ONE'S ON THE GROUND, GUYS!
ONE'S ON THE GROUND! Narrator: ON THIS EPISODE
OF "STORM CHASERS"... TAKE A LEFT HERE! HOLD ON. [ TIRES SCREECHING ] OH [BLEEP] TEAM DOMINATOR'S CHASE
GETS EVEN MORE DEADLY AS THEIR VEHICLE FAILS THEM WHILE TRACKING A TORNADO
IN WESTERN MISSOURI. Man: PUMP THOSE BRAKES. DOMINATOR 1 IS QUICKLY TURNING
INTO A DEATH TRAP. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] THERE'S ROTATION. YEAH, HERE WE GO. TEAM TIV EMBARKS
ON A BRAND-NEW MISSION. Sean: IT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE
TO GET SOME FOOTAGE IN 3-D. Man: IT'S GOING DOWN. WE GOT MULTIPLE VORTICES! GET IN THERE, MARK! Reporter: A TORNADO WATCH
IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR THE ST. LOUIS AREA. Narrator: AND TEAM TWISTEX
FACES A MASSIVE TORNADO ON COURSE TO DECIMATE
A CITY OF OVER 300,000 PEOPLE. Tim: THERE IT IS!
HERE IT COMES! IT'S COMING DOWN! OH, YEAH,
DEFINITE TORNADO! [ CAR ALARM BLARING ] Carl: OH, THAT'S
SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE. Matt: THERE'S A HOUSE
THAT GOT DESTROYED. WE'RE GETTING HIT
BY DEBRIS! WE'RE INSIDE OF IT! Man:
IT'S COMING RIGHT AT US! GET UP ON IT!
GET UP ON IT! [ THUNDER CRASHES ] RIGHT HERE! TORNADO! RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! OH, MAN, THAT IS HUGE. Carl:
PULL UP AND GET CLOSER! MOVE!
EVERYBODY DOWN! GET DOWN! Joel: BRACE FOR IMPACT! [ THUNDER CRASHES ] Narrator: IN EARLY APRIL,
A SLEW OF UNEXPECTED STORMS BLEW UP ALL OVER THE SOUTHERN
AND MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES. Reed: MOTHER NATURE'S DEFINITELY
RAISING THE STAKES THIS SEASON. I THINK
IT'S PARTIALLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE LA NIÑA CONDITIONS
IN THE PACIFIC, AND IT COULD GET
EXTREMELY ACTIVE. THIS COULD BE A RECORD-BREAKER. Narrator:
BUT THESE EARLY SEASON TORNADOES CAUGHT STORM CHASER REED TIMMER
OFF GUARD. Reed: THIS IS BAD.
REALLY, REALLY BAD. WITH HIS 9,000-POUND,
HEAVILY ARMORED CHASE VEHICLE, THE DOMINATOR,
IN THE REPAIR SHOP AND HIS BRAND-NEW VEHICLE,
DOMINATOR 2, FAR OFF SCHEDULE
AND STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION, REED DECIDED TO HEAD INTO
THE STORMS IN A STANDARD S.U.V. Reed:
IF WE HAD THE DOMINATOR TODAY, WE POSSIBLY COULD HAVE GOTTEN
SOME GROUNDBREAKING DATA, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA BE READY
FOR ANOTHER WEEK. BUT PEOPLE NEED EYES
UNDER THE STORM HERE. THAT'S WHY WE'RE OUT HERE
STREAMING LIVE VIDEO AND HELPING OUT IN THE WARNING
PROCESS AS BEST WE CAN. IT'S ON THE GROUND
ALREADY! STOP! Man: STOP! WE GOT TO GET
OUT OF HERE. IT'S STARTING OFF
FASTER THAN I'VE EVER SEEN IN 13 YEARS OF STORM CHASING. IT'S REALLY VIOLENT.
LOOK AT THAT WEDGE. Joel: OH, MY GOD. MOTHER NATURE HAS AN EDGE
THIS YEAR, AND HOPEFULLY THIS ISN'T
A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME. Narrator: SIX DAYS LATER, DOMINATOR 1 IS FINALLY OUT OF
THE SHOP AND READY FOR CHASING, AS TEAMS TWISTEX AND TIV
JOIN THEM BACK IN TORNADO ALLEY TO RESUME THE SEARCH FOR
NATURE'S MOST POWERFUL WINDS. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] AND IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE AN ALREADY VOLATILE
SEASON HEATS UP. Reporter:
SKYTRACKER DOPPLER RADAR
GIVING YOU THE OVERALL SCENARIO. THERE'S A WARM FRONT DRIFTING
THROUGH, FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
FROM KANSAS CITY TO THE GREATER ST. LOUIS AREA. THESE STORMS COULD BE PACKING
HAIL, GUSTY WINDS, AND I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT MAYBE
EVEN AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO. Reed:
THAT STORM'S HAULING ASS. OH, LOOK AT THAT THING.
THAT'S INSANE. THIS ONE HAS A LOOK
OF A TORNADO-PRODUCER. WE WANT TO BE
ON THIS STORM. Tim:
TWISTEX REPRESENTS A TEAM OF VERY PASSIONATE
STORM CHASERS, METEOROLOGISTS, AND SCIENTISTS THAT ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHY SOME SUPERCELLS ARE CREATING TORNADOES
AND OTHERS DON'T. Carl: BOY, IT'S SHOWING ROTATION
IN THE RIGHT SPOT. Tim:
THAT'S A MEAT-EATER, MAN. WE GOT TO GET OUR BUTTS
UP THERE. TODAY IS ONE OF THOSE DAYS
THAT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. WE'RE HOPING THAT
THIS WILL BE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUR PROBE
DEPLOYED IN A TORNADO. IT'S GONNA GO RIGHT BY US! I'VE CONSISTENTLY BEEN DEPLOYING
THESE INSTRUMENTS EVERY YEAR SINCE 2002. WE'RE ON THIS EDGE
OF CIRCULATION! HANG ON, EVERYONE!
HERE COMES THE DEBRIS! GO! WE'RE TRYING TO MEASURE
HOW POWERFUL TORNADO WINDS CAN BE
NEAR THE SURFACE. Tim: IT'S GOING IN!
IT'S GOING IN! IT'S WHOO! IN! WHOO! WHOO! YEAH! IF WE UNDERSTOOD
THAT MECHANISM BETTER, WE COULD HAND THIS INFORMATION
OFF TO STRUCTURE ENGINEERS, AND THEY COULD PERHAPS BUILD
A BETTER HOME THAT CAN WITHSTAND
STRONGER WINDS. COLLECTING
THAT KIND OF DATA SET FROM THAT INSTRUMENT
IS AMAZING! Carl:
LOOK AT THAT, HUH? THAT'S GOT TORNADO
WRITTEN ALL OVER IT. THE ROTATION THERE,
THE SIGNATURE. THAT'S A CLASSIC SIGN
OF A TORNADO RIGHT THERE. BOY, THAT IS THE STORM
OF THE DAY RIGHT THERE. Reed: SO,
IT LOOKS LIKE POSSIBLY THE NORTHERN SIDE
OF THE OZARKS COULD GET HIT,
WHICH IS BAD TERRAIN. I MEAN, WE'RE USED TO IT.
