in reality was devastating to some farmers. What was to be a million dollar crop of cotton, corn and milo was quickly turned to rubbish, and with it this years livelihood for some farmers. For one farmer in particular, who lost almost all of his crops earlier this year to hail, this was the final straw as it took out his last remaining harvest. To this farmer in particular, this will be a devastating impact.
Fortunately, there were no injuries or structure damage, but the impacts were nearly as great. Something we chasers should keep in mind while we are enjoying that tornado going through a field, “not hurting anyone”, in fact really might be.
That’s some interesting perspective, David. Everything affects someone. I guess if they are going to occur anyway… might as well appreciate the power and force of nature, while maintaining a healthy regard for their ability to destroy lives and livelihoods.
Bigger pics!!! LOL!!! I had to get the magnifying glass out, dude. More pics too!! Is that hail you or Graham are holding in that pic? Would love to see more of the landpout I missed!
It was a helluva updraft from up here in Amarillo. You could see the low level lapse rates were phenominal. As I was driving down there in a futile attempt to see something, new updrafts billowed upward exactly like an atomic explosion. It was very cool.
The pics came from the news story, not stuff we took. That was the only size I could get. That was cotton bolls that would have opened up in a few days.
Ah yes, I see now. 🙂 You do offer up alot of food for thought about “harmless” tornadoes and severe storms over farm country. Farmers out here have to put up with drought and floods (because of the flat lay of the land). Fire is another problem too as we saw in 2005/2006. Heck, even varmints! I saw one place near White Deer that had hundreds of jack rabbits everywhere feeding on the new sprouts of maze popping up.