Narrator: THIS SEASON
ON "STORM CHASERS"... 2011, THE DEADLIEST TORNADO
SEASON IN OVER 50 YEARS, WITH MORE THAN 1,600 TWISTERS
TOUCHING DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN PROPERTY DAMAGE AND WELL OVER 500 DEAD. Reed: IT'S COMING
RIGHT AT US, GUYS. GETTING HIT BY DEBRIS!
DROP IT DOWN! Narrator: OUR STORM CHASERS
ARE IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST AS ALL THE ACTION UNFOLDS. Brandon: TORNADO ON THE GROUND. Sean: NOW WE'RE TALKING! Marcus:
WE'RE GONNA INTERCEPT. WOW! Narrator: FROM GROUND-BREAKING
ACHIEVEMENTS... THAT WAS THE FIRST TORNADO
EVER SHOT IN 3-D. Narrator: ...TO MASSIVE TWISTERS THREATENING
THEIR OWN BACKYARDS... THESE TORNADOES ARE HEADING
STRAIGHT FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE JUST GOT TO GET DOWN THERE.
THIS IS NOT GOOD. GET OUT OF THE ROAD!
GET UNDERGROUND! Narrator: ...TO THE LARGEST
TORNADO OUTBREAK EVER RECORDED... THIS THING'S HEADING
STRAIGHT FOR TUSCALOOSA. Joel: PEOPLE ARE ABOUT TO
LOSE THEIR LIVES, AND THERE'S NOTHING
WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. Reporter: IF YOU'RE IN
TUSCALOOSA RIGHT NOW, PLEASE TAKE COVER. Carl: TORNADO RIGHT IN
FRONT OF US. RIGHT HERE! HOLY [BLEEP] Reed: OH, MY GOD! Joel: IT'S JUST
GETTING WIDER AND WIDER. I'VE NEVER SEEN A TORNADO
LIKE THIS BEFORE IN MY LIFE. IT'S JUST TEARING APART HOUSES
RIGHT NOW. OH, MY GOD!
LOOK AT THAT! REED, WE GOT TO GO! Chris: MOVE! Narrator: ...AND THERE'S NO SIGN
THAT MOTHER NATURE WILL BE LETTING UP ANYTIME SOON. IT'S COMING RIGHT US, GUYS. TIV IS GONNA GO
FOR AN INTERCEPT. Sean: GET UP ON IT!
GET UP ON IT! OH, MY GOD! [ THUNDER CRASHES ] [ SIREN WAILS ] WE'RE GETTING HIT BY DEBRIS! WE'RE INSIDE IT! IT'S COMING RIGHT AT US. GET UP ON IT!
GET UP ON IT! RIGHT HERE!
TORNADO RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. OH, MAN, THAT IS HUGE!
GO UP AND GET CLOSER! MOVE!
EVERYBODY, GO! GET DOWN! WE'RE IN THE PATH! --<font color="#FFFF00"> Captions by VITAC --</font><font color="#00FFFF">
www.vitac.com</font> CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS Narrator: FOR THE PAST 48 HOURS, METEOROLOGISTS
HAVE BEEN PREDICTING A MASSIVE TORNADO OUTBREAK
ACROSS MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA IN THE AREA KNOWN TO
STORM CHASERS AS DIXIE ALLEY. VERY TROUBLESOME DAY TODAY. Reporter: THERE ARE A FEW TIMES
IN A LIFETIME THAT YOU HAVE AN ATMOSPHERE LIKE WE DO TODAY. Narrator: ALL THREE CHASE TEAMS
ARE DRIVING SOUTH TO GET INTO POSITION
TO INTERCEPT AS MANY TORNADOES AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS SHAPING UP TO BE
THEIR BIGGEST CHASE DAY EVER. Spann: WE'RE GONNA CALL THIS
A TORNADO EMERGENCY. THIS IS SERIOUS,
URGENT BUSINESS TODAY. WE DON'T TAKE THIS TONE
OF VOICE VERY OFTEN. WE HAVE TO TREAT THIS STUFF
WITH GREAT, GREAT RESPECT. Reed:
HERE'S THE HIGH RISK. WOW. WOW. I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING
THAT'S MISSING. DAMAGE IS INEVITABLE
PRETTY MUCH TODAY. THE PARAMETERS FOR STRONG
TORNADOS ARE SO MAXED OUT OVER SUCH
A LARGE POPULATED AREA, THAT YOU KNOW THERE ARE GONNA BE
DEADLY TORNADOES. Narrator: WARM, MOIST AIR
HAS BEEN BUILDING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST FOR DAYS, WITH A MASS OF COLD AIR
MOVING TOWARD IT, CREATING AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. NOW HIGH- AND LOW-LEVEL WINDS
ARE COLLIDING, CAUSING THEM TO TURN. THESE CONDITIONS COME TOGETHER
ONLY ONCE IN A LIFETIME AND ALMOST GUARANTEE
STRONG TORNADOES. "SCENARIO APPEARS FAVORABLE FOR
MULTIPLE LONG-TRACK SUPERCELLS AND THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE
INTENSE, DAMAGING TORNADOES." I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE THIS. THIS IS GONNA BE
ONE OF THE MOST DEADLY, MOST RECORD-BREAKING TORNADO
OUTBREAKS OF U.S. HISTORY. IT COULD HAPPEN FROM YAZOO CITY
UP THROUGH TUSCALOOSA. Woman: IT'S OKAY, SWEETHEART,
MAMA'S HERE. Man:
THIS HOUSE RIGHT HERE. WE THOUGHT THE YAZOO CITY
TORNADO LAST YEAR WAS AS BAD AS IT CAN GET, BUT TODAY IT'S GONNA BE LIKE
YAZOO CITY ON STEROIDS. OH, MY GOD.