IT'S LIKE A WALK IN THE PARK. GENTLEMEN'S CHASE
FOR US, BUT... YEAH, I'M LITTLE SURPRISED TWISTEX EVEN CAME OUT. YEAH, I AM, TOO. Reed: THE OZARK MOUNTAINS
ARE A DANGEROUS PLACE TO CHASE AND A VERY DIFFICULT PLACE
TO SEE TORNADOES. THERE ARE LOTS OF TREES
EVERYWHERE. LOOKS LIKE A JUNGLE. A LOT OF CHASERS DON'T GO THERE, BUT TEAM DOMINATOR'S
GONNA CHASE ANYWHERE. A LITTLE OUTSIDE
THEIR TERRITORY OF KANSAS. THEY'RE IN TROUBLE,
AREN'T THEY? YOU THINK TIV's OUT HERE? THERE'S NO WAY
THAT THAT TIV COULD PROBABLY RUN EVEN
UP A HILL, COULDN'T IT, WITHOUT BREAKING DOWN? FOR TEAM DOMINATOR, IT'S MY JOB
TO PUT US IN POSITION TO INTERCEPT TORNADOES
AND ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS. WE PROVED IN 2009
THAT WE CAN INTERCEPT TORNADOES. Joel: HOLY [BLEEP] HOLY [BLEEP] I HAVE
A HUGE SENSE OF CURIOSITY FOR THE COMPLEX DYNAMICS
INSIDE A TORNADO AND HOW FAST THOSE WIND SPEEDS
CAN GET RIGHT AT THE GROUND. THE WIND SPEEDS
RIGHT AT THE SURFACE ARE THE ONES
THAT ARE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF LIFE
AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. THIS SEASON, WE'LL BE UNVEILING
A NEW DOMINATOR, WHICH WILL BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND
STRONGER TORNADOES. WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE EF4 AND EF5 TORNADOES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE
TARGETING THIS YEAR. Narrator: WHILE TEAMS DOMINATOR
AND TWISTEX RACE TO ST. LOUIS, SEAN CASEY REMAINS IN OKLAHOMA, RETROFITTING THE TIV
FOR HIS LATEST FILM PROJECT. [ SAW WHIRRING ] Sean: WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW
IS WE'RE CHANGING THIS TURRET SO THAT WE CAN PUT A 3-D RIG
IN HERE. FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS,
I'VE BEEN FILMING IN IMAX, AND I FINISHED THAT FILM. YOU KNOW, "TORNADO ALLEY"
IN IMAX. GUYS, DIRECTLY BEHIND US! COMING UP ON THE ROAD! OH, HO HO! NOW IT'S MOVING
TO A NEW FORMAT -- TO CAPTURE WEATHER AND TORNADOES
IN 3-D. TO HAVE DEBRIS
AND THE TREES FLYING BY, I MEAN, THAT'S A NEW CHALLENGE,
AND THAT EXCITES ME. HEY, SEAN. YEAH? YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW LONG
IT'S GONNA TAKE? THERE'S NO BLUEPRINT
ON THE INTERNET TO SHOW YOU
HOW TO BUILD YOUR TIV WITH A ROTATING TURRET
THAT CAN FIT A 3-D CAMERA. SO WE ARE CAMPING OUT HERE, AND
I'VE GOT A FEELING THIS YEAR THAT THE STORMS
ARE GONNA COME RIGHT TO US. [ SAW WHIRRING ] HERE WE GO AGAIN. MANY STORMS WILL BE
STRONG TO SEVERE. ALSO, A TORNADO WATCH
IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10:00 TONIGHT FOR THE ST. LOUIS AREA AND
POINTS WEST AND TO THE NORTH. GOD, THAT'S INCREDIBLE. OH. Carl: THIS THING IS GONNA
PRODUCE A TORNADO VERY SOON. ARE WE GONNA MAKE IT? WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT. Carl: WE WAIT NINE MONTHS
FOR STORM SEASON TO BEGIN, AND IT'S FINALLY HERE. IT'S A LOT LIKE CHRISTMASTIME. THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY
TO OPEN UP THOSE PRESENTS AND FIND THE TORNADOES. THE HUNT IS ON. HOLY CRAP. MAYBE IT'LL GO PAST ARKAN AND GO RIGHT
INTO ST. LOUIS. Carl: IT'S MAKING A LINE
STRAIGHT FOR THERE. YEAH. Tim:
ANY METROPOLITAN AREA OFFERS UP
SOME INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES. YOU CAN GET CAUGHT
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE, TRAFFIC JAM,
HERE COMES THE TORNADO. VERY, VERY DANGEROUS. THIS THING IS GONNA GO
RIGHT SMACK INTO ST. LOUIS. Tim: WE JUST GOT TO GET
OUR BUTTS OVER THERE. Reed: WE GOT A TORNADO
ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW! TAKE A LEFT HERE! [ TIRES SCREECHING ] OH [BLEEP] Man: PUMP THOSE BRAKES. HOLD ON, GUYS. Reed: JESUS! GO! GO! GOD, THAT'S INCREDIBLE. OH. Carl: THIS THING IS GONNA
PRODUCE A TORNADO VERY SOON. Narrator:
WITH A TORNADO WARNING ISSUED FOR
THE ST. LOUIS METRO AREA, TEAM TWISTEX IS 75 MILES OUT. ARE WE GONNA MAKE IT?
WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT. THEY ARE HEADING EAST
TOWARDS THE CITY IN HOPES OF DEPLOYING A PROBE DIRECTLY IN THE PATH
OF AN ONCOMING TWISTER. 25 MILES BEHIND THEM, TEAM DOMINATOR'S LEADER
REED TIMMER IS SECOND-GUESSING
AN EARLIER DECISION TO FOLLOW THE ST. LOUIS
STORM SYSTEM TO THE EAST AS THEIR BEST BET
FOR INTERCEPTING A TORNADO. Reed: SETUP UP AT ST. LOUIS
DOESN'T LOOK NEARLY AS GOOD AS THE STORMS
TO OUR WEST. I THINK WE'RE GOING AFTER STORMS
THAT AREN'T GONNA DO IT. Joel: LINE'S STILL THERE. WE'RE LOOKING AT A STORM
DUE EAST. THAT'S THICK. I DON'T THINK SO. JOEL AND I HAVE BEEN
STORM-CHASING TOGETHER
FOR OVER A DECADE, AND I THINK FORECASTING IS DEFINITELY ONE
OF HIS WEAKNESSES. THIS ONE'S
DEFINITELY GONNA DO IT. THERE'S GONNA BE
TWO SUPERCELLS DUE WEST OF US
THAT ARE GONNA GO UP AND MOVE ALONG THE STORM FRONT
AND PRODUCE. Joel: THAT? THAT'S EXACTLY
HOW I ENVISIONED IT. THIS IS OUR FIRST
BIG DECISION OF THE SEASON, AND REED'S WANTING TO BLAST WEST
TO PLAY AN AREA THAT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE
ANY TORNADOES. Reed: NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN
TO THE EAST. I BET YOU 500 BUCKS. FINE. LET'S GO CHASE
THE STUFF TO THE WEST, AND WHEN NOTHING
PRODUCES... LOOKS GOOD, ACTUALLY. NO, IT DOESN'T. YEAH, IT DOES. WE'RE GONNA
TURN WEST EVENTUALLY. Man: REED DOES HAVE THE HOT HAND
RIGHT NOW. EVERY DECISION HE'S MADE SO FAR
THIS YEAR HAS BEEN SPOT ON. I AGREE THAT WE CAN CATCH
ANYTHING TO THE WEST. COME ON. PLEASE JUST TURN
THE CAR AROUND. Joel: DUDE, WE'RE NOT
MISSING ANYTHING. PLEASE. PLEASE! NO. [ SIGHS ] DON'T MAKE ME
MAKE THIS AWKWARD. Joel:
WE HAVE EAST OPTIONS. WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT
IN PLAY. THERE'S NO REASON
TO MISS A STORM BECAUSE WE GOT OVERAGGRESSIVE
WITH [BLEEP] TURN THIS CAR AROUND. WE'RE NOT GOING EAST. Reed: IF WE SKIP SETUPS,
WE'RE GONNA MISS INTERCEPTS. IF THERE'S ANYTHING
THAT'LL MAKE ME GO OFF
THE DEEP END, IT'S THAT. I FORECAST
AND NAVIGATE THE VEHICLE, AND JOEL NEEDS
TO UNDERSTAND THAT. SO, WHICH WAY
ARE WE GOING? JUST DRIVE. 6 MILES FROM OUR TURN
TO THE WEST. THEN WE'RE GONNA CLOSE
ON THIS THING FAST. Narrator:
WITH THE DECISION MADE TO ABANDON THE STORM CELL
TO THE EAST, TEAM DOMINATOR
HEADS TOWARD A DIFFERENT CELL, WHICH IS BEGINNING TO BLOW UP
ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF MISSOURI. LESS THAN 20 MILES TO THE SOUTH, TEAM TWISTEX REMAINS IN FULL
PURSUIT OF THE ORIGINAL TARGET, WHICH IS STILL BEARING DOWN
ON THE ST. LOUIS METRO AREA. THERE'S THE STORM
RIGHT THERE. YOU CAN SEE
SOME DEFINITION. YEAH, VISIBILITY'S
A REAL CHORE HERE. LOOK THROUGH THE TREES.
