I was inside a Metra train leaving Chicago and heading to Villa Park when I was caught by the gustadoes. At that time I was attending the Chicago NRA show. It was surely on of the scariest day of my life!
The next day at the Batavia City Council meeting a discussion ensued on the Batavia ESDA's decision to not activate the tornado warning sirens during the
storm.The ESDA Director explained that the tornado sirens are activated based upon certain criteria. This storm was monitored by eight trained
ESDA observers, and none of them observed cloud formations or
wind velocities that warranted sounding the sirens. What the hell were they watching? Stupid and foolish decision...
@parkman35 I certainly remember the furor afterward and now the Kane County ESDA is very good. As I was traveling down Randall road in the video is when they called out the spotters. I heard the call on the scanner and thought, that's a little late. ON the Radar of that day there was a cell moving across the front of a storm line and the two intersecting caused the spinup. Very difficult to detect, but spotters should have at least been out before as the storm line was severe on it's own.
I remember this day. I was around 8 years old but lived on the other side of town. I remember going outside and instead of the green atmosphere effect, everything turned yellow and then it started to hail, and when I went back into the front yard a funnel cloud had actually started to form over my house but it only lasted a short time before disappearing, thank God.
ya man was def may 18th, change that date lol. first tornado watch went up in IA and then one in IL. looked like a very interesting day. message me and il give you some more stuff
hmmm, il have to go look at some other things. I was 7 years old when this happened and can remember this day pretty well. now I chase tornadoes, pretty ironic. going to school for meteorology.
Thanks. That storm taught me a good lesson about cutting across a storm from N to S. Another couple minutes slower and I would have been IN the twister.
Since I'm now on BROADBAND, my good Tstorm-bud..I am now able to view such awesome Tstomr/tornado videos in no time and how so awesome... and this video from 5/23/97 FRI...is a surefire winner.... nice shot of the bear's cage, the inflowjets, the wall clouds, the lightning, the heavy rains...all this made me really hold onto my seat...excellent video from over 12 years ago..... BTW....did you ever see my 7/1/09-video? It's got some mammatus cloud at the end - too....
TYSVVVM, my good Tstorm bud...for your viewing my 7/1/09-Tstorm and nice comments..and indeed...they say..if one wishes to see a tornado...it would be best to drive towards the supercell's SW- quadrants from the SE to avoid the window-bashing hailstones, dangerous CGs everywhere, downburst winds and rain-slick roads... Still...love your video HERE which occurred the day before ''Jessical12345678910'' was born....BTW..I made a posting on her own comments too...check it out.
How nice it is to be 12 years old, Jessica....I wouldn't mind my being 12 again... but when I was 12...it was the year of the first man on the moon, Woodstock, the devastating hurricane Camille hitting the Gulf Coast... but...gasoline was 35.9 cents per gallon, school lunch was 45 cents... school milk was 5 cents... but again, Internet computers like these wouldn't even be found even in the Jetsons' cartoons... BTW..check out my 7/28/89-TStorm.. a biggie.. 8 years before your time!
Hey is that on Randell road I saw the tire place? We almost had a Tornado last year. We were at a football game at the high school and then the sirens went off so we had to leave :(
Had one of those really bad looking wall clouds near my house not to long ago, they're hard to predict, you never know where it's gonna come down untill it's halfway to the ground (there were around 10 strong rotations)
Don't laugh at this! Just do it Start thinking something you really really want cause this is astounding the person that sent this to me said their wish came true 10 mins after they read the mail so I thought what the heck You have just been visited by DrSuess's Cat in the Hat. He will grant you one wish Make your wish when the count down is over 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 MAKE A WISH Send this to 10 videos within the hour you read this. If you do, your wish will come true
I remember that storm!! I lived the MillPond subdivision in Batavia from 1992 to 2002(my mother still lives there). There was a lot of wind and torrential rain that day and the NWS did issue a tornado watch earlier in the day for the area.
This is wierd, I don't remember this storm at all and I don't live to far away in Streamwood. A few days before this I videotaped a supercell on May 18th 97. Do you remember that one or have it on video?
I'm surprised you don't remember this one. It was a major severe event from Elgin to Oswego with damaging straight line winds and this small spin up tornado. It was moving SE so maybe it just missed you.
They were lucky it only barely touched down. There was no warning and the sirens did not blow. It would have been a disaster had it been an F2 or greater.
The funnel was invisible, located under the lowering. It was nuzzled in a slot at the SW of one storm as another joined it from the NW. The police did confirm a brief touchdown in the area of the lowering rated F0.
