Storm Chase 5/22/11- Insane Shelf Cloud!!!

[deejayzman]

Why do storm chasers have lights flashing driving down the road. seems dumb to me to put a lightbar on top of a car to get hit by hail. LED's in the back window would work just fine.

[MIDSCAR1]

Great chase day...I never had the chance to pull our video camera and catch that tornado to our north (at 4:15 on your video). That was rated EF1 near Polo, IL

[SkywarnStormChaser]

where did you get your vehicle warning lights

[TornadoChaserStewie]

@SkywarnStormChaser My little light on my car I got from Walmart. The big light bars on the other cars I have no idea where they got it.

[StormChaserChris]

@TornadoChaserStewie its a LED light i have one

[johnlaw45]

Wackers like this give legit spotters a bad name!

[aa9g1]

@johnlaw45 Amen to that... Children at play!

[TornadoChaserStewie]

@johnlaw45 Just keep in mind I'm not the one with the lightbars, I don't approve of them either. However I like having more experience people to chase with. They have been doing what they do for years longer than I have.  I feel safer with them haha plus I learn as I go.

[StormChaserChris]

@johnlaw45 John, the reason storm chasers/spotters have lightbars is because of visibility during storms.

[StormChaserChris]

@StormChaserChris Such as in heavy fog.

[johnlawfourtyfyve]

@StormChaserChris I have been spotting for over 40 years and hae never seen heavy fog during a severe storm. If you are on the roadway; YOU ARE NOT properly deployed! If you are properly deployed (Off the roadway) you DON'T NEED warning lights!

[aa9g1]

That cop should've ticketed you guys for running around public streets running yellow lights when not authorized & stopping/standing in the middle of the highway blocking an entire lane of traffic...

[aa9g1]

Of course, storm chasing wouldn't be any fun w/out the big honking Streethawk amber lightbar, strobes, and LEDs. I've been a spotter since 1995 & still have not figured out how you can see what's going on in the sky when you have yellow lights flashing like a big disco party. (Plus clouds won't pull over for yellow flashing lights...)

[TornadoChaserStewie]

@aa9g1 Let me be clear about a few things here. One, as you can see, my car just has a small little flashing light when I'm pulled off to the side of the road for safety. Two, I'm not affiliated with the other chasers seen in this, but we are friends on Facebook and we stream live on the same website (tornadovideosdotnet). They are much more experienced than I am and I like learning new things (coming from a first year Meteorology student).

[aa9g1]

@TornadoChaserStewie It doesn't matter if you have just one or one hundred flashing lights. They are illegal in this state (Illinois) and most others. Only authorized 2nd division vehicles are permitted to operate amber flashing lights, and only utility company vehicles can use the yellow/clear combo. The other issue you have here is if people pull over for you, it can be viewed as impersonating an officer. If your lights cause other motorists to get into an accident, you can be held liable.

[TornadoChaserStewie]

@aa9g1 The light I have is legal for off road use, which is exactly what I am doing. I have it on while pulled off to the side of the road and I turn it off when we are driving again. I can't speak for the others because, like I said, I am not affiliated with their storm chasing group.

[SPCkeith]

god i would love to give this a try. I'm a junkie for this kinda stuff and would love to tag along and see what its all about.