STRAIN YOURSELF. LOOK THROUGH THE TREES. Tim: MISSOURI IS
A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE TO CHASE. OH, JESUS. THIS IS WOODS
CHASING, MAN. IT WOULD BE A TALL ORDER TO EVEN TRY TO GET
A DEPLOYMENT DOWN HERE. BUT THE FORECAST WAS SO PERFECT, WE WERE WILLING
TO TAKE THAT STEP. WHAT DO YOU SEE
TO YOUR WEST THERE? TREES,
AND LOTS OF THEM. Tim: WHAT DO YOU SEE?
WHAT DO YOU SEE? I DON'T SEE ANYTHING. YOU CAN'T SEE. IF THIS THING DOES PRODUCE A
TORNADO, WE COULD BE IN TROUBLE. HERE COMES THE POUR. [BLEEP] BIG HAIL. Tim: GOING THROUGH A HAIL POUR,
VISIBILITY CAN DROP TO ZERO. OKAY, THIS IS
PRETTY DANGEROUS RIGHT HERE. WE'RE GETTING CLOSE
TO A TORNADO WE CAN'T SEE. JUST KEEP WATCHING Tim: THE EDGE
OF THE TREE LINE HERE. IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, YOU'LL GET INTO WHAT THEY CALL
THE BEAR'S CAGE. Narrator: THE BEAR'S CAGE IS THE
CURTAIN OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION THAT WRAPS AROUND
A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM. THE CAGE OFTEN CONTAINS
HEAVY RAIN, BASEBALL-SIZED HAIL, AND SOMETIMES A HIDDEN TORNADO. SHORT OF BEING INSIDE
A TORNADO'S CIRCULATION, THE BEAR'S CAGE IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE
FOR A CHASER TO BE. WE'VE GOT TO PUNCH THROUGH
THIS POUR, GUYS. WE'RE GONNA LOSE
A WINDOW. WE JUST GET PAST THESE TREES,
WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE. I THINK WE'VE GOT
TO GET TO 70 FAST. IT'S HEADING
FOR ST. LOUIS. OH, GREAT.
JUST WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. Reed: COULD BE IT. IF WE BLAST
THROUGH THIS RAIN, MA GOOD VIEW.ET [ ENGINE REVVING ] Reed: YEAH, THERE IT IS RIGHT
SOUTH! LOOK AT THAT! LOOK AT THE RIGHT SIDE.
KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING. RIGHT HERE? YEAH, IT'S RIGHT THERE. THAT'S DEFINITELY A FUNNEL
OUT THERE. YOU CAN SEE
THE WHOLE THING SPINNING. IT'S RIGHT STRAIGHT OUT. Joel: WHEN IT COMES
TO STORM CHASING, REED IS THE BOY THAT CRIED WOLF. IT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN! HE SEES TORNADOES EVERYWHERE. THERE'S GOT TO BE
A TORNADO ON THAT. CLOUD FORMING
RIGHT UP HERE. I DON'T SEE ANYTHING. IT'S RIGHT ABOVE US. YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO GET OUT
JUST BEFORE THESE TREES AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. QUICK LOOK, QUICK LOOK. Reed: YEAH. DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME! HUH. LOOKED A LOT DIFFERENT
WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT IT. THOUGHT IT WAS
RIGHT BACK HERE. IT'S DRIVING HIM CRAZY
THAT NOTHING'S HAPPENING. IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE
HE WANTS TO THINK THAT HE CAN CONTROL THE WEATHER
AND MAKE A STORM, AND THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE. NORTH OF US? Man: GOT TO KEEP GOING. THAT ALMOST LOOKS
LIKE A -- Joel: LET'S GO, REED. MAN. GET READY TO GO EAST,
JOEL. Reed: I WAS WRONG. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HEADING STRAIGHT
FOR THE ST. LOUIS STORM. IT'S EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I KNOW
THAT THE WHOLE TEAM DEPENDS ON ME
NAVIGATING THE VEHICLE TO GET INTO POSITION
TO ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS. WE'RE GOING EAST! WHEN I FAIL,
THAT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE. GOT TO HURRY. Narrator:
REED'S NAVIGATIONAL ERROR FORCES THE TEAM TO DOUBLE BACK AND HEAD EAST TO TRY
AND INTERCEPT THE TORNADO. MEANWHILE, TEAM TWISTEX APPEARS
TO HAVE MADE THE RIGHT CALL AND IS IN PURSUIT OF THEIR FIRST
PROBE DEPLOYMENT OF THE SEASON. Tim: HOW FAR TO 70? INTERSECTION'S COMING UP.
