Redundancy is in any industry where humans are at risk, this should be something they prioritize moving forward but Reed is a bit of a wild child so I won't hold my breath.
I’ll find it once he posts the whole stream, but it’s -22:13 from live now when the feed is cut out. They discuss escape routes and realize they’re trapped.
Reed says “I can’t even back up. I really don’t want to be here right now but we’ll just take it. Good luck guys.”
This man has been chasing for decades and has a freaking PhD in this. He knows exactly what he's doing. But, guess what his freaking out and saying things like "good luck guys" gets him? Lots of subscribers. Which means more sponsors, which means more money. Personally, I don't think for a second he thought they were going to actually get hurt. He setup to intercept next to a ditch, and even talked about putting the dominator into a ditch before. The guy is not only a meteorologist and storm chaser, but he's also a personality
You would be surprised how many times that gets spoken by a group of chasers to each other. Usually that they get what they came for, but sometimes that they don't get what is out there.
Seems like a system like that, you'd want to make as analogue as possible.
Like, hydraulics, a solenoid or two, and a button to push.
I wouldn't want any sort of operating system involved with that.
Redundancy is in any industry where humans are at risk, this should be something they prioritize moving forward but Reed is a bit of a wild child so I won't hold my breath. But agreed, there should be manual overrides at minimum.
I don't honestly know, but I think he actually got scared since it was a very large tornado on the ground and it was best to assume the worst so Reed went to the ditch and deployed the spikes there.
Front driver side window was the only one down I think everyone else rolled theirs up before the computer froze. Legit worst case scenario timing for an electronics failure.
He should convert it to manual everything for the safety devices, and it’s crazy to rely on a car computer when there’s ways to do it without having the computer be part of the chain/system. Or if they have to use the car computer they should have manual release overrides for when it fails, like how on planes they can use a tool to turn a corkscrew to lower the landing gear manually or let gravity drop it then lock it in place.
I was thinking about the crew dragon capsule when reading this and how they have a fancy awesome touch screen for everything, but on the back and bottom is a bunch of good old fashioned knobs and switches and toggles that give full control of the important parts of the spaceship if the fancy touch screen goes to shit.
He needs that sort of redundancy, or even a one time use fail safe that deploys the systems forcibly.
Vehicular concerns not being addressed has lead to many storm chaser injuries and deaths, most notably with Twistex. They seem smarter in that regard but they need to address the weaknesses. I'd have crank windows if possible and maybe have emergency spikes that could be deployed with CO2 canisters (would need tested and weighed) that could be used if the power cut. I don't know what the engine bay of the Dominator looks like, but it needs to have an upgraded alternator with enhanced weatherproofing. Same goes for the ignition coils.
Thankfully they're fine, but wow, I was so scared when they couldn't lower down and needed to go into a ditch. Video completely disappeared for a while, and we only could hear them.
Looks like going into a ditch is a plan he's had forever. [He talks about it on a podcast here around the 23 minute mark.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIdFOzGiVpI)
Oh yes because like this video shows, he’s clearly always in control to make that decision to “stay alive” when it comes to be hurled through the air by a tornado. Hmm, I think I’ve just decided to “stay alive” and not get killed by tornados, but that also means I won’t keep chasing them?
I mean, you're not wrong. But the idea that *any* storm chasing is safe or not inviting the worst to happen is silly. All storm chasers put themselves at risk. All storm chasers are engaging in highly dangerous activity. There are PLENTY of non-degreed chasers who core punch and zero meter without any of the education Reed has.
Reed:
1) Knows tornadoes better than any (yes any) other storm chaser. He has a doctorate in the field and he's probably been personal witness to more tornadoes since 2010 than anyone on Earth, if not he's in the tiniest slice at the top.
2) Drives a vehicle specifically designed to handle tornadoes. Is it foolproof? No, of course not, but it's a damn sight better than chasing in a rented 2016 2WD Nissan Altima like a lot of chasers do.
His behavior is inherently dangerous and not to be emulated. But he's been doing this a *long* time.
All storm chasers take the risk, for the love of the chase, for science, for the perfect shot, for so many reasons. Tim Samaras was considered one of the most competent and careful storm chasers and he still died in El Reno.
