NPR Article on Storm Chaser Congestion

[vortex95]

I think this is pretty much correct, except the 100+ tornadoes and this isn't really anything new. Really started

becoming apparent about 10 years ago.

http://www.npr.org/2...r-storm-chasers

I have been in what has been considered the top 2 of the worst traffic congestion messes both within

50 miles of OKC (5/24/08 and 5/19/10). Not sure why the media has picked up on this story so much this

year, as there haven't been any incidents this year that haven't occurred in previous years. The thing

that it is amazing that there hasn't been an accident that resulted in serious injury or a death yet as

far as I know, but I'm afraid this can't last. Basic traffic and road etiquette goes out the window with some.

I've dealt with it first hand and as a result came close (about a 1000 ft) to be hit by a rain wrapped

tornado two years ago b/c a specific caravan (not a tour group) just stopped in the middle of a side road

ahead of me, blocking all traffic behind it! If we think this the above story is getting a lot of press recently,

wait until a bad accident directly related to this occurs.

[baroclinic_instability]

Thundersnow12 is the 21 year old "metrology" student interviewed in that.

[aurora]

The end result of this, IMO, is that some chasers are going to abandon chasing in OK/KS and instead wait for the Northern Plains events in July.

[Ian]

I think it might be a scare tactic more than anything, and maybe some law ppl can chime in but I'd think they start arresting people and it will go to the feds in some fashion.

That is, at least, if they're arresting people for watching a storm. I suppose they could find various reasons to do it like reckless driving, trespassing, etc.

Overall, the roadblock option sounds much more plausible.. though one has to wonder why they'd be wasting their resources on this stuff.

All this "one day a big group of chasers is going to get tossed a mile by a tornado" stuff is overblown as a reason to stop it. Yeah, it might happen.. but it has not since even though there have been hundreds of thousands of combined chases over the year.

It's unfortunate a national media source like NPR (piss poor editing and all) would give some podunk redneck Sherriff the spotlight. Hopefully it pushes at least a few to stop and think how ridiculous being arrested for watching a thunderstorm is.

I don't necessarily have much faith in the chaser community to work with the police to deal with whatever issues are arising either. There are certainly very many in the group who are great people.. but behind that core elite is a large group of self-interested fame seekers.

Another thing.. perhaps chasers should stop using spotter network etc. Seems to me it used to be something of a secret as to where you were going particularly on days with multiple targets. These big names broadcast almost all their thoughts on Facebook/Twitter in the days leading up and then announce where they're going the morning of. Most of the traffic jam shots I saw from 4/14 seemed to be associated with the Dominator and TVN crew.

Granted, randos can drive to the center of a risk area and use radarscope just like the rest of us, but I do think there are many who seek out people who they know can find tornadoes and follow them.

[JamieOber]

I think it might be a scare tactic more than anything, and maybe some law ppl can chime in but I'd think they start arresting people and it will go to the feds in some fashion.

That is, at least, if they're arresting people for watching a storm. I suppose they could find various reasons to do it like reckless driving, trespassing, etc.

Overall, the roadblock option sounds much more plausible.. though one has to wonder why they'd be wasting their resources on this stuff.

All this "one day a big group of chasers is going to get tossed a mile by a tornado" stuff is overblown as a reason to stop it. Yeah, it might happen.. but it has not since even though there have been hundreds of thousands of combined chases over the year.

It's unfortunate a national media source like NPR (piss poor editing and all) would give some podunk redneck Sherriff the spotlight. Hopefully it pushes at least a few to stop and think how ridiculous being arrested for watching a thunderstorm is.

I don't necessarily have much faith in the chaser community to work with the police to deal with whatever issues are arising either. There are certainly very many in the group who are great people.. but behind that core elite is a large group of self-interested fame seekers.

Another thing.. perhaps chasers should stop using spotter network etc. Seems to me it used to be something of a secret as to where you were going particularly on days with multiple targets. These big names broadcast almost all their thoughts on Facebook/Twitter in the days leading up and then announce where they're going the morning of. Most of the traffic jam shots I saw from 4/14 seemed to be associated with the Dominator and TVN crew.

Granted, randos can drive to the center of a risk area and use radarscope just like the rest of us, but I do think there are many who seek out people who they know can find tornadoes and follow them.

As far as arrests go, it depends on if they are blocking roads in an emergency situation, or not yielding to emergency vehicles.

The bottom line is that when there is the tornado outbreak, public safety by far trumps a chaser's video as far as overall importance. I do think that the majority of the chaser community gets that.

How would they carry out a roadblock? Not sure how that could even work with something like a tornado.