WHERE'S THE MEDIC?! THAT'S WHY WE BUILT
THE DOMINATOR -- IS TO DRIVE INTO THE TORNADO AND MEASURE THOSE VARIABLES
RIGHT AT THE GROUND. BECAUSE THE WIND SPEEDS
RIGHT AT THE SURFACE ARE THE ONES
THAT ARE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF LIFE
AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. ALL RIGHT, GUYS,
READY TO ROLL? YEAH. ♪♪ Sean: WHAT DO YOU GOT FOR US,
BRANDON? Brandon: THE INITIAL
LINE OF STORMS IS DEVELOPING ABOUT
80 MILES TO OUR WEST. Narrator: TEAM TIV IS TRACKING
THE SAME EXPLOSIVE STORM SYSTEM ON RADAR AND FORMULATING
THEIR OWN PLAN OF ATTACK TO GET THE FIRST 3-D TORNADO
SHOTS FOR SEAN CASEY'S NEW FILM. THE STORMS WILL BE MOVING
ABOUT 60 MILES AN HOUR, AND BY ABOUT 4:00, WE'LL HAVE PRETTY
SIGNIFICANT STORMS OVER THE NORTHERN HALF
OF MISSISSIPPI. Brandon: THIS IS PROBABLY
A ONE-IN-50-YEAR EVENT. THERE'S SO MANY CONDITIONS
COMING TOGETHER. AND TO HAVE VIOLENT TORNADOES
MOVING THROUGH POPULATED AREAS WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY,
THAT'S A VERY BAD COMBINATION. FAST-MOVING STORMS
AND THUS FAST-MOVING TORNADOES MOVING THROUGH
A LOT OF TREED AREAS. THAT KIND OF APPEALS TO ME,
BECAUSE WITH THE 3-D CAMERA, GETTING TREES LOFTED, THAT'S GONNA HAVE
A FEELING OF DIMENSION. TO SEE STUFF FLYING AROUND
AND FLYING AT YOU, THAT'S WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE
YOU'RE IN IT. I'M SHOOTING 3-D BECAUSE I WANT
TO CAPTURE THE POWER, YOU KNOW, THE GLORY OF WEATHER AND ALSO THE VIOLENCE
OF WEATHER. LET'S GO CHASE SOME STORMS. Marcus: OKAY. LET'S GO GET SOME. THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE REALLY GOING
TO GET THE FEELING OF HOW EXCITING IT IS OUT HERE AND HOW DANGEROUS IT IS
TO CHASE THESE STORMS. Narrator: HALFWAY BETWEEN
TEAMS DOMINATOR AND TIV, TEAM TWISTEX IS HEADED TOWARDS
THE SAME VIOLENT STORM SYSTEM... Tim: HERE WE GO. Matt: AND WE'RE OFF! Narrator: ...INTO THE KIND OF
TERRAIN THEY'VE ALWAYS AVOIDED IN THE PAST. THEIR GOAL? TO MEASURE WIND SPEED,
TEMPERATURE, AND PRESSURE INSIDE A TORNADO. Tim: THIS YEAR,
WE'RE PRETTY AGGRESSIVE, AND WE WERE WILLING TO TAKE THAT
STEP AND GO INTO DIXIE ALLEY. WE KNOW IT WOULD BE A TALL ORDER
TO EVEN TRY TO GET A DEPLOYMENT ON A TORNADO THAT'S MOVING
50 MILES AN HOUR. BUT WE'RE OUT HERE
TRYING TO CONDUCT SCIENCE TO DO WHAT IT TAKES
TO GET OUR PROBE DEPLOYED. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. ALL
THESE CELLS BY MIDAFTERNOON... YEAH, THIS COULD BE
A SERIOUS DAY. IN THE PAST,
THE RULES THAT TIM HAD WERE TO STAY AWAY
FROM HIGHLY WOODED AREAS. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO BE
CHASING WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE AND YOU HAVE THE POSSIBILITY
OF TREES COMING DOWN ON YOU. I JUST THINK HE DOESN'T WANT
TO MISS A BIG, BIG OPPORTUNITY. WE MIGHT HAVE 12 HOURS
OF SOLID CHASING. WELL, IF WE CAN
KEEP UP WITH THEM. [ LAUGHS ] COULD GET HAIRY. Reporter: MORE TORNADIC STORMS
IN EAST MISSISSIPPI, ALL OF THESE MOVING
EAST-NORTHEAST. THIS IS A VIOLENT
TORNADO SITUATION. IT'S A LIFE-THREATENING
SITUATION. Reporter:
THESE ARE MOVING PROBABLY AT ABOUT 50 MILES AN HOUR,
AND NOBODY SHOULD BE DRIVING. THESE LARGE TORNADOES CAN TAKE
CARS AND TOSS THEM LIKE A TOY. Sean: I THINK WE'LL
PROBABLY HAVE MAYBE TWO, THREE CHANCES TODAY, AND OUR FIRST CHANCE
IS ABOUT SIX MINUTES AWAY. WE GOT TOO MANY TREES
BLOCKING US. THIS IS WAY BAD. THE TORNADO IS GONNA BE
COMING RIGHT THROUGH HERE, AND WE WON'T EVEN SEE
A DAMN THING BEFORE IT'S ON US. WE'RE PRETTY MUCH
IN THE PATH OF WHERE THIS TORNADO'S
GONNA CROSS. Marcus:
RIGHT HERE, HUH? YEAH, STOP RIGHT HERE. TORNADO EMERGENCY
FOR THE TOWN OF MACON. THERE'S AN EXTREMELY
LARGE AND DANGEROUS TORNADO ON THE GROUND
AS OF ONE MINUTE AGO. NO TORNADO SIRENS. I DON'T KNOW, MAN. IT SEEMS LIKE
IT'S COMING RIGHT AT US. YEAH. [ THUNDER RUMBLES ] I JUST SAW SOMEONE
WALK BY. [ HORN BLARES ] HOPEFULLY THEY CAN PUT
TWO AND TWO TOGETHER. I DON'T LIKE ALL THESE VEHICLES
AROUND US. I DON'T LIKE THAT THIS
IS A FAST-MOVING TORNADO COMING AT US. THIS IS WHEN I WISH WE HAD
A TORNADO SIREN ON OUR VEHICLE. THESE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW. HEY! GOD DAMN IT. THEY'RE GOING RIGHT
[BLEEP] TOWARDS IT. THESE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW.
THEY JUST DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW. ALL THESE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD.
THERE'S CARS EVERYWHERE. THERE'S NO TORNADO SIRENS.
THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S COMING. IT'S A MADHOUSE. GO EAST. GO EAST. NO, TURN AROUND.
TURN AROUND. THEY GOT THAT LITTLE KID
IN THE CAR IN THE FRONT SEAT. GO EAST! GO EAST! GO EAST! GO EAST! RIGHT NOW,
WE GOT A REALLY BAD SITUATION. ONE IS GONNA DROP ANY SECOND
TO THE NORTH OF THIS HIGHWAY. SEAN, KEEP AN EYE --
THAT'S GONNA -- THAT'S GONNA DROP
AT ANY SECOND, SEAN. GOT IT. DUE NORTH. BRANDON! WHAT? THERE'S A TORNADO COMING
RIGHT THIS WAY. [ HORN BLARES ] Brandon: SEAN,
KEEP AN EYE TO YOUR NORTH. IT'S GONNA DROP
AT ANY SECOND, SEAN. Sean: GOT IT. Narrator: JUST OUTSIDE
OF MACON, MISSISSIPPI, SEAN CASEY AND HIS TIV TEAM FIND
THEMSELVES IN PRIME POSITION TO INTERCEPT
THE DAY'S FIRST TORNADO. Sean: BRANDON! WHAT? THERE'S A TORNADO COMING
RIGHT THIS WAY. YEAH, IT'S ON THE GROUND. YEP. YEAH, IT'S DOWN.
HEY, BRANDON! BRANDON! WHAT? WE NEED A ROAD OPTION
IF WE CAN GET THIS. YEAH, LET'S INTERCEPT
THIS THING. LET'S DO THIS. ♪♪ MAN: Large tornado, 9:00. OH, YEAH.
IT'S RIGHT UP THERE. REAL FAT. VIOLENT. Tim: YES, IT IS. A LOT OF HEAVY ROTATION. LOOKS LIKE IT'S GETTING DIRTY
FROM EVERYTHING IT'S PICKING UP. WHATEVER IT'S CHEWING UP
ON THE GROUND. MISSISSIPPI MUD. NO SIRENS GOING HERE. THERE SHOULD BE SIRENS
GOING OFF. JESUS. YES, MY NAME
IS CARL YOUNG. I'M A METEOROLOGIST REPORTING
A TORNADO SOUTH OF MACON, HEADING NORTHEAST. YOU KNOW,
IF WE HEAD NORTH, WE'LL BE IN AN INTERCEPT
PATH FOR THIS. DO WE HAVE OPTIONS TO GET
OUT OF HERE IF WE HAVE TO? YES. ♪♪ GO, GO, GO, GO. GO, GO, GO. Tim: WE HAVE ONE MISSION -- TO GET IN THE PATH
OF THE TORNADO AND DEPLOY OUR PROBE
AT BASICALLY ALL COSTS. OH, BOY.