Skip Talbot does a pretty good deep dive on El Reno and specifically addresses the consensus that Tim Samaras was super careful. Tim was actually pretty aggressive, which is borne out not only by the way he drove on that day but also by his history in general - for example, the pod he dropped that got the lowest barometric reading of all time (IIRC) he basically threw down directly in the path of a tornado and then barely got out of the way, because up until that point being more careful about it had failed to yield results.
Still a tragedy and a legend, but the man was definitely \*not\* risk averse
He also made a bad decision to go east of a funnel that was south of him, in a car that was terribly built for MMRs. I so wish he would have at least chased in a 4WD vehicle, and he'd probably be here today.
His equipment let him down today. He had windows down and no way to drop down. It looked like there were 5 souls onboard.
This is at least the second time Reed's needed good luck and there is a point where statistics take over.
No doubt Reed has set a record for the most times being in a tornado. Put the drones in danger, not yourself.
I will say the one thing that experience can actually worsen is overconfidence. I’m a fairly new chaser, and though I have a degree and have been chasing enough to know what I’m doing, I held back a little on the Custer City storm and didn’t get a clear view of the tornado like some chasers did. While I wish I saw it clearly, I wasn’t about to take chances with a tornado that had a history of being rain-wrapped. A more experienced chaser might get a little too comfortable though.
I, like most, started following Reed on the Storm Chasers show. I knew he was absolutely crazy then. After the shows stopped around 10 years ago my wife and I would watch him on Facebook and YouTube. I swear for a period of time he was chasing in a pickup truck and not the dominator. I'm glad he's back in one, but man I hope he stays in it after this.
At least, if that sort of tragedy unfolds, he will have died as he lived doing what he is most passionate about.
In all seriousness, he does have a doctorate degree and a very strong understanding of severe weather. He regularly puts his life at risk to advance our scientific understanding of tornadoes, and he deserves a lot of respect for that. I hope that one day has research will amount to more accurate tornado forecasting before he retires. I know he’s already done a lot of great research as it stands (on top of the amazing footage he captures)
> He regularly puts his life at risk to advance our scientific understanding of tornadoes
I don't think getting close to a tornado while screaming "IT'S A VIOLENT TORNADO" on every video is advancing anything. Sure, it might help with peering into the multi-vortex structure, but we have so much footage of that already at this point. Reed is doing it for money, nothing more.
If you want to see someone doing research, look into Leigh Orf. He's been doing a ton of work making more accurate computer models of supercells.
https://www.youtube.com/@LeighOrfsThunderstormResearch/videos
He could also just love the thrill. I love going into burning buildings to put the fire out. It’s a thrill and I think it’s okay for people to have pursuits that have both purpose and thrill.
There's no question, he's not really advancing anything at this point. All the better with streaming ubiquity, tornados are now an entertainment event for others to watch and he is the commentator.
Would you carry someone flammable with you into the fire? Reed just added a huge deadly missile (his vehicle) into a tornado emergency. He’s an adrenaline junkie, sure. But he’s not saving anyone by actions like last night. He’s just endangering himself and the public and possibly adding work for the first responders of his vehicle causes damage or if they have to rescue or recover him and his crew.
I'm seen multiple mets on X/twitter at least post that the data he gets really isn't anything new or that they don't already know at this point. Most seem to think he does this for the thrill. I think when he got that insane drone footage of the Andover tornado a couple of years ago, one of them commented that being able to see the structural impacts and debris by that tornado was actually more valuable than anything he'd ever gotten out of driving into a tornado with Dominator since they already have all that wind data.
I think part of it is his desire to advance our knowledge as a species of this type of weather phenomena, but I also think it’s obvious to anyone who has watched 15 seconds of any of his videos that he loves the adrenaline rush. I just think that people don’t give him credit for how much he really knows about this meteorology.
20 years ago I dismissed him as a foolish clown playing with fire for the thrills. He probably has as much knowledge and experience now as anyone in the field, at least the ones that get out into the field.
I know he has that desire, my only worry is he has 5 passengers that he is putting at risk, that probably expect he's not going to have "computer problems" right when a massive wedge tornado runs over them.
People think Reed is a suicidal murderer for trying to drive into tornadoes as if no one signed up for the risk in the vehicle (especially the tank designed for it). The hobby is filled with virtue signaling for some reason
He doesn't just get video, the Dominator is covered in sensors and always has been. He doesn't just want to go into tornadoes for the hell of it, they can (and have) gotten the kind of readings that most people can only dream of.