HERE IT IS. HERE WE GO. OH, BOY. Carl:
THIS COULD BE A VIOLENT DAY. IF YOU'VE GOT A TORNADO MOVING
THROUGH DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS, THE DANGERS ARE EXTRAORDINARY. Carl:
MAKING ME NERVOUS HERE. IF THIS THING COULD PUT DOWN
A WEDGE, THIS IS DANGEROUS AS HELL. I THINK THAT EVERYONE HAS
BUTTERFLIES IN THEIR STOMACH BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE A STORM
WHERE, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOSE
THEIR LIVES. ALL RIGHT,
LET'S GO IN AGAIN, GUYS. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] THEIR NEWS UPDATE, WHICH WAS
JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, THE STORM WAS GIVING VERY STRONG
INDICATIONS OF A TORNADO. HOW FAR AWAY ARE WE? I THINK WE SHOULD STILL BE
A FEW MILES AWAY FROM THE ROTATION. WE'VE GOT TO PUNCH THROUGH
THIS CORE, GUYS. Tim: WE'RE RIGHT
ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF ST. LOUIS, AND WE'RE WATCHING THIS STORM, WATCHING THIS INCREDIBLE HOOK
ON RADAR. I MEAN, THIS HAS GOT TO BE
PRODUCING A TORNADO. IT'S ROTATING
RIGHT THERE. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] WHOA! KEEP YOUR HANDS INSIDE,
MAN. I THINK THAT EVERYONE IS
A BIT ON EDGE, A BIT NERVOUS, AS WE GO THROUGH
THESE SHEETS OF RAIN. THINGS ARE TURNING DARK. THIS STORM HAS OBSCURED
ALL LIGHT IN THE SKY. [ THUNDER CRASHING ]
SUPPOSE THERE'S A TORNADO ON THIS ONE. HERE? YES. WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE IT HERE. WE NEED TO GET HIGHER. [ SIRENS WAILING ] I HEAR SIRENS GOING OFF. OH [BLEEP] POWER FLASH. MAN: Power flash. THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE TORNADO
RIGHT THERE, GUYS. [ THUNDER CRASHING ] Reed: WE GOT A TORNADO
ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW! SO WE'RE GONNA BE
HEADING EAST. THEN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET
REALLY CLOSE TO THIS THING. GO, GO, GO! [ ENGINE REVVING ] TAKE A LEFT HERE! HOLD ON. HOLD ON. [ TIRES SCREECHING ] OH [BLEEP] PUMP THOSE BRAKES. HOLD ON, GUYS. HOLD ON. Joel: RIGHT BEFORE OUR TURN,
I FEEL SOMETHING WRONG. [ TIRES SCREECHING ] HOLY [BLEEP] WE'RE IN A VEHICLE
WITH BRAKES THAT DON'T WORK. Man:
PUMP THE [BLEEP] BRAKES. Reed: GOT TO KEEP
PUMPING THEM. THAT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. HEY! [BLEEP] JESUS! GO! GO! Reed: WE GOT A TORNADO
ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW! AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET
REALLY CLOSE TO THIS THING. Narrator:
AS NIGHTFALL APPROACHES, TEAM DOMINATOR IS STILL
30 MILES WEST OF THE TORNADO THAT HAS DROPPED INTO
THE ST. LOUIS METRO AREA, THE RESULT OF A CRUCIAL
NAVIGATIONAL ERROR BY TEAM LEADER REED TIMMER. GO, GO, GO! THE CHANCE OF AN INTERCEPT
HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BY A FAILURE IN THE DOMINATOR'S
BRAKING SYSTEM. TAKE A LEFT HERE! [ TIRES SCREECHING ] OH [BLEEP] PUMP THOSE BRAKES. [ TIRES SCREECHING ] THE BRAKE PADS ARE WORN DOWN. HOLY [BLEEP] KEEP PUMPING THEM.
PUMP THEM HARD. AND THEY'RE JUST GETTING WORSE. [ TIRES SCREECHING ] DOMINATOR'S IN BAD SHAPE. IT'S NOT THE IDEAL
CHASE VEHICLE ANYMORE. THERE YOU GO. [ COUGHS ]
OH, MY GOD! [ COUGHING ] SO MUCH DUST. Reed: BRAKE DUST IS JUST FEEDING
INSIDE THE DOMINATOR LIKE A VACUUM CLEANER. LOOK AT MY EYES. IT'S MAKING OUR EYES WATER UP.
YOU CAN FEEL IT IN YOUR LUNGS. [ COUGHS ]
THIS CAR IS KILLING ME. THIS IS DANGEROUS. DOMINATOR 1 IS QUICKLY
TURNING INTO A DEATH TRAP. I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE WAYS
BEHIND THE STORM NOW. [ THUNDER CRASHING ] Matt: THAT'S COMING
RIGHT AT US, RIGHT? OR MAYBE
GO LIKE A MILE NORTH. AT THIS POINT, WE'RE UNDER
THIS VERY POWERFUL STORM THAT'S OBSCURING
ANY LIGHT IN THE SKY. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] OH! POWER FLASH! OH [BLEEP] Carl: POWER FLASH
MEANS THAT A TORNADO HAS PASSED OVER
SOME POWER LINES. THERE'S A TORNADO MOVING
THROUGH DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS. THE DANGERS ARE EXTRAORDINARY. HOPEFULLY PEOPLE SEEK SHELTER. IT CROSSED
RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. WELL, THAT'S NOT
A COMFORTING THOUGHT. THIS IS A VERY SCARY SITUATION, DRIVING THROUGH A CITY WITH
A TORNADO COMING RIGHT AT US. MAYBE WE SHOULD GET OFF
AND WATCH HERE. PEOPLE ARE IN DANGER. I THINK THIS TORNADO PROBABLY
PASSED RIGHT THERE. LOOK FOR DAMAGE. OH, THERE'S DAMAGE. THERE'S DAMAGE
ALL OVER HERE. [ THUNDER RUMBLES ] THIS TORNADO CAME RIGHT OVER
THE HIGHWAY. OH, BOY. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] OH, BOY. WE JUST MISSED IT. WE'RE PULLING OFF
ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD HERE. SO THERE'S MAJOR DAMAGE. OH, THAT'S
SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE. Male reporter: WE'VE GOT
SOME DAMAGE PICTURES NOW COMING IN FROM LAMBERT
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, WHERE A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN. I HAVE HEARD
THE PHRASES "WARPATH." I HAVE HEARD IT'S LIKE
THE SCENE OUT OF A MOVIE. IT IS REALLY, REALLY,
REALLY BAD HERE. THERE'S DAMAGE.
THERE'S INJURIES. PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE
ON THE STREET. Female reporter: THIS IS
THE WORST THAT I HAVE SEEN, SO THIS IS DEFINITELY
A VERY DANGEROUS AREA. YOU WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM HERE. OH, JESUS. Joel: THE STORM WE ARE ON
AND CAN BARELY KEEP UP WITH PRODUCED A TORNADO ON
THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF ST. LOUIS, WITH CONSIDERABLE
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. SO THIS IS NOT A GOOD SITUATION
FOR THE ST. LOUIS AREA. THE FIRST ONE? YEAH. THIS IS WHY WE LEFT. [ SIGHS ] NICE. WE PRETTY MUCH MISSED THE STORM THAT PRODUCED A TORNADO
IN ST. LOUIS. WE SHOULD HAVE
KEPT CHASING THAT. YEAH. Joel:
IT'S EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING. IF WE HAD GONE EAST, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE
CALLED THAT IN, GIVEN THAT EXTRA MINUTE OR TWO
OF WARNING TO THE PEOPLE OF ST. LOUIS. Reed:
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO PREDICT
HOW THINGS ARE GOING TO UNFOLD, BUT I MADE A MISTAKE. I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO JOEL.
WE SHOULD HAVE GONE EAST. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN ST. LOUIS,
SEEING TORNADOES AND CALLING IN REPORTS AND HELPING OUT
IN THE WARNING PROCESS. [ ALARMS BLARING ] [ THUNDER RUMBLES ] THERE'S A HOUSE
THAT GOT DESTROYED. THERE'S PIECES OF ROOFING
AND TIMBER IN THE ROAD HERE. Tim: WE HAVE DEBRIS
ACROSS THE ROAD, TREE LIMBS DOWN,
HOUSES DESTROYED. I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH HELP WE CAN
PROVIDE HERE, GUYS. PARTS OF THE HOUSE
WERE ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY. WE WERE SITTING IN TRAFFIC.