You can browse through my page for more video. I moved further west in 2000 and try to stay in rural areas as the traffic is to bad in the fox river valley to chase effectively.
i was in that in my school!
jastermereel22 4 months ago
@stormtracker05 not familiar with IEM
momotous 8 months ago
3 People were either expecting more damage, or hated the cheesy transitions.
MedievalWerewolf 8 months ago
Remember this...no clue why the sirens didn't go off
BackOff414 11 months ago
@BackOff414 They were just unprepared. Major changes were made in Kane county ESDA after this event, if I recall.
momotous 11 months ago
@momotous Oh...I believe it. Kane County is NEVER prepared for anything lol
BackOff414 10 months ago
I was inside a Metra train leaving Chicago and heading to Villa Park when I was caught by the gustadoes. At that time I was attending the Chicago NRA show. It was surely on of the scariest day of my life!
luizpagano 1 year ago
The next day at the Batavia City Council meeting a discussion ensued on the Batavia ESDA's decision to not activate the tornado warning sirens during the
storm.The ESDA Director explained that the tornado sirens are activated based upon certain criteria. This storm was monitored by eight trained
ESDA observers, and none of them observed cloud formations or
wind velocities that warranted sounding the sirens. What the hell were they watching? Stupid and foolish decision...
parkman35 1 year ago
@parkman35 I certainly remember the furor afterward and now the Kane County ESDA is very good. As I was traveling down Randall road in the video is when they called out the spotters. I heard the call on the scanner and thought, that's a little late. ON the Radar of that day there was a cell moving across the front of a storm line and the two intersecting caused the spinup. Very difficult to detect, but spotters should have at least been out before as the storm line was severe on it's own.
momotous 1 year ago
I remember this day. I was around 8 years old but lived on the other side of town. I remember going outside and instead of the green atmosphere effect, everything turned yellow and then it started to hail, and when I went back into the front yard a funnel cloud had actually started to form over my house but it only lasted a short time before disappearing, thank God.
wee1 1 year ago
Hello, nice capture!!!
Dvoracekmara 1 year ago
ya man was def may 18th, change that date lol. first tornado watch went up in IA and then one in IL. looked like a very interesting day. message me and il give you some more stuff
MrTORN80 2 years ago
was this off randall rd in batavia?
crawdaddy1819 2 years ago
Yes, it was. Right below the lowering was the intersection of main st and Randall.
momotous 2 years ago
hmmm, il have to go look at some other things. I was 7 years old when this happened and can remember this day pretty well. now I chase tornadoes, pretty ironic. going to school for meteorology.
MrTORN80 2 years ago
Try the 18th of the month. Where do you find your historical radar images?
momotous 2 years ago
you sure this was 5/23/97? i went to go get radar data from this day and it was showing no storms in northern IL. maybe the site has it wrong.
MrTORN80 2 years ago
I'm pretty certain.
momotous 2 years ago
Could be the 18th? Weather Underground shows a wind gust around 100 about 7:30pm for that date inn 97. It is a pretty old tape...
momotous 2 years ago
Thanks. That storm taught me a good lesson about cutting across a storm from N to S. Another couple minutes slower and I would have been IN the twister.
momotous 2 years ago
My hometown... i really miss it. Thanks for posting. It sure has changed a lot in the last 15 years. I hardly recognize the little town it use to be.
jscaforlife 2 years ago
Great capture!!!
NaturalScienceFan 2 years ago
Since I'm now on BROADBAND, my good Tstorm-bud..I am now able to view such awesome Tstomr/tornado videos in no time and how so awesome... and this video from 5/23/97 FRI...is a surefire winner.... nice shot of the bear's cage, the inflowjets, the wall clouds, the lightning, the heavy rains...all this made me really hold onto my seat...excellent video from over 12 years ago..... BTW....did you ever see my 7/1/09-video? It's got some mammatus cloud at the end - too....
LuvsTstormTapes 2 years ago
This storm also taught me a lesson too. Don't head south through the storm, lol.
momotous 2 years ago
TYSVVVM, my good Tstorm bud...for your viewing my 7/1/09-Tstorm and nice comments..and indeed...they say..if one wishes to see a tornado...it would be best to drive towards the supercell's SW- quadrants from the SE to avoid the window-bashing hailstones, dangerous CGs everywhere, downburst winds and rain-slick roads... Still...love your video HERE which occurred the day before ''Jessical12345678910'' was born....BTW..I made a posting on her own comments too...check it out.
LuvsTstormTapes 2 years ago
lol i was born in 96 n i only heard bout it. i saw some of the trail tho
jimbohunter21 2 years ago
Hey I live in Aurora,IL I'm from New York Upstate New York I move to Aurora in 1999
We don't get tornados in New York not to brag
cwastudent 2 years ago
The end of the video I was in Aurora.
momotous 2 years ago
OMG! i was born on the 1997 24th of may! uhh so close!!! cool vid 5/5!!
jess
jessical12345678910 2 years ago
How nice it is to be 12 years old, Jessica....I wouldn't mind my being 12 again... but when I was 12...it was the year of the first man on the moon, Woodstock, the devastating hurricane Camille hitting the Gulf Coast... but...gasoline was 35.9 cents per gallon, school lunch was 45 cents... school milk was 5 cents... but again, Internet computers like these wouldn't even be found even in the Jetsons' cartoons... BTW..check out my 7/28/89-TStorm.. a biggie.. 8 years before your time!