THE ROAD'S GOING TO HELL. COULD BE SCARY
ON THESE MUDDY ROADS. IF YOU SLIDE OFF
AND GET IN A DITCH, YOU'RE DONE AT THAT POINT. WE SHOULD --
GOD DAMN IT. YOU GOT TO FEEL PRETTY MANLY
RIGHT NOW, DON'T YOU, TIM? NO KIDDING. TIM IS VERY AGGRESSIVE. WE DO HAVE TO FIND
A HAPPY MEDIUM TODAY AND NOT GET OURSELVES KILLED. THIS IS TRULY
GONZO CHASING. ALL RIGHT, THIS WILL HEAD US
RIGHT FOR THE THE TORNADO. Narrator:
AS TEAMS TWISTEX AND TIV RACE TO INTERCEPT
THE TORNADO TOUCHING DOWN NEAR MACON, MISSISSIPPI, TEAM DOMINATOR
IS 56 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST, CLOSING IN ON ANOTHER
TORNADIC SUPERCELL FORMING IN PHILADELPHIA, MISSISSIPPI. ♪♪ Reed: TORNADO WARNING. TORNADO WARNING
ON OUR CELL, GUYS. THIS THING IS PROBABLY
TOUCHING DOWN. THAT'S THE CIRCULATION
THAT'S COMING AT US. GREEN RIGHT NEXT TO RED -- THAT SHOWS EXTREMELY
STRONG ROTATION. THIS SIGNATURE ON A RADAR
RIGHT THERE IS SOMETHING YOU ONLY SEE WITH VERY STRONG,
VIOLENT TORNADOES ON THE GROUND. I DON'T THINK WE WANT
TO GO ANY FURTHER SOUTH. WE NEED TO FIND
A CLEAR AREA UP HERE. IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
FOR TEAM DOMINATOR TO BE ON TOP OF OUR GAME TODAY. THERE ARE GOING TO BE
FAST-MOVING STORMS. THE ROAD NETWORK IS NOT IDEAL
LIKE IT IS IN THE PLAINS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS INTERCEPT,
BUT WE HAVE A JOB TO DO. THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY
FOR US TO COLLECT DATA. Joel: HERE WE GO. ♪♪ IT SHOULD BE OVER THERE. I THINK IT WOULD GO JUST TO
OUR NORTH, IF I HAD TO GUESS. RIGHT NOW IT SAYS
THERE'S NO SIGNAL. I HAVE NO SERVICE. WE DON'T HAVE CELL SERVICE. WE KNOW THIS IS
A SERIOUS SITUATION, SO WE HAVE TO GO BY
PURE FEEL AND INSTINCT TO TRACK DOWN THIS TORNADO. IF WE GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT, WE MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE
A CRACK IN THOSE TREES. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. OH, YEAH, THERE'S THE RIGHT SIDE
OF IT. YOU SEE IT? YEAH. IT'S DUE WEST OF US, GUYS. THIS MAY HAVE
WENT TO THE GROUND. WE'RE GAINING VISUAL. THERE IT IS!
WENT TO THE GROUND! WENT TO THE GROUND, GUYS!
WENT TO THE GROUND! WE GOT TO CALL IT IN!
STOP, STOP, JOEL! WE GOT A HUGE WEDGE
RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE NO SERVICE.
WE CAN'T CALL THIS IN. WE HAVE NO SERVICE. DO YOU HAVE ANY SERVICE, CHRIS? Chris: NO SERVICE. I'M GONNA TRY TO
GET PHONE CALL OUT. Joel: WE'RE OUT THERE, DOING
WHAT WE CAN TO WARN PEOPLE. WE GOT TO CALL. AND THE PEOPLE
THAT LIVE OUT HERE NEEDED TO TAKE SHELTER
UNDERGROUND, BUT NOT EVERYBODY IS GONNA
GET OUT OF HARM'S WAY. GUYS, LOOK AT THIS! THAT'S A VIOLENT TORNADO. THAT COULD BE
AN F5 RIGHT THERE. OH, MY GOOD GOD. WE HAVE A MASSIVE TORNADO
JUST TO OUR WEST. IT LOOKS VERY VIOLENT.
PROBABLY A QUARTER-MILE WIDE. IT'S COMING AT US
RIGHT NOW AT 60 MILES AN HOUR, STRAIGHT AT US. GEEZ. AND WE HAVE NO
CELLPHONE SERVICE. LOOK AT THE RISING MOTION
OF THAT, REED. I GOT A LITTLE BIT
OF SERVICE. ALL RIGHT. CALL IT IN. WHERE ARE WE AT? I'M GETTING THE LOCATION. HIGHWAY 397
DUE EAST OF CLAYTOWN. YES, I NEED TO REPORT --
I'M A TRAINED STORM SPOTTER. I HAVE A LARGE VIOLENT TORNADO
ON THE GROUND AT LEAST
A QUARTER-MILE WIDE. ♪♪ ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO GET
THAT SON OF A [BLEEP] Matt:
THIS IS DANGEROUS AS HELL. I THINK WE SHOULD GO BACK
AND WATCH IT CROSS IN THAT CLEARING TO BE SAFE. CAN'T DEPLOY PROPERLY IN
A TORNADO WITH TREES LIKE THIS. YEAH. Carl: LET'S SEE IF WE CAN
GET A CLEAR SPOT HERE. LOOKS LIKE IT OPENS UP. MAKING ME NERVOUS HERE. WE'RE TRACKING THIS HUGE,
POWERFUL STORM. ALL WE SEE IS TREES,
BUT IF WE CAN FIND A CLEARING, WE HAVE A CHANCE TO DEPLOY. WE MIGHT TURN ON CR2. DEBRIS FALLING ON
OUR HEADS HERE. RIGHT TURN. Woman:
YEAH. I DON'T LIKE THIS. Matt: WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, GUYS.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. THERE'S LOTS OF LEAVES COMING
FROM RIGHT HERE. LOOK. JUST DON'T LIKE [BLEEP]
DRIVING AROUND IN TREES AND NOT HAVING A RADAR. THERE'S NO REASON
TO BE PLOWING HEADFIRST INTO A TORNADO IN THE TREES. THIS TORNADO COULD
CROSS THE ROAD ANY MOMENT, AND WE'RE ON THE VERY EDGE
OF BEING RECKLESS. SO I THINK WE SHOULD
STAY BACK AND BE SAFE. WE GOT TO BE ABLE TO SEE. THERE'S AN OPENING.
THERE'S AN OPENING RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE. OH, YEAH. OH! RIGHT THERE. TORNADO!
TORNADO! TORNADO!
IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. TORNADO! OKAY. DON'T GO ANY FURTHER. GO, GO, GO. RIGHT THERE, GUYS.
WATCH IT. IT'S RIGHT HERE. MAN:
Yeah, I know, I know. CROSSING THE ROAD
RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, GUYS.
RIGHT HERE. RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. TORNADO RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. ♪♪ Narrator: TEAM TWISTEX
IS CHASING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO AN INTENSIFYING TWISTER... OH, YEAH. OH! RIGHT THERE. Tim: TORNADO! TORNADO! Narrator: ...PART OF A MASSIVE
OUTBREAK OF VIOLENT STORMS ACROSS MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA. IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. Matt: TURN OFF THE ROAD. IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. TORNADO, TORNADO. OKAY,
DON'T GO ANY FURTHER. GO, GO, GO! LET'S GO GET IT. HOLY [BLEEP] I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS. IT'S PRETTY DAMN CLOSE. GUYS, WATCH IT.
IT'S RIGHT HERE. RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, GUYS.
RIGHT HERE. PULL UP.
WE CAN GET CLOSER. THAT'S JUST STUPID. OKAY, WE GOT TO --
IT'S MOVING FAST. BE CAREFUL HERE. WAIT! STOP! STOP! STOP! WE'RE IN
THE BACK SIDE OF IT. THERE'S DEBRIS. WE'RE GOOD.
WE'RE GOOD. WE'RE GOOD.
THERE IT IS. I DON'T KNOW, GUYS.
IT'S WRAPPING BACK UP. WE'RE GOOD.
WE'RE GOOD. SO DAMN CLOSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOOD. IT'S WELL TO OUR EAST NOW. LOOK HOW FAST
THAT THING'S MOVING. YEAH, THAT'S
ALL IT IS, GUYS. Narrator: WITH THE TORNADO
MOVING AWAY FROM THEM AT NEARLY 60 MILES AN HOUR, DEPLOYING A SCIENTIFIC PROBE
IN ITS PATH IS IMPOSSIBLE. DAMAGE, DAMAGE, DAMAGE. POWER POLES. POWER POLES DOWN.