WE'RE STUCK. LOTS OF EMERGENCY PERSONNEL
ON THE SCENE NOW. CERTAINLY,
THE CHASE IS OVER TONIGHT. [ THUNDER RUMBLING ] Narrator: THE EF4 TORNADO THAT TEAMS DOMINATOR AND TWISTEX
WERE CHASING RIPPED A 21-MILE PATH
OF DESTRUCTION ACROSS ST. LOUIS COUNTY, WITH WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS
OF 165 MILES PER HOUR. MIRACULOUSLY,
THERE WERE NO FATALITIES, DUE IN LARGE PART
TO A 34-MINUTE WARNING LEAD TIME ISSUED WITH THE HELP
OF STORM SPOTTERS. Sean: WHAT'S ON THE MENU
FOR TODAY? PRETTY MUCH GONNA BUILD
TO OUR WEST. WE'LL HAVE THIS ENERGY
COMING IN RIGHT OVER
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. Narrator: WITH WORK FINALLY
COMPLETED ON THE TURRET THAT HOUSES HIS NEW 3-D CAMERA, SEAN CASEY'S TIV TEAM
IS MAPPING OUT THEIR FIRST DAY OF STORM CHASING
THIS SEASON. YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE BETTER
UPPER-LEVEL WIND SUPPORT TODAY, BUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE LACKING
AGAIN ARE THESE SURFACE WINDS. OKAY. SO, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA
MAKE OR BREAK THE TORNADO POTENTIAL TODAY. WHY DON'T WE STAY
WHERE WE'RE AT? JUST HANG HERE
AND SEE HOW THINGS DEVELOP? YEAH, JUST HANG HERE. WE CAN SEE
HOW THINGS SET UP. I'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER, AND IF WE NEED TO GET OUT
OF HERE AND HEAD WEST, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. IT'LL PROBABLY BE
A LATE INITIATION AGAIN. PROBABLY AROUND 5:00. WE TRY NOT TO GET INVOLVED
IN CHASING INSIDE ANY METROPOLITAN AREA. AND THAT TORNADO IN ST. LOUIS
WAS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. IT WAS RAIN-WRAPPED. IT WAS AT NIGHT,
SO IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. Carl:
THERE'S MAJOR DAMAGE. Matt: OH, THAT'S
SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE. AND THEN IT MAKES A VERY,
VERY DEADLY COMBINATION. HOWEVER, OUR BASIC GOAL
IS TO TARGET ANY STORM THAT WE CAN PHYSICALLY GET TO
AND DEPLOY ON. ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE
A TARGET CELL, RIGHT SOUTH OF ABILENE. IS EVEROVER?READY, Copy. BUT I DON'T WANT TO SUCCEED
AT THE EXPENSES OF GETTING SOMEBODY HURT. THAT'S WHAT I'M MOST AFRAID OF. LET'S ROCK. WHOO-HOO-HOO!
YEEHAW! [ LAUGHTER ] BRING IT ON,
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS! LET'S DO IT! Reed:
IT'S A PRETTY EASY TARGET. THIS IS THE ONLY STORM
GOING UP IN ALL OF TEXAS. EVERYBODY SHOULD BE
CLOSING IN ON THIS. MY MOM COULD CLOSE IN
ON THIS STORM. MY OPINION, IT LOOKS BETTER
A LITTLE BIT FURTHER NORTH. TWISTEX ARE TARGETING
A LITTLE BIT FURTHER SOUTH. I DON'T THINK THERE'S GONNA BE
TOO MANY STORMS OUT HERE. THE ENVIRONMENT LOOKS BETTER
FURTHER NORTH. PROBABLY GONNA SET UP HERE
IN ABILENE, SO YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO
GO MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT. WE DON'T WANT TO BE
OVERAGGRESSIVE LIKE WE WERE
ON THE ST. LOUIS STORM. WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE IN
FOR AN INTERCEPT UNLESS THE STORM
IS ABOUT TO PRODUCE. MAY HAVE A TORNADO
ON THE GROUND BY 4:00. RIGHT NOW, IT'S 1:00,
SO WE GOT ABOUT 380. WE CAN JUST PARK HERE. Narrator:
WITH THE DECISION MADE TO WAIT FOR THE ABILENE STORM SYSTEM
TO BUILD, REED CHECKS IN ON THE PROGRESS
OF DOMINATOR 2, WHICH IS BEING ASSEMBLED
BY DESIGNER KEVIN BARTON IN FREEPORT, MICHIGAN. REED: Hey, Kevin. It's Reed.
How's it going? HEY, REED.
WHAT'S UP? Dominator 1's having
some issues. JOEL'S LEXAN
ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS NOT GOING
ALL THE WAY UP. WE GOT THE DUST ISSUE. I will get this thing
done for you, BUT I'LL GET IT DONE
WHEN IT'S DONE RIGHT. I CAN'T PUT IT OUT THERE
AHEAD OF TIME. WE'VE JUST GOT TO GET
DOMINATOR 2 READY TO GO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I GOT THE TEAM
WORKING 16 HOURS A DAY. I MEAN,
THEY'RE WORKING HARD ON IT. WE JUST DON'T HAVE
ANY MORE TIME. I JUST NEED TWO MORE WEEKS
ON THIS THING. TWO MORE WEEKS AND I PROMISE
I'LL GET IT OUT TO YOU. WELL, WE GOT TO
HURRY THAT UP, KEVIN. TWO WEEKS
IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. We got to get it
out here faster. THE E.T.A. FOR D2
KEEPS GETTING DELAYED. EVERY TIME I TALK TO HIM,
IT'S A FEW MORE DAYS OR A WEEK. I'LL HAVE IT READY
IN TWO WEEKS. I PROMISE. I'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED. ALL RIGHT, BYE. THAT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE
THE SEASON IS EXTREMELY ACTIVE, AND WE DON'T WANT TO MISS ANY
MORE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES. HEY, GUYS.
BAD NEWS. KEVIN'S SAYING
TWO WEEKS NOW. ARE YOU SERIOUS? DOMINATOR 1's
NOT WORKING ANYMORE. IT'S NO LONGER SAFE
TO DRIVE INTO TORNADOES. HOW DO YOU FEEL
ABOUT THIS? HE'S WORKING 16,
18 HOURS A DAY, AND IT'S JUST
NOT GONNA HAPPEN. LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO
DO DOMINATOR 1 FOR TWO MORE WEEKS,
COUPLE MORE CHASES. WHEN YOU'RE TALKING
A LIFE-OR-DEATH SITUATION, THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR ME. WE NEED TO GET DOMINATOR 2
OUT HERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. OTHERWISE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO
START CHANGING THE WAY WE CHASE. Reed:
THERE'S ROTATION. WE'RE RIGHT UNDER IT. 11:00. HERE WE GO,
HERE WE GO. WOW. IT'S ROTATING
RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IT'S GOING DOWN. DEBRIS ON THE MOUNTAINS. IT'S TIGHTENING UP!
TIGHTENING UP! OH, YEAH,
DEFINITE TORNADO! WE GOT TO GO NORTH!