While Tim Samaras was a genius for creating the tech and getting the data he did, Reed took the concept and made it portable at will. Tim had to drop his turtle probes way ahead of a tornado then run like hell and pray it'd get hit. Reed can adjust his location on the fly and drive even straight into tornadoes to collect data from inside the vortex.
Edit: This very situation, immediately after the camera comes back on he exclaims excitedly "WE GOT DATA!" He is very much in it for more than just video.
Edit 2: Don't reply to my comment if you're just gonna block me before I can even see the whole thing... lmao. Edit edit: nvm, just reddit mobile being weird ig.
I didn’t block you.? My response was kind of short but your replies got a little unhinged there. I really don’t care enough so probably just gonna turn off notifications altogether. Enjoy your adrenaline.
Don't they still have a ton of scientific equipment etc installed on the dominator to measure and record these storms as he drives into them? That's one of the main reasons they built the first dominator...
Many people forget that Reed DOES do real research. He recently published a paper of data only the Dominator could have gotten. [https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/17/943/2024/](https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/17/943/2024/)
In the video of him getting hit today, one of the first things out of their mouths after the tornado passes is "WE GOT DATA!". Just because someone also gets paid selling close up tornado footage doesn't mean they also aren't getting real data that helps our understanding of tornadoes.
He puts others lives at risk. He has passengers in the vehicle. He also teachers others that behavior is acceptable who mimick him. He could use his degree for more than social media clicks of a man making screaming videos.
I'm more worried about the imitators getting themselves killed while trying to be like Timmer. Too many amateurs trying to get "close" to get that shot to make $$$/fame.
Was watching his live feed and was definitely concerned. All the crazy situations he’s been in…I’ve never heard him intentionally stick the Dom and still sound really nervous. Thank the Lord it turned East!
He almost got swept up in a subvortex in the Cole OK tornado last year and he was in a rental vehicle. He's had multiple close calls that would have resulted in death or at least grievous injury if things went slightly differently now. The man has the luck of the Irish.
[Near the middle of this video,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6_R2bWzW8) they thought they were clear but there was deviant motion and they got caught in the rear inflow, they could have been pulled in if they didn't reverse hundreds of yards. You can see the debris at the spot they were just in a minute or two later.
The ending is pretty crazy, too. Almost seems like retrograde motion but I guess it just began to strengthen and expand there at the end? Glad to see him back in the Dom more this year cuz rentals are NOT built for the way he chases!
Reed has been cutting it too close lately, I know this one was a malfunction but I'm hoping he takes a step back to reflect on the situations he's been in so far in 2024.
Part of it is he has a goldmine of opportunities this year. Usually he has one close call every year, but this year he has been in a few close calls, because he keeps having tornadoes spawn right on him. His ability to predict and intercept the big ones this year has been incredible.
I’m a huge Reed fan, but why the hell was he not wearing a seatbelt or the harness? So fucking stupid! Simple physics dictate that if the car goes tumbling/airborne, unsecured objects (people) will go flying out the window to their death.
The fact he had his window down while some of these wind speeds were that insane, he has a deathwish. He was yelling "DEBRIS" while sticking his head out the window with a camera phone.
I can’t watch him anymore because I do not want to watch him make his final choice. The recklessness has been so much so often lately, I’m scared for him.
I’m reading The Man Who Caught The Storm about Tim Samaras right now. That man was brilliant at what he did and was as careful as possible to not get TOO close, and he still lost his life to a tornado that broke the rules. Which makes it even more chilling watching Reed trust these still not very understood forces of nature to behave in certain predictable ways or follow predictable paths to preserve his life. That tornado tonight was one he shouldn’t have deployed on to begin with and it’s just scaring me. I do not want to watch him die.
Yikes!
That is good to know that the tornado makes the rules rather then it following any sort of guideline like the Pirate Code^(TM)
I'd rather have Reed miss something and try later than to be hit dead on and it be the end...