CAREFUL. IT LOOKS LIKE WE CAN PASS,
THOUGH. IT JUST HIT THE BARN. YEAH. LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY'S OKAY. CHECK FOR FARMSTEADS
OUT TO OUR EAST. IF THERE'S ANY FARMSTEADS HIT,
WE'RE GONNA STOP. WE'RE GOOD. Matt:
JUST PLOWED THE FOREST. IT'S LIKE A BUZZ SAW
RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. SO WE WERE LUCKY
WE DIDN'T KEEP PUSHING ON, 'CAUSE WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIT.
THESE THINGS ARE MOVING SO FAST, I THINK THAT
THEY WILL BE ON TOP OF YOU BEFORE YOU REALLY KNOW IT. Narrator:
SIX MILES TO THE EAST, TEAM TIV IS LOOKING FOR
A ROAD TO THE TORNADO, HOPING FOR A CHANCE
TO FILM IT IN 3-D. DEBRIS IS STILL
COMING DOWN. Sean: HEY, BRANDON! BRANDON! WHAT? WE NEED A ROAD OPTION
IF WE CAN GET THIS. WE NEED TO GET CLOSER. OKAY. THINKING ABOUT GOING NORTH. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO? WE CAN'T SEE IT NOW. CAN YOU SEE IT
UP THERE, SEAN? WHAT'S THAT? YOU'RE GONNA
HAVE TO USE OUTSIDE VOICE. CAN YOU SEE IT OVER
THE TREELINE? NO,
THE TREES ARE BLOCKING ME, BUT I STILL THINK
IT'S AT OUR 11:00. HOLD UP.
THERE IT IS DOWN THERE. THERE IT IS RIGHT THERE.
YOU GO EAST. WE NEED TO GO BACK. HEY, HEY, HEY.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. BACK UP. BACK UP, MARCUS.
BACK UP. YEAH, KEEP GOING.
KEEP GOING. I HAVE UTTER FAITH IN BRANDON, BUT WHEN IT GETS TO THAT TIME
OF ME WANTING TO GET THE SHOT AND KNOWING WHAT ROADS
ARE AVAILABLE TO GET THE SHOT, THEN I LIKE TO HAVE
A SAY IN THE MATTER. GO EAST. GO EAST. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! HE SAID "NO" OR "GO"? SEAN IS A BACKSEAT DRIVER --
JUST SLOW DOWN, SPEED UP, TURN RIGHT, NO, LEFT,
DO A U-TURN HERE, THERE. Sean: YEAH, KEEP GOING.
KEEP GOING. I'LL TELL YOU WHEN TO STOP. AND THAT'S BRANDON'S JOB. NOT GONNA CATCH THAT NOW. NO? NO. ARE YOU SURE? I'M SURE. WANT TO STOP
AND JUST FILM IT? THERE IT IS. THERE'S NO WAY, RIGHT? STOP? BRANDON SAYS THERE'S
NO WAY TO CATCH THIS. THERE WAS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY
ON THAT TORNADO. SEAN'S QUESTIONING
MY FORECASTING. HE NEEDS TO TRUST IN ME. FOR ME, IT HELPS TO
LISTEN TO ONE PERSON. WELL, SURE. AND THAT'S THE MAP GUY. OF COURSE. OF COURSE. BUT IF I SEE SOMETHING
THAT'S GOING ON, I'M GONNA SPEAK MY MIND
WHEN I DEEM IT IMPORTANT TO ME. YEAH. MY WHOLE GOAL IS TO
GET YOU AMAZING SHOTS. I KNOW, DUDE. I KNOW.
I TOTALLY GET IT. I MEAN, THERE'S NO
WAY WE'RE GONNA CATCH THIS WITH THIS ROAD NETWORK. OH, BOY. WE HAVE THESE BRIEF CHANCES
TO GET INTO THESE TORNADOES. WITH ALL THE TREES, THAT GIVES US THE POTENTIAL TO
SHOOT SOME AMAZING 3-D IMAGES. AND THE FIRST TORNADO
WE'VE ENCOUNTERED HAS ALREADY SLIPPED THROUGH
OUR FINGERS. IT'S GONE. THIS IS DEFINITELY DEBRIS
FROM THE TREES THAT YOU SEE BEHIND ME, SNAPPED
OFF AND LITTERED AROUND HERE. IT'S ACTUALLY
QUITE A COOL PIECE. THIS MIGHT BRING US SOME LUCK.
WE NEED A LITTLE LUCK. THIS IS GOING IN THE TIV. HERE'S SOME LUCK FOR US. ALL WE NEEDED WAS
A LUCKY STICK. READY TO TAKE OFF? WE GOT STICK WITH US NOW. LET'S GO EAST ON THIS ROAD, BECAUSE IT'S FORMING
A NEW WALL CLOUD RIGHT HERE. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO FOR
THE NEXT ONE. THE NEXT STORM HAS PROBABLY
GOT A TORNADO ON THE GROUND, ANOTHER LARGE,
VIOLENT TORNADO. WE'RE WATCHING THIS STORM,
AND AGAIN THAT'S GOT A TBS, AND THAT WILL BE APPROACHING
PHILADELPHIA, MISSISSIPPI, AND SO, AGAIN, THIS IS
A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. Narrator: 45 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF TEAM TIV, THE DOMINATOR TEAM IS WATCHING
A MASSIVE EF5 TORNADO DEVELOP, DETERMINING IF IT'S SAFE
TO INTERCEPT WINDS THAT COULD BE OVER
200 MILES PER HOUR. Reed: THIS THING IS COMING
STRAIGHT FOR OUR LOCATION HERE. YOU CAN BLAST OUT
AND GET THE INTERCEPT. Joel: THIS IS JUST STUPID. THIS IS THE TYPE OF SITUATION
WE CAN'T INTERCEPT. IT'S DANGEROUS, IT'S DEADLY,
AND THIS TORNADO WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM
LIFTING UP A VEHICLE AND THROWING IT
SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS. THINGS COULD END VERY BADLY. REED, THAT THING'S VIOLENT. WE MAY WANT TO BACK UP. [ COUGHS ] WE'RE OKAY.
JUST KEEP AN EYE ON IT. Reed: JOEL'S A LITTLE BIT
NERVOUS BEING UP CLOSE. THE STORM WAS REALLY
TIGHTENING UP. BUT THIS IS AN INTERCEPT
OPPORTUNITY. Reed: JOEL,
YOU GET READY TO DEPLOY. Joel: HEAR IT? IS THAT IT?
THAT'S IT. THAT'S THUNDER. NO. IT JUST KEEPS GOING. [ TORNADO ROARING ] IS THAT A ROAR? THAT'S A ROAR. WE'RE MET WITH
THIS VIOLENT TORNADO WITH DEBRIS CIRCULATING
AROUND INSIDE, SHEET METAL. I REALIZE THAT THIS ROAR IS THE
ROAR FROM THE TORNADO ITSELF, AND JUST FEAR TAKES OVER,
DISBELIEF. OH, MY GOD. [ ROARING CONTINUES ] YOU HEAR THAT ROAR? YEAH, YEAH. THAT'S FREAKIN' LOUD. OH, MY GOD. THIS TORNADO IS
A VERY DIFFERENT MONSTER, AND IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF
THE MOST POWERFUL TORNADOES I'VE EVER SEEN. LOOK AT THE DEBRIS
ON THE LEFT SIDE. GUYS, THIS IS
A DEADLY SITUATION. WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE
[BLEEP] NEAR THIS THING. IT'S A VERY VIOLENT TORNADO, AND WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T
INTERCEPT THIS. IT'S LIKELY TOO STRONG, AND YOU CAN'T SURVIVE A TORNADO
LIKE THIS ABOVE GROUND. THIS THING IS PROBABLY
ONE OF THE STRONGEST TORNADOES I'VE EVER SEEN. I MEAN, THAT THING'S
VIOLENT, REED. IT'S MOVING LEFT
OF US RIGHT NOW. KEEP AN EYE ON THAT. IT'S NOT MOVING
SIDE TO SIDE, WHICH MEANS IT'S COMING
RIGHT AT US RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S COMING FAST. WE CAN TELL THE TORNADO IS
MOVING RIGHT AT THIS LOCATION, BECAUSE IF YOU WATCH IT
COMPARED TO THE TREES, IT'S NOT MOVING
LEFT OR RIGHT. IT'S JUST GETTING
WIDER AND WIDER. ♪♪ LOOK AT THE DEBRIS.