LuvsTstormTapes 2 years ago
they still use the same identifiers on the radio as they do now lol thats funny lawl
thatotherguy186 3 years ago
oh wow i remember this! i was in my garage when the sirens went off...heh i remember running to the basement with my brothers!
never knew it was caught on tape though, nice!
cnwFF 3 years ago
There wasn't a lot of people filming storms back then.
momotous 3 years ago
Hey is that on Randell road I saw the tire place? We almost had a Tornado last year. We were at a football game at the high school and then the sirens went off so we had to leave :(
Cheer4life1216 3 years ago 2
Yep, it sure is Randall Road.
momotous 3 years ago
where at on randall did u stop to show it form and touch the ground?
NoahHackman 3 years ago
The Ice cream place by 88.
momotous 3 years ago
o ok i see now thanx for the quick response
NoahHackman 3 years ago
Comment removed
stlouissux9119 2 years ago
yep
momotous 2 years ago
Had one of those really bad looking wall clouds near my house not to long ago, they're hard to predict, you never know where it's gonna come down untill it's halfway to the ground (there were around 10 strong rotations)
RARchevette 3 years ago
Oh wow...I think I remember this...I didn't see what was going on outside that much...
Cubivore10 3 years ago
hiding out?
momotous 3 years ago
Yeah, I was taking cover, I was in school at the time. This whole thing could have been BAD at the time. I'm so glad it just blew over.
Cubivore10 3 years ago
My home town is Oswego..:O
DAROMSninja 3 years ago
Were you there for the big one?
momotous 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
pillow508 3 years ago
an F-0 tornado you could be inside of it they are weak
killerkane777 3 years ago
Well, you could still get clunked in the head with a garbage can or tree branch, so they are still dangerous.
momotous 3 years ago
precisely
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
but tht is a little chance
killerkane777 3 years ago
true
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
I remember that storm!! I lived the MillPond subdivision in Batavia from 1992 to 2002(my mother still lives there). There was a lot of wind and torrential rain that day and the NWS did issue a tornado watch earlier in the day for the area.
mjd4277 3 years ago
You were right under that ugly black cloud. That one ranks up there as one of the worst I remember in the area.
momotous 3 years ago
This is wierd, I don't remember this storm at all and I don't live to far away in Streamwood. A few days before this I videotaped a supercell on May 18th 97. Do you remember that one or have it on video?
SvstormO 3 years ago
I'm surprised you don't remember this one. It was a major severe event from Elgin to Oswego with damaging straight line winds and this small spin up tornado. It was moving SE so maybe it just missed you.
momotous 3 years ago
No they said, "my mistake". it touched down about a fifth of a mile away from a subdivision at randall road and main street.
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
god damn. i dont remember this.i live right by batavia.oh well at like 4:59 they say it touched down in millington
itsbeck5694 3 years ago
They were lucky it only barely touched down. There was no warning and the sirens did not blow. It would have been a disaster had it been an F2 or greater.
momotous 3 years ago
you are right
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
at 00:24, you can see a funnel cloud.
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
it sounds like there's hail coming down.
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
At 4:34...
what road is that?
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
ok.
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
those green skies... bad day to be driving.
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
ahh...
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
did it do damage?
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
scary
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
Where were you filming out of the car?
thermoid 3 years ago
The colonial on Randall road in N. Aurora looking north. At beginning of video I was at Randall and Main in Batavia and sped away to the colonial.
momotous 3 years ago
what time was it?
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
maybe 5pm, or there abouts if I remember correctly.
momotous 3 years ago
hmm...
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
I heard it touched down... but did it do damage?
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
no serious damage where the twister touched down but serious straight line wind damage from Elgin to Montgomery.
momotous 3 years ago
where did it touch down? I heard it did touch down.
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
a subdivision right by Randall road and main street in Batavia.
momotous 3 years ago
That'll give you a bad hair day.
HurricaneFreak30336 3 years ago
Tricom Dispatch on the scanner...cool video. I remember this storm very well.
oldrustycars 4 years ago
That storm actually changed how the county handled severe weather.
momotous 4 years ago
Sounds like Chuck
thermoid 3 years ago
what part was the tornado visible? It was a pretty cool video, but I only saw straight line winds and a shelf cloud.
prairiestormwx 4 years ago
The funnel was invisible, located under the lowering. It was nuzzled in a slot at the SW of one storm as another joined it from the NW. The police did confirm a brief touchdown in the area of the lowering rated F0.
momotous 4 years ago
I am a storm chaser and live in geneva... u have any other video from mroe recent events?
Cooterrob 4 years ago
You can browse through my page for more video. I moved further west in 2000 and try to stay in rural areas as the traffic is to bad in the fox river valley to chase effectively.
momotous 4 years ago
mmmm..green sky. I'm thinking "hail!" right about now.
IrishBarFight 4 years ago
I'm sure there was hail in there but I heard no reports of hail.
momotous 4 years ago
look at the classic green sky
feederfooder 4 years ago
It was a rather classic coloring
momotous 4 years ago
spooky!
thecompanycar 4 years ago