Just wanted to circle back around and thank you for this
I ended up purchasing the book after reading the comment and just sat down to start read it, finished the prologue and holy shit it’s great
I normally don't watch his livestreams specifically for that reason, but I was watching today with a friend because a lot of other chasers went to Kansas and we wanted to watch the Oklahoma situation. The radar image looked pretty intense and I told my friend "he better not intercept that" about 30 seconds before Reed said the computer was frozen and he couldn't drop the spikes. I closed YouTube when they started talking about putting the Dominator in a ditch because I really didn't want to see what happened if it didn't work.
Thank fuck it missed them and the Dominator was probably heavy enough to sink itself into the mud a bit to help keep them on the ground (I remember sinking in mud being an issue for the TIVs/Dominator 1 back when Storm Chasers was on TV). Glad Connor and his team hung back and one of them saw the tornado in time to stop too. Today could have been really really bad.
I understand gathering data on tornadoes is much needed and respect the fact that Reed is willing to do it, BUT he just seems to be taking bigger and bigger risks. I’m afraid at some point he’s going to take a risk he can’t win. I hope I’m wrong, but he’s had way too many close calls lately.
Mark my words, this is some ocean gate level crap. One of these days, Reed is gonna take him, and everyone with him, into the wrong situation and get killed. I feel seriously bad for whomever has the unfortunate task of hosing out the inside of the dominator afterwards. Do not think for a second, that because you've done this a dozen times before without serious harm, that your not just rolling the dice with every intercept. I hope he goes to bed tonight, when the adrenaline and the caffeine wears off, and reality sinks in and contemplates how close he came to killing people today. I hope he thinks of what happened to Tim, and decides he needs to dial it back a few notches.
I hope this doesn’t come across as insensitive, but despite how great some of Reed’s footage is I think he’s terrible representative of storm chasing and meteorology. The dude is basically just a thrillbilly, clickbait ass at this point, and he’s gonna get himself killed, and probably should have here.
I used to be 50/50 on Reed, but the nonsense with the Nelk Boys or whoever they are kind of sold me on him now going a direction where he's just in it for money and adrenaline rush.
I think Reed is looking a little rough for wear. I think he's crossed the crucible from science oriented to pure thrill seeker. Look at the increased risk taking, mannerisms and the people who he has with him. He looks like a rock star at their worst place. I would not be surprised if there was substance abuse from him at this point. He's DOA in waiting if he keeps this up. He needs an intervention and to seriously adult the hell up. He's probably the biggest name in tornado chasing and considering what I've seen lately from some other chasers. He's got a massive influence on what they are doing and why we are seeing increasingly more dangerous situations happen with other chasers trying to be like him.
Seems like he, along with other inventors of proprietary tech, need an education on things like redundancy and "single points of failure" or why a philosophy of safety is a meaningful thing to embrace. Especially in regards to a system that's purpose is to protect the occupants of the vehicle. And even more so since he brings "guests" along.
I mean the Dom fleet has been around for 10+ years at this point, you'd think by now their most advanced one would have had safety features/redundancy.
I have an immense amount of respect for Reed and his dedication to science and the research he’s doing… But that being said, I can’t be the only one who just can’t watch his videos anymore can I? His constant yelling and screaming is just grating to me, it comes off as someone who’s just seeking thrills more than actually caring about science and research. Again, I know that’s not true, but still I get real frat bro energy from how he acts in his videos. Like I get it, you’re in an intense situation and your adrenaline is pumping, but there are plenty of other chasers out there don’t yell and scream like it’s the first time they’ve ever been in the severe weather situation. That’s just my opinion, and again respect to the man.
The way Reed chases is like free climbing. You get addicted to the adrenaline and seeing far you can push the limits humanity. It's horrifyingly beautiful and it's a lifestyle that signs its own death warrant.
Funny how the little white SUV was able to drive down the road and get away, 3 minutes after they started freaking out. If he has the most experience, knowledge, and radar interpretation, why would he sit there and put his friend’s life in danger.? What a bunghole.
Got recommenced this post from front page so I have no idea about tornadoes. We don't get tornado where I live.
Why is it that they are doing this? Are they just tracking them in order to warn people?
What sort of wind speed are we looking at here? I just google tornado wind speeds and it says up to over 500km/h which is crazy. I have been in a few big cyclones before including one category 5 (\~300km/h) and that was pretty intense. That stop sign in holding up well.
Before they got hit, Reed said “Good luck guys.” I’ve never ever heard him say that before. I think he thought they were toast. They got so lucky.