IT'S THROWING DEBRIS UP. GET READY TO BACK UP. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING
TO [BLEEP] AROUND WITH. YOU GOT TO GET
THESE PEOPLE UNDERGROUND! GET OUT OF HERE! Reed: I LOOK UP, AND I SEE
PEOPLE WATCHING THE TORNADO ON THEIR FRONT PORCH,
IN THE PATH OF IT. RUN UP INTO THE HOUSE!
GET THEN TO TAKE SHELTER! WE NEED TO WARN PEOPLE
BECAUSE TORNADOES THIS VIOLENT, WITH WINDS OF 200
TO 300 MILES PER HOUR, THE ONLY PLACE
YOU'RE GONNA SURVIVE THIS TORNADO
IS UNDERGROUND. ALL RIGHT,
GET THEM UNDERGROUND! Joel: THIS PLACE IS GONNA
GET ABSOLUTELY DEMOLISHED HERE IN ABOUT TWO MINUTES. GO THAT WAY. GO THAT WAY.
GO THAT WAY. GO, GO, GO, GO! GO THAT WAY. KEEP GOING FAST, PLEASE! THINK IT'S GONNA
MOVE SOUTH OF US? WHAT DO YOU THINK? I THINK IT'S SOUTH OF US. WE'VE GOT TO MAKE
PERFECTLY SURE. IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S GONNA
EXPAND BEYOND THE RIGHT EDGE. YEAH. IT'S GONNA START THROWING
HUGE DEBRIS OUT SOON. THAT RIGHT EDGE IS DEFINITELY
MOVING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. SO I THINK WE'RE OKAY HERE. STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!
STOP! STOP! STOP! BACK THE OTHER WAY! HE'S GOT
TO GO BACK THE OTHER WAY. [ TIRES SCREECH ] THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. WE'RE TRYING TO GET
PEOPLE OUT OF HERE. IT'S GONNA PASS JUST
TO OUR SOUTH RIGHT NOW. JUST TO OUR SOUTH. Joel:
KEEP AN EYE ON THAT RIGHT EDGE. THAT'S HALF A MILE
TO A MILE TO THE SOUTH. THAT'S NOT VERY FAR AWAY. OH, MY GOD!
LOOK AT THE LEFT SIDE! WOW. LOOK AT THE LEFT SIDE! OH, MY GOD. THERE'S DEBRIS.
IT HIT SOMETHING. ♪♪ OH, MY GOD.
THIS IS NOT GOOD, GUYS. THERE'S HOUSES UP THERE! ♪♪ Narrator: MASSIVE TORNADOES
ARE TOUCHING DOWN ALL OVER MISSISSIPPI
AND ALABAMA. AND THEY'RE MOVING
CLOSER AND CLOSER TO HEAVILY POPULATED AREAS
AT AN ALARMING PACE. IN PHILADELPHIA, MISSISSIPPI, TEAM DOMINATOR HAS BEEN
MONITORING A HALF-MILE-WIDE BEAST, PACKING 200-MILE-AN-HOUR WINDS THAT IS THREATENING A POPULATION
OF OVER 8,000 PEOPLE. RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT
A MASSIVE TORNADO. YOU CAN HEAR THE ROAR. THIS THING IS AN EXTREMELY
VIOLENT TORNADO. THERE ARE LARGE CHUNKS
OF DEBRIS GETTING THROWN UP HIGH
INTO THE AIR. WE'VE CALLED IN
TO 911 TWICE, AND THEY'RE AWARE OF
THIS THING ON THE GROUND. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS. IT'S GONNA PASS JUST
TO OUR SOUTH RIGHT NOW. Joel: THAT SUCKS.
THAT REALLY SUCKS. THIS IS NOT GOOD, GUYS. OH, MAN. OH, MY GOD!
THERE'S HOUSES UP THERE! GO UP ON THE TOP
OF THIS HILL UP HERE. Reed:
A TORNADO OF THAT STRENGTH, IF IT'S HITTING STRUCTURES
WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING, THERE'S LIKELY TO BE DEATHS. WE NEED TO WARN PEOPLE THAT LIVE
AROUND HERE TO GET UNDERGROUND. Joel: THE POWER OF THE WIND YOU
CAN'T REALLY DESCRIBE IN WORDS. I DON'T THINK DOMINATOR 1
CAN WITHSTAND A TORNADO OF THIS INTENSITY. RIGHT NOW, WE'VE GOT
A VERY LARGE TORNADO HITTING STRUCTURES
JUST TO OUR SOUTHEAST. I'VE NEVER SEEN A TORNADO
LIKE THIS BEFORE IN MY LIFE. YOU CAN SEE ALL THE DEBRIS
IN THE AIR. IT'S JUST TEARING APART
HOUSES RIGHT NOW. YEAH, WE CANNOT
INTERCEPT THIS. NOT EVEN CLOSE. LOOK AT THAT, YOU GUYS,
THE BASE. [ TORNADO ROARING ] I'VE NEVER HEARD
A TORNADO ROAR LIKE THAT. OH, MY GOD!
LOOK AT THAT! Joel: HOLY COW. OKAY, WE'RE ABOUT TO LOSE
VISUAL RIGHT THERE. COME ON, REED.
LET'S KEEP GOING. REED, LET'S KEEP GOING.
REED. THERE'S DEBRIS COMING DOWN
FROM THE SKY RIGHT HERE, GUYS. REED, WE GOT TO GO!
LET'S GO. Joel: WE NEED TO GET GOING TO CHECK ON ALL THE PEOPLE
IN THE PATH. MOVE! YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVEN'T TAKEN
COVER, THEY'RE IN TROUBLE. GET TO THOSE HOUSES! ♪♪ WE SHOULD GO CHECK ON
THE HOUSES. [COUGHS] WE GOT TO CHECK ON
THOSE HOUSES, GUYS. I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT INTIMIDATED
BY A TORNADO IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. THAT IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST
TORNADOES WE'VE EVER SEEN. WE'RE DRIVING TOWARDS
THE DAMAGE PATH, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING
TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY BUILDINGS HIT, IF ANYBODY NEEDS OUR HELP. WE'RE READY TO GO INTO
SEARCH-AND-RESCUE MODE. IF I'VE NEVER SEEN AN EF5... THAT IS DEFINITELY ONE. Narrator: AS THE DAY'S STORMS
CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY AND PRODUCE VIOLENT TORNADOES, 43 MILES NORTHEAST
OF TEAM DOMINATOR, SEAN CASEY'S TIV TEAM
GETS INTO POSITION. ♪♪ ON THIS BRIDGE, MAYBE PULL OVER
IN THIS BREAKDOWN LANE. [ HORN BLARES ] SEAN'S LOOKING FOR A GOOD ANGLE
AND WANTS TO SHOOT 3-D FOOTAGE ON ONE OF
THE DAY'S POWERFUL TWISTERS. Sean: ALL RIGHT, SO, WHAT DO YOU
HAVE FOR US, BRANDON? Brandon: THEY'VE ISSUED A
TORNADO EMERGENCY ON THIS STORM. LARGE AND EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS TORNADO, LARGE WEDGE PROBABLY. SEE THE TOP OF IT
OVER THE TREELINE. JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY
THERE MOVING RIGHT UP THIS WAY. I'LL TAKE WHAT'S BEHIND
TREE NUMBER TWO. I'M GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT IT. IT COULD BE A MONSTER
BEHIND THE TREES. [ SPEAKING SPANISH ] ♪♪ BRANDON IS SITTING ON TOP
OF A 14,000-POUND METAL LIGHTNING ROD. HE'S A GROWN MAN, SO... TONIGHT'S DINNER
IS FRIED BRANDON. STILL LOOKS LIKE THE TORNADO
IS GONNA PASS RIGHT OVER HERE. THING IS,
BY THE TIME WE SEE IT, I'M GUESSING WE'LL HAVE ABOUT
THREE MINUTES TO BE OUT OF HERE. THE TORNADO SIRENS
ARE GOING OFF. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] I FELT THAT. YOU OKAY? YEAH. THAT HIT RIGHT THERE,
DUDE. I FELT THAT GO DOWN MY LEG. I FELT A LITTLE
TINGLE FROM -- [ THUNDER CRASHES ] DAMN YOU! I SAW THE TRACER OF THAT ONE
BEFORE IT EVEN CAME DOWN. [ SIREN WAILING ] [ THUNDER CRASHES ] [BLEEP] YOU! [ THUNDER CRASHES ] [BLEEP] LIGHTNING. I HATE IT.
