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Tim Samaras, his son Paul and Carl Young


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It's horrible.

It's also a stark reminder that the game we (chasers) all play is called Roulette.

Chasing is an extremely dangerous game, and it comes with risk. In fact, I'm kind of amazed this is the first time chasers have died in the heat of a chase. We can talk all we want about the precautions we take, but at the end of the day, we're playing with fire.

I always have a mortality scare before leaving on a chase-- especially when it's outside the USA and/or I'm going alone and/or it's a really severe cyclone. When Cat-5 Hurricane Dean was approaching me in a remote corner of Mexico, I remember thinking, "Wow-- I blew it. I got cocky. I'm dead." And there's always that delicious relief to get back home with cool video and war stories, feeling like I got lucky once again.

I wonder if this incident will influence how dudes chase. It won't change what I do-- but it's a cautionary tale, for sure.

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Just very sad...not surprising after the turn of events on Friday night during the tormadoes. This was an unusual chase situation where many of the most experienced chasers found themselves in grave danger. Josh is right...such a dangerous game chasers play, but we all thank them for everything we learn because of the risk they take. My sympathies go out to all who knew and loved them...

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His brother, Jim, wrote this on Tim's Facebook this morning

Hello everyone,

I'm Jim Samaras - Tim Samaras's brother. Thank you to everyone for the condolences. It truly is sad that we lost my great brother Tim and his great son, Paul. Our hearts also go out to the Carl Young family as well as they are feeling the same feelings we are today. They all unfortunately passed away but doing what they LOVED. Chasing Tornado's. I look at it that he is in the 'big tornado in the sky...' We (the family) will keep folks aware of what the funeral estrangements are, but please in the meantime keep Tim and Paul in your thoughts and prayers.

Jim

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It's horrible.

It's also a stark reminder that the game we (chasers) all play is called Roulette.

Chasing is an extremely dangerous game, and it comes with risk. In fact, I'm kind of amazed this is the first time chasers have died in the heat of a chase. We can talk all we want about the precautions we take, but at the end of the day, we're playing with fire.

I always have a mortality scare before leaving on a chase-- especially when it's outside the USA and/or I'm going alone and/or it's a really severe cyclone. When Cat-5 Hurricane Dean was approaching me in a remote corner of Mexico, I remember thinking, "Wow-- I blew it. I got cocky. I'm dead." And there's always that delicious relief to get back home with cool video and war stories, feeling like I got lucky once again.

I wonder if this incident will influence how dudes chase. It won't change what I do-- but it's a cautionary tale, for sure.

Ian wrote a great article on it last year: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/is-tornado-voyeurism-killing-people/2012/04/16/gIQACa6YLT_blog.html

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Wow.  Has there ever been a record of storm chasers being killed by a storm they were chasing?  I remember a video from the Weather Channel in the mid-90s that said no one had ever been killed by a storm they were chasing.

 

I guess it was just a matter of time.

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Very sad news and didn't expect these guys to be the ones to get killed. Just shows that it can happen to the best.

 

Yeah Tim was big on safety but I remember a show where he deployed his probe and it was hit within a minute of being turned on. Thats cutting it really close and you don't have much reaction time if something goes wrong.

 

Truely sad to lose someone so dedicated to the science of tornadoes versus the thrill chasing.

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This is just plain awful.  I do believe it is true that this is the first instance of a chaser being killed by the actual storm itself.  

 

What is even worse is that it was Tim and his team that it happened to.  Someone who was truly in it for the science and not the thrill.

 

A very sad day in the Meteorological community.  Tim was a pioneer in the field of tornado (& lightning) research.  It is sad that we will never find out what else he might have discovered.

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I still reference Twistex's Bowdle & Aurora NE papers. His work was phenomenal and he never bogarted his data. He was happy to share with whoever wanted it because he wanted to advance the field's understanding of what actually happens at the surface. A selfless guy who had a passion to discover. He took the money he made from TV appearances and sunk it back into his research. I hate when life is so unfair like this.

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I'm still speechless and just trying to comprehend what happened on Friday. Terrible terrible day.

 

 

Very sad news and didn't expect these guys to be the ones to get killed. Just shows that it can happen to the best.

 

 

Friday was an especially dangerous situation. Between the gridlock traffic, the road network, and the fact that the evolution of the meso was far from linear ... there were satellite vortices breaking off, dying, redeveloping all around the meso. And it all very quickly became rain wrapped. It was an incredibly dangerous day that turned tragic.

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The spotter network stuff is just chasers coordinating their lat/long to spell their initials out. They aren't actually on the ground.

This was posted by News9

This is what was left of Tims vehicle

If you are overly sensitive, don't complain to me about it. I'm just passing along information. Take up your issues with News9

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I knew something just didn't feel right watching that event unfold, it felt different, just felt all wrong. The world lost 3 great men, and some of the greatest minds in weather and severe weather. I didn't know him, but I know many people that do, and I don't know of the chasing community will ever be the same after this. RIP guys, your legacy will live on, and never be forgotten.

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