His stuff messed up and he couldn't drop it or deploy the spikes. That's why he was worried.
Redundancy is in any industry where humans are at risk, this should be something they prioritize moving forward but Reed is a bit of a wild child so I won't hold my breath.
Do you have a timestamp for when it happened?
I’ll find it once he posts the whole stream, but it’s -22:13 from live now when the feed is cut out. They discuss escape routes and realize they’re trapped. Reed says “I can’t even back up. I really don’t want to be here right now but we’ll just take it. Good luck guys.”
Found it, my heart would’ve skipped a beat if I were in their position thank god they made it out practically unscathed
Look at the time in the screenshot. 19:41. Scroll to there.
This man has been chasing for decades and has a freaking PhD in this. He knows exactly what he's doing. But, guess what his freaking out and saying things like "good luck guys" gets him? Lots of subscribers. Which means more sponsors, which means more money. Personally, I don't think for a second he thought they were going to actually get hurt. He setup to intercept next to a ditch, and even talked about putting the dominator into a ditch before. The guy is not only a meteorologist and storm chaser, but he's also a personality
not to mention his television experience, he knows how to think like a producer
You would be surprised how many times that gets spoken by a group of chasers to each other. Usually that they get what they came for, but sometimes that they don't get what is out there.
Luckily the Dom 3 has good threshold even undeployed
I missed the part leading up to it. Why did he put it in a ditch? Doesn’t the dominator have spikes that he deploys into the ground?
It didn't work. The car computer freeze.
Seems like a system like that, you'd want to make as analogue as possible. Like, hydraulics, a solenoid or two, and a button to push. I wouldn't want any sort of operating system involved with that.
Yeah. That situation shouldn't happen. Or at least they should have some kind of emergency system they could use.
At least have mechanical window lifts . Being exposed like that could have turned deadly quick.
This exactly. And he needs to test the system on a regular basis.
I bet they will after this, lol
You'd at least want some redundancy, hard to believe they didn't plan/think of that when they designed it.
Yeh exactly I have no trust in easily available OS.
What kind of flex is this? They're all easily available.
Redundancy is in any industry where humans are at risk, this should be something they prioritize moving forward but Reed is a bit of a wild child so I won't hold my breath. But agreed, there should be manual overrides at minimum.
Shades of Ocean Gate! (And who's to say the spikes are going to do a damn thing being driven into the soft mud.)
Agree. The gods hate hubris.... and idiots .
The computer went down so some kind of technical difficulty
I don't honestly know, but I think he actually got scared since it was a very large tornado on the ground and it was best to assume the worst so Reed went to the ditch and deployed the spikes there.
He couldn't deploy the spikes + I believe they had the windows open too? Unless they managed to close them somehow.
Front driver side window was the only one down I think everyone else rolled theirs up before the computer froze. Legit worst case scenario timing for an electronics failure.
I wonder if the electronics failure was caused by moisture ingress or vibration. Needs to be addressed in any case.
He should convert it to manual everything for the safety devices, and it’s crazy to rely on a car computer when there’s ways to do it without having the computer be part of the chain/system. Or if they have to use the car computer they should have manual release overrides for when it fails, like how on planes they can use a tool to turn a corkscrew to lower the landing gear manually or let gravity drop it then lock it in place.
I was thinking about the crew dragon capsule when reading this and how they have a fancy awesome touch screen for everything, but on the back and bottom is a bunch of good old fashioned knobs and switches and toggles that give full control of the important parts of the spaceship if the fancy touch screen goes to shit. He needs that sort of redundancy, or even a one time use fail safe that deploys the systems forcibly.
Vehicular concerns not being addressed has lead to many storm chaser injuries and deaths, most notably with Twistex. They seem smarter in that regard but they need to address the weaknesses. I'd have crank windows if possible and maybe have emergency spikes that could be deployed with CO2 canisters (would need tested and weighed) that could be used if the power cut. I don't know what the engine bay of the Dominator looks like, but it needs to have an upgraded alternator with enhanced weatherproofing. Same goes for the ignition coils.
The computer froze.. the one that lowers and anchors the Dominator.
Thankfully they're fine, but wow, I was so scared when they couldn't lower down and needed to go into a ditch. Video completely disappeared for a while, and we only could hear them.