I HATE LIGHTNING, MAN. I PERSONALLY DO NOT LIKE
LIGHTNING. I'M AFRAID OF IT
BECAUSE IT'S SO RANDOM. YOU NEVER KNOW
WHEN IT'S GONNA HIT YOU, AND WITH TORNADOES,
YOU CAN PREPARE. YOU SEE THE TORNADO.
IT'S COMING AT YOU. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] OH, MY GOSH.
THAT WAS RIGHT THERE. THE STORM DOES NOT
LIKE US. IF WE'RE QUIET,
THEY WON'T HEAR US. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] WHOA!
SEAN, ARE YOU OKAY? DUDE, THEY'RE THROWING
LIGHTNING BOLTS AT US. LIGHTNING STRIKES, LIKE THOR HIMSELF
IS JUST STANDING OVER US, RAINING DOWN THE LIGHTNING! [ THUNDER CRASHES ] WHOA! THERE'S A VERY LARGE
TORNADO COMING THIS WAY, JUST BEYOND THIS TREELINE. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] I HATE LIGHTNING. Reed: WATCH OUT FOR
DEBRIS UP HERE. WE HAD A VERY VIOLENT TORNADO
HIT STRUCTURES TO OUR SOUTHWEST. WE'RE GONNA SEE IF
WE CAN GO CHECK IT OUT. TREE DAMAGE.
MAJOR TREE DAMAGE. Chris:
CAREFUL UP HERE, JOEL. HERE'S THE DAMAGE PATH. LOOK FOR HOUSES. THAT ONE'S ALL RIGHT
ON THE LEFT. THERE'S A STRUCTURE
UP HERE ON THE RIGHT, GUYS -- SHEET METAL. THAT'S A -- THAT'S A FARM. WATCH OUT. WATCH OUT. Joel: TELEPHONE LINES. GET WAY RIGHT, WAY LEFT.
I THINK YOU GOT IT. OKAY. WHAT'S DOWN THERE
TO YOUR RIGHT? I DON'T THINK IT HIT
ANY HOUSES. LOOKS LIKE IT WAS BARNS. THAT HOUSE IS OKAY.
JUST SHINGLE DAMAGE. ♪♪ Reed: WE SEE THAT NONE
OF THESE HOUSES ARE HIT. WE'RE REALIZING THAT THESE
PEOPLE DODGED A BULLET. LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY
GOT REALLY LUCKY IN THIS AREA. YEAH,
EXTREMELY LUCKY. THERE'S ANOTHER STORM
TO THE SOUTHWEST. AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE
TO THE SOUTH OF THAT. THERE'S ANOTHER ONE
BACK IN JACKSON. THEY'RE GOING TO BE. EVERY SINGLE WARNING STATEMENT
SAYS "TRACKING A LARGE, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO"
RIGHT NOW. AND THEY'RE ALL HEADING
TOWARD THE TUSCALOOSA AREA. WE'RE TRACKING A SUPERCELL
THAT'S HEADING STRAIGHT FOR TUSCALOOSA, AND IT'S
A VERY URBAN, POPULATED AREA. THIS IS A WORST-CASE SCENARIO. MAJOR OUTBREAK.
I JUST GOT CHILLS. Narrator: AS TEAM DOMINATOR
RACES TOWARDS THE MONSTER TORNADO HEADING STRAIGHT
FOR TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA... ♪♪ ...TEAM TIV IS AT ENTERPRISE WITH ANOTHER MASSIVE TWISTER
IN THEIR SIGHTS. Brandon:
THAT'S A LARGE TORNADO. Sean: IS THIS TRACKING
RIGHT TOWARDS US, BRANDON? YEAH. THE LARGE, WEDGE-SHAPED TORNADO
JUST OFF TO OUR SOUTHWEST. SEE THE TOP OF IT
OVER THE TREELINE. HERE IT COMES. IT'S MOVING
RIGHT THIS WAY, TOO. KEEP IT ON THE GROUND,
BRANDON. IT'S GONNA STAY
ON THE GROUND. SEAN, RUB YOUR STICK. THERE'S THE LEFT EDGE
OF THE TORNADO RIGHT THERE. YOU HEAR IT? YEAH,
BUT IS IT GONNA HIT US? YES, IT'S COMING
RIGHT THIS WAY. RIGHT THERE. HERE IT COMES. MARCUS, GO NORTH. GET INSIDE. GO NORTH? YEAH, GO NORTH. YOU WANT ME TO DEPLOY? THAT'S PRETTY STRONG, MARC.
MARC, THAT'S PRETTY STRONG. HEY, GET READY TO MOVE NORTH.
GET READY TO MOVE NORTH. OKAY, I'M READY. WE ARE GOING TO TRY
AND GET THE BEST FOOTAGE WE CAN TO CAPTURE OUR EXPERIENCE
OF OUR LITTLE TANK GOING INTO A TORNADO IN 3-D. FAST! HURRY!
DRIVE FAST! AS FAST AS YOU CAN! Brandon:
THE STORM'S JUST NORTH OF US. I NEED TO GET THE TEAM
IN POSITION TO GET THE SHOT FOR SEAN. Sean: GO THAT WAY! FAST!
HURRY! OH, MY GOD! STAY HERE, MARCUS. STOP HERE!
STOP HERE! HOLY COW!
LOOK AT THAT MONSTER! IT'S COMING RIGHT THIS WAY. WOW! [BLEEP] ♪♪ Narrator: ON A DAY THAT
IS QUICKLY BECOMING ONE OF THE LARGEST TORNADO
OUTBREAKS IN U.S. HISTORY... Sean: FAST! HURRY! Narrator: ...TEAM TIV IS CHASING
THE STORM THROUGH THE TOWN OF ENTERPRISE, MISSISSIPPI, WHERE THEY HAVE YET ANOTHER
MASSIVE TWISTER IN THEIR SIGHTS. Sean: OH, MY GOD! STOP HERE! Brandon:
STAY HERE, MARCUS. IT'S COMING RIGHT THIS WAY. Narrator: POSITIONED LESS THAN
200 YARDS IN FRONT OF IT, SEAN CASEY AND HIS TIV TEAM
ARE POISED TO FILM THEIR FIRST TORNADO IN 3-D. Sean: OH, MY GOD.
OH, LOOK AT THIS MONSTER. THIS TORNADO IS ALL THE WAY
TO THE GROUND, AND YOU SEE THE DEBRIS
BEING LOFTED UP INTO THE AIR, ALL THESE TREES. WOW! WOW! WE'RE SEEING THE POWER
OF TORNADOES IN A NEW DIMENSION. IT'S AMAZING. HOLY COW!
LOOK AT THAT MONSTER! WOW! AMAZING TORNADO. WE COULD TURN AROUND
AND GO EAST DOWN THIS ROAD, MAYBE TRACK IT
A LITTLE BIT. OKAY. YEAH, DO SO. TURN AROUND, MARC, AND MAYBE
WE CAN GET ANOTHER SHOT. WE'RE GONNA GO EAST
ON THE 518 AND TRY TO TRACK IT
JUST A LITTLE BIT. WOW! THAT WAS COOL. FINALLY! YAY, TEAM! WATCH OUT.
