Severe Weather Team Looks to Oklahoma for Storms, and Finds Them

Chris Howell NewsOn6.com

STROUD---With yesterday's potential for severe storms, NewsOn6.com sent me to Stroud, Oklahoma to find the Vortex 2 storm chasers. They were parked coincidently on the cement slabs of buildings wiped out by a previous tornado. Their Doppler on Wheels, or DOW units, were ready to gather massive amounts of information on the conditions that form tornados.

Before long our armada of weather vehicles was headed miles north on 99 to set up on a hill and watch for storms. Without notice we were on the move again south of Stroud to watch for heavy weather, then just as quickly we went back north and set up again, the Doppler scanning the skies as we watched the ominous clouds and listened to the destructive tornados being reported in the Oklahoma City area.

Soon we were breaking down and headed south on 99, where we saw a path of damage just north of Seminole. Finally reaching a spot where conditions were right to watch the type of weather that is likely to form tornados. As team leader Dr. Josh Wurman, from the Center for Severe Weather Research, was finally able to gather data on these dangerous storms, a blinding rain hit us. When It was over I left the group to return to Seminole as the light was fading to document the destruction there. Multiple buildings were destroyed in a swath of damage a half mile wide.

I was unable to catch up with the Vortex 2 storm chasers as the sun set, but I do hope they were finally able to gather the information they needed to help predict the violent storm. From Seminole, Chris Howell, NewsOn6.com.

For more information on the Vortex 2 project, visit their web site here.