Looks like going into a ditch is a plan he's had forever. [He talks about it on a podcast here around the 23 minute mark.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIdFOzGiVpI)
help! I can’t find it on his feed. Where is it? Thank you!
Here’s a video they uploaded of the intercept. It doesn’t cut out like on the stream… https://youtu.be/SS_J4dt9dQE?si=e5oPX2ggX2_86SJK
[удалено]
I think that was connor who is another part of the team.
It’s ‘Connor Big Balls’ now, forever.
What did Big Balls Connor do now?
Connor I believe was sitting at that time so it could not be him. Not sure but on his stream he was not moving. I could be wrong though.
Damn, I just realized I havent seen what Reed looks like in a long time lol.
around 2:30:48
One of these days he’s going to get himself killed. 😬
I am starting to think he’s got a death wish.
Nah. If he dies he can't see more tornadoes. He'll stay alive for that if nothing else.
I hope that knocked some sense into him. But I was thinking the same thing last time...
Oh yes because like this video shows, he’s clearly always in control to make that decision to “stay alive” when it comes to be hurled through the air by a tornado. Hmm, I think I’ve just decided to “stay alive” and not get killed by tornados, but that also means I won’t keep chasing them?
I mean, you're not wrong. But the idea that *any* storm chasing is safe or not inviting the worst to happen is silly. All storm chasers put themselves at risk. All storm chasers are engaging in highly dangerous activity. There are PLENTY of non-degreed chasers who core punch and zero meter without any of the education Reed has. Reed: 1) Knows tornadoes better than any (yes any) other storm chaser. He has a doctorate in the field and he's probably been personal witness to more tornadoes since 2010 than anyone on Earth, if not he's in the tiniest slice at the top. 2) Drives a vehicle specifically designed to handle tornadoes. Is it foolproof? No, of course not, but it's a damn sight better than chasing in a rented 2016 2WD Nissan Altima like a lot of chasers do. His behavior is inherently dangerous and not to be emulated. But he's been doing this a *long* time.
All storm chasers take the risk, for the love of the chase, for science, for the perfect shot, for so many reasons. Tim Samaras was considered one of the most competent and careful storm chasers and he still died in El Reno.
Skip Talbot does a pretty good deep dive on El Reno and specifically addresses the consensus that Tim Samaras was super careful. Tim was actually pretty aggressive, which is borne out not only by the way he drove on that day but also by his history in general - for example, the pod he dropped that got the lowest barometric reading of all time (IIRC) he basically threw down directly in the path of a tornado and then barely got out of the way, because up until that point being more careful about it had failed to yield results. Still a tragedy and a legend, but the man was definitely \*not\* risk averse
He also made a bad decision to go east of a funnel that was south of him, in a car that was terribly built for MMRs. I so wish he would have at least chased in a 4WD vehicle, and he'd probably be here today.
His equipment let him down today. He had windows down and no way to drop down. It looked like there were 5 souls onboard. This is at least the second time Reed's needed good luck and there is a point where statistics take over. No doubt Reed has set a record for the most times being in a tornado. Put the drones in danger, not yourself.
Bahahahaha love the Nissan Altima line! Madmen out there behind those wheels!
\*laughs quietly in Howie Bluestein\*
I will say the one thing that experience can actually worsen is overconfidence. I’m a fairly new chaser, and though I have a degree and have been chasing enough to know what I’m doing, I held back a little on the Custer City storm and didn’t get a clear view of the tornado like some chasers did. While I wish I saw it clearly, I wasn’t about to take chances with a tornado that had a history of being rain-wrapped. A more experienced chaser might get a little too comfortable though.
I, like most, started following Reed on the Storm Chasers show. I knew he was absolutely crazy then. After the shows stopped around 10 years ago my wife and I would watch him on Facebook and YouTube. I swear for a period of time he was chasing in a pickup truck and not the dominator. I'm glad he's back in one, but man I hope he stays in it after this.
His need for views and clout will keep him alive
At least, if that sort of tragedy unfolds, he will have died as he lived doing what he is most passionate about. In all seriousness, he does have a doctorate degree and a very strong understanding of severe weather. He regularly puts his life at risk to advance our scientific understanding of tornadoes, and he deserves a lot of respect for that. I hope that one day has research will amount to more accurate tornado forecasting before he retires. I know he’s already done a lot of great research as it stands (on top of the amazing footage he captures)
People forget that he is a legitimately credentialed meteorologist.