LET'S GO! Narrator:
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS, A SUPERCELL STORM SYSTEM
IS FORMING, WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL
TO PRODUCE MULTIPLE TORNADOS. ALL THREE CHASE TEAMS
HAVE CONVERGED UPON THE AREA IN HOPES OF BEING ON THE GROUND JUST AS THE TORNADOS
START TO FORM. [ GOAT BLEATING ] THE STORM IS
23 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY. IT'S MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 20. WE'LL JUST SIT AND WAIT. [ IMITATES SNORING ] Mike: WAKE UP, SEAN. OH. YOU KNOW,
A LOT OF THE CHASING IS WAITING, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S IN
A PARKING LOT IN TOWN OR IT'S, YOU KNOW,
OUT ON SOME FIELD SOMEWHERE. WOW, LOOK AT THEM JUMP. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. WAITING -- A LOT OF WAITING. A LOT OF WAITING. MIKE, YOU WANT
SOME ICE CREAM? HERE YOU GO. YEAH, ICE CREAM. [ ALARM BLARING ] [ DOG BARKING ] UH-OH. I GUESS THIS ONE
TORNADO WARNED. HOW LOW IS THAT CLOUD? LOOKS SCARY, DON'T IT? Mike: YEAH,
IT LOOKS LOW. ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A FUNNEL
BACK BEHIND THE TREE THERE. I MEAN,
THAT COULD BE A TORNADO. [ BLARING CONTINUES ] [ ENGINE TURNS OVER ] Narrator: GETTING THE SIGNAL
THAT A TORNADO MAY ALREADY BE
ON THE GROUND NEARBY, TEAM TIV HEADS OFF IN PURSUIT, CAPTURING THEIR FIRST 3D FOOTAGE
OF THE SEASON. 40 MILES AWAY... COME ON, REED. [ HORN HONKS ] ...TEAM DOMINATOR IS DISCOVERING THAT REED MAY HAVE THEM
OUT OF POSITION AGAIN. THEY ARE TOO FAR EAST TO CATCH
UP WITH THE GROWING STORM. Joel: WE GOT STORMS BLOWING UP
JUST TO OUR WEST. Reed:
OH [BLEEP] THAT ONE'S GONNA GO,
ISN'T IT? YEAH. SOMETIMES YOU THINK
YOU HAVE MORE TIME THAN YOU DO, BUT OUR FORECAST
WAS A LITTLE BIT OFF, SO WE HAVE TO CATCH UP. SO, YOU THINK MAYBE
WE SHOULD CHEAT SOUTH? IT LOOKS LIKE THAT MIGHT BE
THE ONLY SHOW. SO WE NEED TO
GET OUT OF HERE. YEAH, I'M UP FOR HEADING
DOWN TO BRECKENRIDGE. LET'S DO IT. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] [ ALARM BLARING ] OH, YEAH. LOOKS LIKE A BIT
OF A LOWERING THERE. OH, BOY. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT
I'M TALKING ABOUT. Tim: WHEN I HEAR
THE SIRENS GO OFF, THAT ALWAYS RAISES
A SENSE OF AWARENESS. WE THINK THIS STORM
COULD PRODUCE A TORNADO, SO THE PRESSURE'S ON TO GET
OUR DEPLOYMENT. OH, THERE YOU GO!
THAT'S A NEAR CLASSIC CUP. I CAN SEE THE WRAPPING RAIN
CURTAINS RIGHT UNDERNEATH IT. [ WIND WHISTLING ] [ BLARING CONTINUES ] THAT AREA LOOKS LIKE
IT'S ROTATING, TOO. THIS AREA, THIS AREA. YEAH, THERE IS. THERE'S, LIKE,
MULTIPLE MESOCYCLONES. Narrator: A MESOCYCLONE
IS A RAPIDLY ROTATING AIR MASS WITHIN A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM THAT IS OFTEN A BREEDING GROUND
FOR TORNADOS. WHEN MULTIPLE MESOCYCLONES
ARE FORMING ON THE SAME STORM, THE POTENTIAL FOR A SUDDEN
TORNADO OUTBREAK POSES A VERY REAL THREAT
TO ANYONE IN THE AREA. [ WIND WHISTLING ] DEBRIS ON THE MOUNTAIN!
OH, NICE! THERE IT IS! IT'S TIGHTENING UP,
TIGHTENING UP! [ THUNDER CRASHES ] [ WHISTLING CONTINUES ] Tim: OH, YEAH, DEFINITE TORNADO,
TOP OF THE HILL! THAT'S A CONFIRMED TORNADO! WE GOT TO GO NORTH!
LET'S GO! OKAY,
LET'S GO NORTH! Reed: TORNADO WAS CONFIRMED
8 MILES SOUTH OF ALBANY, MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35. SO WE GOT TO
STEP ON IT, JOEL. AS FAST AS THE DOMINATOR
WILL TAKE US. BECAUSE OF REED'S DECISION,
WE ARE WAY OUT OF POSITION, AND WE HAVE TO BLAST AS FAST
AS WE POSSIBLY CAN JUST TO TRY TO CATCH UP. WE STILL GOT A START.
WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. UH, MAYBE JUST BE
A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE BALL. WE WERE WAITING FOR THESE STORMS
FROM THE NORTHEAST. I MEAN, METEOROLOGICALLY,
IT'S NOT A BAD PLAY. Chris: YOU KNOW,
WE'RE OUT OF POSITION, AND WHEN REED'S WRONG,
HE DOESN'T LIKE TO ADMIT IT. HE JUST TWISTS IT AROUND
IN HIS HEAD AND JUST MAKES IT
SOUND LIKE HE'S RIGHT. WE CAN CATCH THESE.
IT'S NOT EVEN THAT FAR. WARPING TIME,
WE CAN CATCH THOSE. WELL, WE'LL BE ON IT
IN A HALF-HOUR. DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH
ALL THE EDGINESS RIGHT NOW? I'M TRYING TO GET US
TO THE TORNADO. ABOUT TIME YOU GET
ON TOP OF YOUR GAME. YOU KNOW, CHRIS AND JOEL CAN BE
A LITTLE [BLEEP] SOMETIMES, BUT I'M GONNA LEAD THIS TEAM
TO VICTORY. WE GOT TO TAKE THIS ROAD.
RIGHT UP HERE. Joel:YOU SURE THIS IS
THE RIGHT CALL? TELL YOU WHAT,
I'LL CUT OFF BOTH MY [BLEEP] IF WE MISS THIS TORNADO. IT'S GAME TIME. HEY, ROTATION'S
JUST RIGHT UP THERE. WE'RE GETTING READY
TO DRIVE UNDER IT. IT'LL BE RIGHT TO THE WEST
OF OUR GROUP. Sean:
IT'S GORGEOUS, JUST THIS HUGE CYLINDER
THAT'S JUST ROTATING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IT WOULD BE COMPLETELY
INCREDIBLE TO GET SOME REMARKABLE
FOOTAGE IN 3D. YOU FEEL THAT PANIC
AND THAT ADRENALINE HUMMING THROUGH YOUR BLOOD. I FEEL YOUNG AGAIN. NOW WE'RE GETTING
SOME ACTION. THAT'S ONE BIG STORM. THE IMAX FILM WAS REALLY DRIVING
ME INTO THE GROUND. I WAS NOT ENJOYING CHASING. [ LAUGHS ] THAT'S BEAUTIFUL. NOW THAT IT'S DONE,
I FEEL TOTALLY LIBERATED TO GO OUT AND REALLY EXPERIENCE
WEATHER AGAIN AND EXPERIENCE IT WITH
A NEW FORMAT -- A 3D FORMAT. IT'S CLOSE.