THERE MAY BE TREES DOWN UP HERE. WATCH THE OUT FOR DEBRIS! YEAH, I SEE SOME.
I SEE SOME. YEAH, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE
ABLE TO GET THROUGH HERE. NO WAY, DUDE. YOU'RE NOT GETTING THROUGH THIS. HOLD ON, MARC! WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE
TO CATCH THAT. THAT WAS MOVING
WAY TOO FAST. THAT WAS THE FIRST TORNADO
EVER SHOT IN 3-D, AND THAT WAS A BEAUTY.
IT HAD A TON OF THIS TREE MASS, JUST DIFFERENT PLANES
JUST MOVING RIGHT BY. EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T GET HIT
BY IT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST
TORNADOES WE EVER FILMED. DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?
REALLY? SO SURREAL. A LUCKY STICK!
A LUCKY STICK! LUCKY STICK.
[ SMOOCHES ] ♪♪ YEAH! WHOO! IT PASSED WITHIN PROBABLY
JUST 200 YARDS TO OUR SOUTHEAST AND CAME RIGHT THROUGH HERE. I MEAN, THESE ARE
HUGE TREES THAT THIS TORNADO
JUST RIPPED OVER. THAT WAS AMAZING.
WOW. IT'S PROBABLY THE CLOSEST
I'VE EVER BEEN TO A TORNADO THAT POWERFUL, AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL STAY
OUT IN RURAL AREAS, OUT IN THESE FORESTS. GOOD JOB.
PERFECT POSITION. AH, IT WAS CRAZY. IT WAS GREAT, 'CAUSE THERE'S
NO TOWNS HERE, NO HOUSES, JUST TREES THAT GOT HIT,
WE HOPE. GOOD JOB, DUDE.
YOU KILLED IT. YOU KILLED IT. I'M VERY LUCKY TO HAVE
BRANDON AS OUR NAVIGATOR AND METEOROLOGIST. HE PUTS US IN PERFECT POSITION. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST TORNADOES
I'VE EVER FILMED. [ SIREN WAILING ] WE CAPTURED AMAZING FOOTAGE
AND THE ELATION WAS THERE, YOU KNOW, OF SUCCESS,
OF TRIUMPH. Brandon: SOME HOUSES
GOT HIT UP THERE? YEAH, THERE'S
A PRETTY BIG CHURCH AND A BUNCH OF HOUSES UP
THROUGH THERE. AND IT WOULD
BE RIGHT IN THIS PATH. OH, REALLY?
UH-OH. BUT THEN THIS FIRST RESPONDER
CAME UP, AND, THEN, OF COURSE, IT'S, YES, YOU KNOW, YOU FORGET IN THAT MOMENT THAT PEOPLE
ARE BEING AFFECTED. Y'ALL CAN PROBABLY
JUST FOLLOW ME. THERE'S A CUT-THROUGH. OKAY. YEAH, YEAH. WE GOT TWO MEDICS ON OUR TEAM
THAT CAN HELP YOU. OKAY. GOOD. TAKE TWO. LET'S GO DO
OUR SECOND PART OF OUR JOB. I HOPE EVERYBODY'S
IN THEIR BASEMENTS. Reporter #1:
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. GET TO YOUR SAFE PLACE IF
YOU'RE IN TUSCALOOSA RIGHT NOW. Reporter #2: YOU NEED TO BE
IN A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY. GET THERE. STAY THERE. Spann: IF THIS STAYS
ON THAT SAME TRACK, THIS TORNADO COULD WIND UP
APPROACHING DOWNTOWN TUSCALOOSA. Narrator: TEAM TWISTEX
IS RACING TO KEEP UP WITH THE MOST VIOLENT TORNADO
OF THE DAY, AND IT'S TRACKING RIGHT TOWARDS
A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF 185,000 PEOPLE. LOOKS LIKE IT'S HEADING
FOR TUSCALOOSA. Tim: OH, WOW. [BLEEP] IF THIS STORM STAYS TOGETHER,
THAT COULD BE REALLY BAD. THAT'S A HIGHLY
POPULATED AREA. YEAH. YEAH. MAYBE WE OUGHT TO JUST MAKE
A BEELINE RIGHT FOR TUSCALOOSA. MY GUESS IS IT'S PROBABLY
BACK IN THERE. YEAH. WELL, I THINK WE'RE OUT AHEAD
OF IT, WHICH IS GOOD. [BLEEP] DAMAGE. DEBRIS IN THE ROAD.
DEBRIS IN THE ROAD. CRAP.
CAN WE GET AROUND THIS? WIRES DOWN.
WIRES DOWN. DON'T TOUCH THE WIRES. WOW, THAT WAS
A STRONG TORNADO. LOOK AT THE TREES
IT TOOK DOWN HERE. POWERFUL. YOU CAN SMELL THE FRESH PINE. IF WE CAN MOVE THIS,
WE CAN GO. LET'S DO THIS. Tim: WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING
WE CAN TO GET TO THE INTERSTATE SO WE CAN HEAD TOWARDS
TUSCALOOSA. A TORNADO OF THIS MAGNITUDE
IS GONNA BE TRULY DEVASTATING. ALMOST CERTAINLY
THERE'S GONNA BE HUGE DAMAGE, EVEN LOSS OF LIFE. AND I'M NOT GONNA LET
ONE TREE STAND IN OUR WAY. ♪♪ I THINK WE CAN DO THIS. STAY CLEAR IN CASE
THIS THING SNAPS. ♪♪ Narrator: APPROACHING THE SAME
VIOLENT STORM FROM THE WEST, TEAM DOMINATOR IS STARTING
TO REALIZE JUST HOW DEADLY THE SITUATION COULD BE. Reed:
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. RIGHT HERE, WE'RE GONNA
GO NORTH AND GET ON 156, TAKE THAT INTO TUSCALOOSA. WEST, GUYS. TORNADO ON THE GROUND,
STOVEPIPE! HUGE STOVEPIPE, GUYS! THAT THING IS GROWING.
THAT THING IS GONNA EXPAND. Reed:
IF PEOPLE AREN'T TAKING THE NECESSARY
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, THERE'S VERY LITTLE CHANCE
THEY'LL SURVIVE THIS TORNADO. SO IT'S THAT MUCH MORE IMPORTANT
FOR US TO SEE THESE TORNADOES AND HELP OUT
IN THE WARNING PROCESS. OH, MY GOD!
THAT IS VIOLENT. Chris: I THINK WE GOT
A GOOD VIEW HERE. STOP! STOP! OH, MY GOD.
IT'S HUGE. YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT THERE.
VERY VIOLENT. MOVING AT 60 MILES AN HOUR. Joel: LOOK AT THAT -- REED,
LOOK AT THAT MOTION ON THE RIGHT SIDE. AND IT'S COMING FAST. I MEAN, IT'S HEADING
STRAIGHT FOR TUSCALOOSA, GUYS. LET'S GO. GOT TO GET BACK
IN FRONT OF IT. [ COUGHS ] ♪♪ THAT MIGHT BE ON THE GROUND
ALL THE WAY TO TUSCALOOSA, GUYS. THIS IS SERIOUSLY
A BAD SITUATION. WE NEED TO USE EVERY POSSIBLE
RESOURCE WE CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT TO PEOPLE
IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS. SO WE'RE TWEETING,
POSTING ON FACEBOOK, STREAMING LIVE VIDEO, AND DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN
TO KEEP THESE PEOPLE WARNED IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS. HI. I'M A TRAINED
WEATHER SPOTTER, AND I'D LIKE TO REPORT
A LARGE, VIOLENT TORNADO. THIS THING'S HEADING
STRAIGHT FOR TUSCALOOSA. Joel: WITH A LARGE TORNADO
HEADING TOWARDS TOWN, WE KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE
CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE. AND IT JUST GIVES US
A HELPLESS FEELING. I GET KNOTS IN MY STOMACH. PEOPLE ARE ABOUT TO LOSE
THEIR LIVES, AND THERE'S NOTHING
WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. VERY BAD SITUATION. I MEAN,
THAT TORNADO'S GONNA GROW, AND THERE'S NO REASON
IT'S GONNA OCCLUDE. IT COULD BE 100 TIMES WORSE
THAN YAZOO CITY. OH, THAT BIG OF A TORNADO
INTO THAT SIZE OF A TOWN... IT'S TIME TO DROP EVERYTHING.