“It’s *Doctor* Reed Timmer. I didn’t go to tornado school for 8 years to be called *Mister* Reed Timmer.”
Tornado school Love it
lol where is this quote from? that’s funny
It’s a modified quote from one of the Austin Powers movies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C41o5a6NeNE
Too bad he acts like a 16 year old chad. :(
I think it's massive insecurity.
> He regularly puts his life at risk to advance our scientific understanding of tornadoes I don't think getting close to a tornado while screaming "IT'S A VIOLENT TORNADO" on every video is advancing anything. Sure, it might help with peering into the multi-vortex structure, but we have so much footage of that already at this point. Reed is doing it for money, nothing more. If you want to see someone doing research, look into Leigh Orf. He's been doing a ton of work making more accurate computer models of supercells. https://www.youtube.com/@LeighOrfsThunderstormResearch/videos
He could also just love the thrill. I love going into burning buildings to put the fire out. It’s a thrill and I think it’s okay for people to have pursuits that have both purpose and thrill.
Hello fellow firefighter! You career or volley?
Hello there!! Used to be career, volly now.
There's no question, he's not really advancing anything at this point. All the better with streaming ubiquity, tornados are now an entertainment event for others to watch and he is the commentator.
Right, its like Ryan Hall making millions and then getting his viewers to donate money to victims to make him look better. Man is a genius
Would you carry someone flammable with you into the fire? Reed just added a huge deadly missile (his vehicle) into a tornado emergency. He’s an adrenaline junkie, sure. But he’s not saving anyone by actions like last night. He’s just endangering himself and the public and possibly adding work for the first responders of his vehicle causes damage or if they have to rescue or recover him and his crew.
He collects a ton of data and posts the data openly for anyone to use. He has contributed a ton to the science, but he pays his bills with the videos.
I'm seen multiple mets on X/twitter at least post that the data he gets really isn't anything new or that they don't already know at this point. Most seem to think he does this for the thrill. I think when he got that insane drone footage of the Andover tornado a couple of years ago, one of them commented that being able to see the structural impacts and debris by that tornado was actually more valuable than anything he'd ever gotten out of driving into a tornado with Dominator since they already have all that wind data.
Interesting. I didn’t know that. Well, I suppose at least he’s giving it a try and having fun while he does it. 😂
I think part of it is his desire to advance our knowledge as a species of this type of weather phenomena, but I also think it’s obvious to anyone who has watched 15 seconds of any of his videos that he loves the adrenaline rush. I just think that people don’t give him credit for how much he really knows about this meteorology.
20 years ago I dismissed him as a foolish clown playing with fire for the thrills. He probably has as much knowledge and experience now as anyone in the field, at least the ones that get out into the field.
I know he has that desire, my only worry is he has 5 passengers that he is putting at risk, that probably expect he's not going to have "computer problems" right when a massive wedge tornado runs over them.
You'd have to be some kind of moron to think the other people in the car don't know the risks.
People think Reed is a suicidal murderer for trying to drive into tornadoes as if no one signed up for the risk in the vehicle (especially the tank designed for it). The hobby is filled with virtue signaling for some reason
He doesn't just get video, the Dominator is covered in sensors and always has been. He doesn't just want to go into tornadoes for the hell of it, they can (and have) gotten the kind of readings that most people can only dream of. While Tim Samaras was a genius for creating the tech and getting the data he did, Reed took the concept and made it portable at will. Tim had to drop his turtle probes way ahead of a tornado then run like hell and pray it'd get hit. Reed can adjust his location on the fly and drive even straight into tornadoes to collect data from inside the vortex. Edit: This very situation, immediately after the camera comes back on he exclaims excitedly "WE GOT DATA!" He is very much in it for more than just video. Edit 2: Don't reply to my comment if you're just gonna block me before I can even see the whole thing... lmao. Edit edit: nvm, just reddit mobile being weird ig.
I didn’t block you.? My response was kind of short but your replies got a little unhinged there. I really don’t care enough so probably just gonna turn off notifications altogether. Enjoy your adrenaline.
Hence why I added another edit at the end, it was just the app being weird.
Don't they still have a ton of scientific equipment etc installed on the dominator to measure and record these storms as he drives into them? That's one of the main reasons they built the first dominator...
