North Dakota Tornado video

[klw]

 

Article:

http://thevane.gawker.com/these-guys-got-insanely-close-to-a-tornado-and-they-too-1582049978/+sarah-hedgecock

 

Based on these guys' reactions I hope they were drunk, otherwise ...

[vitaminmawc]

WOW

[JoMo]

Probably more of a nervous laughter, you can see how big one of the guys eyes are at one point in the video.

[Ed Lizard]

These guys are living in temporary housing in the middle of nowhere, when I was a service hand on land rigs in the Louisiana swamps the rig crew would often get drunk off tour (pronounced tower in the olfield) so I would be surprised if they had been enjoying a few.

 

 

I hope they have underground shelters for people living in truck portable housing.

[andyhb]

Tornado rated EF2 per NWS Bismarck.

[isohume]

Hey let's get in the car. 

[Ground Scouring]

Hey, let's get in the car.

This film amply illustrates how the proliferation of modern technology either induces complacency by 1) making a dangerous situation enticing (get extreme footage, win publicity), thereby delaying or otherwise affecting the normal fight-or-flight reaction, and 2) placing too much faith in pinpoint radar or visual reports, causing people to wait until the last minute before taking appropriate measures. I'm 100% sure that eventually this type of situation will cause a 100+ tornado death toll in an urban area some day.

[Mello]

Yeah, let's live in a mobile home park and have absolutely no plan for what to do in the event of a tornado. 

 

These guys do give us some awesome video though.

[nrgjeff]

Many Plains states have laws that mandate tornado shelters in mobile home parks. Why not for temporary housing too? Perhaps legislation will be on deck soon. ND is not a high regulation state, good, but this is one example where a mandate is needed.

[blizznd]

These are man camps.....and as such not regulated like mobile home parks.   So no permanent shelter available. 

 

Here is the text copy of an article via AP

http://www.startribune.com/nation/260746781.html

 

 

No sirens or local alert system warned an RV park housing workers in North Dakota's oil patch about a Memorial Day tornado that injured nine people and damaged or destroyed 15 trailers.

 

Even with warning, there are scant places to take cover in the wide-open plain.

 

Though such weather is rare in the area, officials say the twister already has prompted discussion among companies and others about how to better protect the thousands of workers who have taken to temporary homes as they cash in on the region's booming industry.

McKenzie County Emergency Manager Jerry Samuelson said some oil companies have contacted him inquiring about shelters. He said the county might also discuss adding conditions to the zoning laws, though it might be cost prohibitive.

 

"We never had zoning laws in McKenzie County before the oil boom and now we do," he said. "And maybe that's something that needs to be incorporated into our zoning — if you're going to put up a big man camp up there, where is the shelter?"

The twister touched down about 7:50 p.m. Monday just south of Watford City, about 50 miles southeast of Williston. One of the nine people hurt was a 15-year-old girl who suffered critical injuries and was flown to a Minot hospital. The girl, who was visiting an aunt and uncle, was in an intensive-care unit but expected to survive, Samuelson said.

 

Tornadoes are rarely reported in McKenzie County, with only 14 since 1950, with no fatalities, according to weather service data. Monday's tornado was an EF-2 in strength on the 0-to-5 enhanced Fujita or EF scale, the weather service said, adding that preliminary information suggests the twister's winds peaked at 120 mph.

 

Many who have come to the area looking for work in wake of the oil boom live in hastily assembled trailer parks, known as man camps, which house prefabricated structures that resemble military barracks. Some companies rent blocks of hotel rooms for employees, and some workers sleep in their cars or in tents.

 

"The tornado was coming down the hill along our only escape route. There was nowhere for us to go. It was crazy," said Dan Yorgason, who lives in a neighboring workers' camp to the one destroyed and filmed the tornado from inside his truck.

Michael Smith said he used to live in the park that was destroyed but moved to Watford City four weeks ago. He said he got an alert on his phone and then barely heard the sirens from town because of the wind, rain and hail. He hunkered down in his trailer.

"Ain't no place to take cover," Smith said.

 

There are no statewide rules or restrictions governing crew camps, said Cecily Fong, spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

 

She said residents who live in housing that has inadequate shelter especially must pay close attention to severe weather warnings and seek appropriate shelter. The Watford City Civic Center is a designated emergency shelter.

[KevinH]

*This is just my opinion, I do not speak on behalf of my agency!*

I can't help but think how useful a new 88D installation near the Bakken would be. Perhaps with the economic boom, increase in population, and number of man camps, there would be sufficient political support to purchase and install such a radar. It might be worth writing the governors of Montana and North Dakota, along with the congressional delegation, to see if support can be generated.

 

--Kevin

[Torchageddon]

Its definitely one of the best and favorite tornado videos of 2014, and it was very funny too. Their care-free and giddy attitude puts you in a good mood watching it.

 

I wish the video was longer and ran until the ground circulation that was full of dust vanished completely which brings me to another point, why is it countless tornado videos that have a great vantage point and show the filmer in no danger, inexplicably end in the middle of some amazing action? I've seen so many of those over the last decade and its frustrating!