THE CHASE IS OVER, GUYS. Reporter #1: WE'VE GOT
A LARGE TORNADO MOVING TOWARDS THE CITY OF TUSCALOOSA. Reporter #2:
THIS IS A VIOLENT TORNADO. PLEASE TAKE COVER. Reporter #3:
WE'VE GOT IT ON TOWER CAM, AND IT'S COMING RIGHT TOWARD
DOWNTOWN TUSCALOOSA AROUND THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
CAMPUS. Reporter #4:
TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. WE HAVE DEBRIS.
WE HAVE DEBRIS. Reporter #5: IF YOU'RE
IN TUSCALOOSA RIGHT NOW, PLEASE TAKE COVER.
GET TO YOUR SAFE PLACE. Reporter #6:
THIS IS A MASSIVE TORNADO. Reporter #7:
AND IT CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN. THIS IS AS VIOLENT AS IT GETS. WE HAVE LARGE DEBRIS NOW
FLYING UP OFF THE BACKSIDE. THIS BE COULD A DISASTER
OF HISTORIC PROPORTIONS. Man: JESUS, HELP THESE PEOPLE
IN TUSCALOOSA. Narrator: A TORNADO
OF EPIC PROPORTIONS RIPS THROUGH THE CITY
OF TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA, PUTTING THE LIVES OF
185,000 PEOPLE IN HARM'S WAY. 10 MILES OUTSIDE OF TOWN, TEAMS DOMINATOR AND TWISTEX
ARE RACING TO THE SCENE TO HELP OUT WITH ANY POSSIBLE
SEARCH-AND-RESCUE EFFORT. MAN: Violent tornado on
Tuscaloosa Tower Cam right now. WHAT? OH, NO. YOU'RE KIDDING?
SAYS IT'S JUST OFF OVER HERE. WE'RE REALLY CLOSE.
WE'LL BLAST INTO TUSCALOOSA. YEAH,
TUSCALOOSA JUST GOT HIT. OH, MAN, THAT IS HUGE.
TUSCALOOSA GOT HIT. YEAH. DAMN IT! THERE'S TORNADOES EVERYWHERE.
THERE'S DAMAGE EVERYWHERE. TREES DOWN ACROSS THE ROAD.
THERE'S POWER LINES DOWN. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE
OF AN OUTBREAK, AND ALL WE KNOW
IS IT'S MASS CHAOS. OH [BLEEP]
THIS HIGHWAY MAY BE CLOSED. WHAT THE HELL? DAMN IT. OH, THIS IS A NIGHTMARE. ♪♪ TRACTOR TRAILER DOWN.
OH, MY GOD. MAKE SURE THERE'S
NOBODY IN THERE. MEDICAL CENTER
AND POST OFFICE REPORTEDLY DESTROYED
IN TUSCALOOSA, PER HAM RADIO. OH, MY GOD.
THAT'S JUST NUTS. ALSO, THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
CUT POWER TO NORTH ALABAMA. PEOPLE CAN'T GET WARNINGS
THAT WAY. SLOW DOWN. YEAH, TRAFFIC'S STOPPED
COMPLETELY UP HERE. WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT. THEY PROBABLY HAVE
THE INTERSTATE SHUT DOWN. RIGHT NOW WE JUST GOT TO
STAY OUT OF THE WAY OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES. BIRMINGHAM IS ALSO IN THE PATH
OF THIS TORNADO. Reed:
IT'S A REALLY HELPLESS FEELING. WE KNOW WE HAVE TO LEAVE
THIS SITUATION, BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE STORMS
APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTH. AND WE HAVE TO BE THERE
TO CALL IN THOSE REPORTS AND HELP OUT
THE OTHER COMMUNITIES. WE LET THE EMERGENCY MANAGERS
DO THEIR JOB. THERE'S A POINT WHERE YOU
JUST GOT TO GET OUT OF THE WAY, AND IF WE SEE MORE DAMAGE
DOWN SOUTH AND WE'RE THE FIRST PEOPLE
ON IT, THEN WE DO WHAT WE CAN. THIS DAY IS PLAYING OUT
EXACTLY HOW WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO, THOUGH. ABSOLUTELY INSANE DAY. ♪♪ Reporter: YEAH, THIS IS
AN UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION. MORE TORNADIC STORMS. THAT'S THE TORNADO
NORTH OF GREENSBORO. THAT'S THE NEW TORNADO
NEAR CUBA. AND THAT IS THE TORNADO
THAT HAS EXITED BLOUNT COUNTY. WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS
JUST YET. SIR, YOU NEED ANY HELP? Reed: THIS IS A WORST-CASE
SCENARIO FOR THIS AREA. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
HISTORIC TORNADO OUTBREAKS WE'VE EVER CHASED. OH, MY GOOD GOD. PEOPLE'S LIVES
ARE AT STAKE HERE. WE'VE GOT TO GET OUT THERE AND
BE THE EYES UNDERNEATH THE STORM AND HELP OUT
IN THE WARNING PROCESS. HI. YES.
I AM A TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER WANTING TO REPORT
A LARGE, VIOLENT TORNADO ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH
OF BRENT. THERE'S DEBRIS COMING!
GET IN! GET IN! Reporter:
WE HAVE A VIOLENT TORNADO COMING UP INTO
DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM. THIS IS AFFECTING
THE LARGEST CITY IN THE STATE. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE,
STAY IN A SAFE PLACE. ♪♪ RIGHT NOW WE'RE DRIVING TO
CHECK THIS TOWN, ENTERPRISE, THAT WE JUST HEARD
GOT HIT PRETTY BAD. [ HOUSE ALARMS SOUNDING ] I THINK THE TORNADO WAS
A LOT STRONGER OVER HERE. [ SIRENS WAILING ] THESE TORNADOES
ARE TAKING OUT TOWNS. THEY'RE KILLING PEOPLE. BUT WE'RE IN A POSITION TO HELP. WE ARE THERE WHEN IT HAPPENS,
AND IF WE CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT. Reporter: THE POWERFUL STORM
SPAWNED TORNADOES, BROUGHT HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS,
AND NEAR-HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS. THERE IS WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION. Narrator: THE EF5 TORNADO
THAT TEAMS DOMINATOR AND TWISTEX CHASED INTO ALABAMA REMAINED
ON THE GROUND FOR 80 MILES, DESTROYING ENTIRE SECTIONS OF TUSCALOOSA AND BIRMINGHAM. Man: THERE ARE BUILDINGS
THAT ARE MISSING. THE WHOLE SKYLINE
IS NOW UNRECOGNIZABLE HERE ON 15th STREET. Narrator: THE TORNADO OUTBREAK
ON APRIL 27th BROKE RECORDS, WITH OVER
180 CONFIRMED TORNADOES, 321 FATALITIES,
AND THOUSANDS OF INJURIES, MAKING THIS THE DEADLIEST
TORNADO DAY IN U.S. HISTORY SINCE THE TRI-STATE TORNADO
ON MARCH 18, 1925. Reed: THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF
THE WORST DAYS IN HISTORY FOR THIS COUNTRY, NOT ONLY
FOR A TORNADO OUTBREAKS, BUT FOR ANY NATURAL DISASTER. AND I NEVER THOUGHT
I'D WITNESS SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN MY LIFETIME. THIS DEVASTATION IS HORRIBLE
IN TUSCALOOSA, AND THIS COULD TAKE YEARS
TO RECOVER FROM THIS.
Eve though I don’t remember it, I am proud to say I survived this outbreak. (I was young when it happene)