COME DOWN, TORNADO. IF YOU GET A CLEAR VIEW,
I WOULD STOP. THIS STORM IS ONE OF
THE BEST STRUCTURES OF A STORM I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. I WOULD DROP IN TOWN -- THAT'D
BE BAD. WE'RE RIGHT UNDER IT. AND TO CAPTURE THAT
WOULD BE AN AMAZING SHOT. THERE'S ROTATION.
Mike: YEAH, HERE WE GO. WHERE?
GIVE ME A POSITION. HERE WE GO, 11:00. HERE WE GO. OH, YES, WE'RE RIGHT
IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. [ WIND WHISTLING ] RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!
Mike: IT'S GOING DOWN. Sean: THERE IT IS! IT'S TIGHTENING UP,
TIGHTENING UP! OH, YEAH, DEFINITE TORNADO
TOP OF THE HILL! THAT'S A CONFIRMED
TORNADO! Narrator: WITH THE STORM SYSTEM
IN BRECKENRIDGE, TEXAS, THREATENING TO PUT DOWN
A MULTI-VORTEX TORNADO... Sean:
THERE'S ROTATION. Mike: WOW,
RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! ...TEAMS TWISTEX AND TIV
ARE ONLY MOMENTS AWAY FROM INTERCEPTING A TORNADO. MEANWHILE, TEAM DOMINATOR
IS OUT OF POSITION AND STILL STRUGGLING
TO CATCH UP TO THE STORM... YOU GOT TO STEP ON IT,
JOEL. AS FAST AS THE DOMINATOR
WILL TAKE US. ...AS A RESULT OF YET ANOTHER
QUESTIONABLE CALL BY TEAM LEADER REED TIMMER. WE'LL BE COMING
INTO BRECKENRIDGE IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES. SO, WE WANT TO
KIND OF FIGURE OUT -- WHOA! THERE'S NO WEST OPTION
SOUTH OF BRECKENRIDGE. WOW.
[ CHUCKLES ] Joel:
TO HAVE A NAVIGATION ERROR, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT TOOK REED
10 MINUTES TO REALIZE... TURN THE [BLEEP] CAR
AROUND. ...THAT GETS REALLY FRUSTRATING. [BLEEP] I DON'T KNOW WHERE REED'S HEAD IS. FOR US TO LOSE 20 MINUTES WHEN
WE'RE TRYING TO GET A STORM, THAT CAN EASILY COST US
A TORNADO. Joel: I THINK
IT'S PRETTY BAD. WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT 30 MINUTES
BEHIND WHERE WE WANT TO BE. THIS HAS ALL BEEN A PROBLEM
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS EVERYTHING
YOU TRY TO DO DOESN'T WORK. EVERYTHING? EVERYBODY TRIES TO CAST BLAME
ON EVERYBODY ELSE. NAVIGATING CAN BE STRESSFUL. IF YOU MAKE ONE MISTAKE,
ONE SMALL ERROR, THAT COULD COST YOU
THE WHOLE ENTIRE STORM CHASE. Narrator: WHILE TEAM DOMINATOR
STRUGGLES TO GET BACK ON THE STORM SYSTEM BLOWING UP
EAST OF ABILENE, TEXAS, SEAN CASEY AND HIS TIV TEAM
ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT AND POISED TO GET THEIR FIRST
3D SHOT OF A TORNADO. HERE WE GO,
HERE WE GO. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] WOW,
RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! IT'S GOING DOWN.
IT'S GOING DOWN. MARC, GET READY TO GO. WE'RE GONNA DRIVE
RIGHT UP TO IT. Sean: ANYBODY CAN FILM
FROM 3 MILES AWAY. I DON'T WANT TO DO
ANYTHING HALF-ASSED. I WANT TO GET RIGHT UP IN IT,
AND I WANT TO FILM IT. THIS IS IT.
CAN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS. RIGHT NOW,
WE'RE UNDERNEATH THE MESO. WE'RE RIGHT IN THE BEAR'S CAGE, AND IT CAN DROP A TORNADO
IN ANY DIRECTION AT ANY MOMENT RIGHT NOW. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] THESE ARE THE MOMENTS
THAT I REALLY LIVE FOR. YOU WANT TO GET CLOSER
TO A VIOLENT TORNADO, A STRONGER TORNADO EACH YEAR. IT'S CLIMBING UP!
IT'S STARTING TO DROP. IT'S GONNA GET THERE! OH, YEAH, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN
ANY SECOND. WHOA, SLOW, SLOW,
SLOW, SLOW! [ THUNDER CRASHES,
WIND WHISTLING ] THESE ARE GRAVEL ROADS. YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ON THEM
WHEN THEY'RE WET. KEEP GOING, MARC. Marc: OKAY. WE GOT TO GET THIS. SEEMS TO BE RAMPING UP.
WE GOT MULTIPLE VORTICES. GET IN THERE, MARC! WE GOT A TORNADO
IN THERE, GUYS. IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. OH, YEAH, DO YOU SEE IT? A SERIOUS FUNNEL. MULTIPLE VORTICES, GUYS. MULTIPLE-VORTEX TORNADO! MULTIPLE-VORTEX TORNADO! Tim:
WE CAN SEE THE MULTIPLE-VORTEX
STRUCTURE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. OKAY, HERE COME
THE WRAPPING RAIN CURTAINS. YEAH, WE'RE
GETTING CLOSE, TIM! WE ONLY HAVE MAYBE
JUST A FEW MINUTES, BUT WE DO HAVE A CHANCE
OF GETTING OUR HARDWARE OUT AND GETTING IT DEPLOYED
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO. WATCH IT!
WE'RE AWFULLY CLOSE HERE! Carl: WE'RE GOOD, WE'RE GOOD,
WE'RE GOOD. Tim: OKAY,
I'M GONNA PULL OVER. THIS IS IT. A BIG FUNNEL'S STARTING TO
DEVELOP ON TOP OF US RIGHT HERE! I CAN'T EVEN GET PICTURES,
WE'RE SO CLOSE. RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! OH, YEAH. [ WIND WHISTLING ] WE ACTUALLY CAN SEE, BASICALLY,
ON THE INSIDE OF THIS TORNADO AND SEE THE MULTIPLE-VORTEX
STRUCTURE AS THE SMALLER TORNADOS
WERE WRAPPING ACROSS THE ROAD RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IT'S MOVING TOWARDS US? OH [BLEEP]
IT'S GONNA SPIN AROUND. YEAH, WE'RE TOO CLOSE. TURN AROUND!
[BLEEP] TURN AROUND!
[BLEEP] IT'S RIGHT HERE. DON'T GO BACK THAT WAY! GO! GO!
[BLEEP] GO! IT'S COMING RIGHT AT US! Tim: IT IS RIGHT HERE!
RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! TORNADO RIGHT IN FRONT
OF US, GUYS! RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! Narrator: ON A HIGHLY VOLATILE
STORM IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS, TEAM TWISTEX IS ON THE VERGE
OF DEPLOYING THEIR WEATHER PROBE FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON. MAKE SURE
WE GOT ENOUGH ROOM HERE. WE MAY HAVE TO
SPIN AROUND. Joel:
YEAH, WE'RE TOO CLOSE. YEAH, THE DAMN THING'S
MOVING ALMOST SOUTH. IT'S RIGHT HERE. IT'S MOVING TOWARDS US?
