"Storm Chasers" stars killed in Oklahoma tornado

[thezach]

As someone who has a blog documenting storm chaser movies I am somewhat knowledgable on the subject after doing this for a few years. Tim Samaras is one of the few chasers who is an actually scientific researcher, and is one of the safer ones in the community.

The fact is there are many, many more unsafe chasers out there who don't care what they have to risk, what laws they have to break (even going as far illegally using lights and sirens to race through traffic) just to get their awesome video or five seconds of fame.

After the Storm Chasers discovery show many people are now storm chasing that have no experience. Often there are hundred of people following a tornado warned cell out in tornado alley - its been called Chaser Convergence, basically a traffic jam around a tornado. It was only a matter of time until something like this happened, its sad that one of the best and safest chasers - who actually does research and doesnt chase for the thrill, to get video of their five seconds of fame was to be the first victim.

The tornado changed directions quickly and caught a whole bunch of chasers in a chaser convergence traffic jam.

[ChuckMcM]

One school of thought is we let the tornadoes kill the thrill seekers, although my issue is the 'tourists' putting people doing actual work at risk with their crazy stunts. For that reason I am a big fan of the research going on in storm penetrating UAVs. That will pretty much obsolete any need to 'chase' by car.

[spacesuit]

I live very near the path of this tornado. This was the first time in several years that I've actually sought shelter underground.

This tornado, while not as severe as the one that struck Moore on May 20, took a rare "left-hand" turn and caught several media vehicles by surprise.

[danboarder]

Samaras was a respected scientist and an engineer, pioneering in-storm instrument probes, and was known for putting safety first while conducting tornado research. A more thorough story and report from the Weather Channel is here: http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-central/tim-samaras-dead...

[viviantan]

Guys, if you're on Hacker News then you're most likely chasing your own kind of storm. Samaras and his crew went out of their way to pursue their passion and to make the world better for others.

Show a little respect, please.

[supergauntlet]

I suppose it was bound to happen eventually.

Doesn't make it any less sad, though.

[lotharbot]

It's easy to look at something like this and think only about those who died. But they also left behind a grieving community -- Tim Samaras left behind a wife and two daughters, as well as various friends. A friend of mine from church shared that he'd been their neighbor a few years back and was particularly heartbroken this morning. Things like this remind me how interconnected we really are, and how quickly both joy and sorrow can spread.

There are some nice personal tributes at http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/colorado-sto...

[draftable]

I always like Tim on the show, but he did seem so much more reckless than many of the other "Chasers"

[andrewguenther]

He was actually known to be one of the safest in the field. They just have to add a little bit of drama for television.

[uptown]

Recklessness disguised as infotainment.

[andrewguenther]

Except for the fact that the work storm chasers do saves lives. It is the dirty part of meteorology. Tim was actually a well respected researcher. The work that they do provides us with better ways of predicting how storms will behave and help prevent loss of life in the future.

Please show a little respect.

[fchief]

Very sad indeed.

[znowi]

I wonder if this team could be a prototype for the characters in the movie Twister.

[al1x]

2013 Darwin Awards nominee?