Chasing Storms – May 20, 2013

I did chase.  Sort of.

I had looked at the OKC area yesterday and figured it was the most likely area for severe storms, but I also saw the number of chasers in that area.  My second choice was to head to the west side of Lake Hudson, just southeast of Tulsa.

While gassing up, reports of a tornado on the ground were coming in.  The location was north of Tulsa.

I headed north.

My initial plan was to go east and then back north to catch the storm.  What I didn’t plan on was the traffic congestion.  All of the people getting off work and heading to surrounding communities like Catoosa and Claremore.

I finally made my way up highway 66.  But, I missed the storm.

I continued northeast and stopped in Vinita.  Storms were lined up.

That’s when I started getting storm reports out of OKC.  A massive tornado was on the ground in the same city that was hit in 1999.  Moore.

I read the reports.  I looked at the radar.  I didn’t want to continue.

As I drove back to Tulsa, I listened to radio reports that the Moore tornado had hit an elementary school.  I learned there were fatalities.

I didn’t shoot one picture today and I don’t care.  Humanity is more important than capturing a image of a storm or of a road sign or of a building.  I moved from being a storm chaser to being an Oklahoman.

The gear got unloaded and I began sifting through all of the information coming out of Moore.  Over a mile wide.  On the ground for 40 minutes.  51 dead and that toll is going to climb.  Nearly half of the fatalities were children.

This entire event is a sobering reminder of what wrath Mother Nature can dish out.

As I shut lights out for the night, the recovery of children continues.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Moore and the families of the injured and dead.  When our pain eases, we will move on.  We will rebuild.  Because that’s just who we are.

 

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