OR NORTH, YOU MEAN? IT'S COMING RIGHT AT US.
IT'S RIGHT HERE! [BLEEP] IT'S RIGHT HERE! Matt:
THERE'S A TORNADIC CIRCULATION
THAT'S RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING. MOST TORNADOS ON THIS DAY
SHOULD BE MOVING NORTHEAST. AND FOR SOME REASON, YOU KNOW,
IT APPEARS TO BE MOVING SOUTH ALL OF A SUDDEN
RIGHT TOWARDS US. IT'S JUST TOO BAD
WE CAN'T DEPLOY ON THIS. ALL RIGHT,
LET'S GET OUT OF HERE. MY BIG FEAR IS,
IN A MULTI-VORTEX TORNADO, IF YOU GET ONE OF THOSE LITTLE
SUB-VORTICES HIT YOUR CAR, THAT COULD TAKE US OUT. GO, GO, GO!
GET OUT OF HERE! YEAH, YEAH, YEAH,
WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. WATCH OUT BEHIND YOU! WE REALIZED, "WE GOT TO GET
THE HECK OUT OF THERE." JUST NO TIME
TO LOOK AT IT ANYMORE. IT'S KIND OF "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE"
AT THIS POINT. TURN AROUND! [BLEEP]
TURN AROUND! [BLEEP] IT'S RIGHT HERE! DON'T GO BACK THAT WAY! TURN AROUND!
[BLEEP] TURN AROUND! GO BACK, GO BACK!
GO BACK SOUTH! WATCH IT, WATCH IT! GO! GO!
[BLEEP] GO! IT'S COMING RIGHT AT US! WATCH IT!
WE'RE AWFULLY CLOSE HERE! GETTING CLOSE, TIM! TORNADO'S
GETTING MOVED SOUTH. THEPUSHING IT.'S OKAY, OKAY. WHOA,
THAT WAS A BIG WIND! MULTIPLE-VORTICES TORNADO!
YEAH. WHOO! WHAT A BEAST! Tim: UNFORTUNATELY,
THESE MULTIPLE-VORTEX TORNADOS WERE VERY HARD TO DEPLOY ON. GOOD JOB. WHOO! BIGGEST -- BIGGEST
AND CLOSEST SO FAR. Tim: BUT SEEING A TORNADO
THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON GETS ME PRETTY JAZZED. HOPEFULLY, WE'LL SEE MORE, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE
IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY DEPLOY. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] YEAH, I WOULD SAY
IT'S DEFINITELY DUE SOUTH. DEFINITELY. Sean: A TORNADO MIGHT HAVE
GONE THROUGH HERE, SO KEEP YOUR EYE OUT FOR, LIKE,
SOMETHING DOWN IN THE ROAD. TORNADO TURNS TOWARD SOUTH. WE'RE STARTING TO LOSE VISUAL
ON THAT TORNADO. THINGS GETTING SO MESSY. AND THE STORM IS MOVING
AT 40 MILES AN HOUR, AND THERE ARE NO ROADS
THAT ARE TRACKING WITH IT. THERE'S NO STRETCHES WHERE
WE CAN GET BACK AHEAD OF IT, SO WE'RE TAKING ALL THESE
LITTLE, YOU KNOW, TINY ROADS. I THINK IT'S LIFTED NOW. IT'S PULLING UP.
AND OUR STORM IS FALLING APART. I THINK WE'RE JUST
GOING FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP RIGHT IN THE HAIL CORE. WE WERE RUNNING
ON ALL CYLINDERS, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. YOU COME UP WITH
A CRAZY IDEA LIKE SHOOTING 3D, IT TAKES TIME
TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IDEA. IT'S THE START OF A NEW SEASON,
AND THIS IS A MARATHON. WELL, IT WAS A NICE WORKOUT,
RIGHT, GUYS? EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T
SEE A TORNADO, IT WAS AN EXCITING CHASE. IT WAS. ANYTIME YOU GOT
A BIG OLD SUPERCELL ABOVE YOU FEELS LIKE YOU'RE MIXING IT UP,
AND I LIKE THAT. LAST YEAR, IT TOOK ME ABOUT TWO
WEEKS TO REALLY GET INTO IT, YOU KNOW? EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE A-OKAY. WHAT'S GONNA MAKE A 3D MOVIE IS THE ULTIMATE 3D SHOT
OF A TORNADO, AND WE DIDN'T GET THAT TODAY. WE'LL GET IT. CONFIRMED TORNADO ON THE --
WEST ONE OUT HERE NOW. WHAT THE HELL? Joel: IT SEEMS LIKE
REED'S OFF HIS GAME. ALL DAY, WE'VE BEEN CHASING
BLIPS ON A RADAR SCREEN, AND WE MISSED TORNADOS. THAT'S THE MOST FRUSTRATING
FEELING EVER TO ME
AS A STORM CHASER. Reed:
IT'S A ROLLER COASTER. BEFORE WE GOT
THE DOMINATOR READY, WE SAW LIKE 25 TORNADOS, FELT LIKE WE WERE
ON TOP OF THE WORLD. SO JUST GOT TO KEEP ON GRINDING
AND NOT LET IT GET TO YOU. Reed: TEAM DOMINATOR
IS DEFINITELY RUSTY. WE GOT OUT OF THE GATE
A LITTLE BIT SLOW. EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU START
A SEASON WITH A FEW BUSTS, YOU START SECOND-GUESSING
YOUR DECISIONS, AND IT CAN SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL AND CAUSE YOU TO MISS
MANY MORE TORNADOS. Reed:
IT'S JUST A WEIRD SETUP. DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE WERE
IN THE RIGHT POSITION
AT THE RIGHT TIMES? OBVIOUSLY NOT. I FORGOT HOW TO
CHASE TORNADOS, APPARENTLY. THE LAST FEW DAYS
HAVE BEEN BUST, AND IT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE. WE DON'T REALLY BUST.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE DO. YOU THINK THERE'S A CHANCE
WE'RE GONNA GET DOMINATED BY TWISTEX THIS YEAR? I THINK WE GOT DOMINATED
BY TWISTEX<i> TODAY.</i> Joel: IT'S THE BEGINNING
OF THE SEASON. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE JUST OFF,
BUT WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING WRONG AND THEN
CORRECT IT PRETTY QUICK. OPTIMISTIC JOEL,
THINK THIS THING CAN WRAP UP, LIKE EVEN A POSSIBILITY,
LATER ON? UM, PROBABLY NOT. ME NEITHER. SHOULD WE STOP
WHILE WE'VE GOT A VIEW? YEAH. Reed: ANYTIME YOU MISS TORNADOS,
IT'S EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING. PRETTY CALM. I THINK OUR PATIENCE
IS STARTING TO RUN THIN. WE'RE NOT USED TO
BEING IN THIS SITUATION, MISSING TORNADOS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT WENT WRONG. THIS THING'S DYING. I THINK THIS IS A LOT
OF MY FAULT. [ GROANS ] MY JOB IS TO FORECAST
AND TO NAVIGATE THE VEHICLE TO GET INTO POSITION, AND I DIDN'T MAKE THAT HAPPEN
TODAY. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] BUT LOOKING AHEAD, THE PATTERN'S ONLY GETTING
MORE ACTIVE. LOOKS LIKE THE NEXT CHANCE
FOR TORNADOS COULD BE A MASSIVE TORNADO
OUTBREAK ON THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. [ WIND WHISTLING ]