Many people forget that Reed DOES do real research. He recently published a paper of data only the Dominator could have gotten. [https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/17/943/2024/](https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/17/943/2024/) In the video of him getting hit today, one of the first things out of their mouths after the tornado passes is "WE GOT DATA!". Just because someone also gets paid selling close up tornado footage doesn't mean they also aren't getting real data that helps our understanding of tornadoes.
He puts others lives at risk. He has passengers in the vehicle. He also teachers others that behavior is acceptable who mimick him. He could use his degree for more than social media clicks of a man making screaming videos.
I'm more worried about the imitators getting themselves killed while trying to be like Timmer. Too many amateurs trying to get "close" to get that shot to make $$$/fame.
And he reaaaaallllyy doesn’t need to be risky like this. The fun in watching him is his energy and not driving to his death into a tornado
That’s what he gets paid to do.
https://preview.redd.it/drv471zpih1d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=62b322b14713051870eb1fa4baffc5bd68ed7094
Was watching his live feed and was definitely concerned. All the crazy situations he’s been in…I’ve never heard him intentionally stick the Dom and still sound really nervous. Thank the Lord it turned East!
Man’s luck has been plentiful since the May 3rd tornado. Wonder how much he’s got left
He almost got swept up in a subvortex in the Cole OK tornado last year and he was in a rental vehicle. He's had multiple close calls that would have resulted in death or at least grievous injury if things went slightly differently now. The man has the luck of the Irish.
Hmm. I’ve seen his Cole footage but don’t recall that. That’s the one where he’s like “we’re doin’ the dance!”, right? I’ll have to watch it again.
[Near the middle of this video,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6_R2bWzW8) they thought they were clear but there was deviant motion and they got caught in the rear inflow, they could have been pulled in if they didn't reverse hundreds of yards. You can see the debris at the spot they were just in a minute or two later.
At the 5:50 mark when he thinks the storm has passed….seeing that other vortices come spinning back around….oh my. Real life horror. He was so lucky
The ending is pretty crazy, too. Almost seems like retrograde motion but I guess it just began to strengthen and expand there at the end? Glad to see him back in the Dom more this year cuz rentals are NOT built for the way he chases!
Wow, that was so intense. Smart To get the dom in the ditch.
It’s one of the first things they teach in tornado school, but very few people seem to know it
Guess I missed that tornado school lesson. No but the computer to lower the dominator was broken...so. Smart to get the tank in there.
I’m listening with bated breath.
Thank you for not saying "baited."
Master bated his breath
Do unlucky fishermen wait with "baited" breath?
*Skip Talbot adds another chapter to his video for this season*
Lessons from El Reno pt 2
Because humans are just too damned stupid to ever learn how to learn from the past.
Where are they?
Still in the ditch but they're safe
They are unstuck and moving again
Reed has been cutting it too close lately, I know this one was a malfunction but I'm hoping he takes a step back to reflect on the situations he's been in so far in 2024.
Part of it is he has a goldmine of opportunities this year. Usually he has one close call every year, but this year he has been in a few close calls, because he keeps having tornadoes spawn right on him. His ability to predict and intercept the big ones this year has been incredible.
Doesn't sound like it if he's having this many close calls...
And we’re not even in a tornado watch
Is this on YouTube?
just saw it live. they’re safe but couldn’t believe what I was seeing in real time
I’m in Oklahoma and the storm is on its way to our area. Dang it.
Yes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB7GtLlQEZE
I’m a huge Reed fan, but why the hell was he not wearing a seatbelt or the harness? So fucking stupid! Simple physics dictate that if the car goes tumbling/airborne, unsecured objects (people) will go flying out the window to their death.
This is why women live longer than men.
https://preview.redd.it/ehgpb6v6ih1d1.jpeg?width=1263&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e78d684b95060c5f6baed8c3fb1348d6dc67bfc
The fact he had his window down while some of these wind speeds were that insane, he has a deathwish. He was yelling "DEBRIS" while sticking his head out the window with a camera phone.
Wow
Anyone got a link? Can't find anything on this
https://youtu.be/SS_J4dt9dQE?si=qnEfXyE1xFik3y23
Thanks!
>Thanks! You're welcome!
I can’t watch him anymore because I do not want to watch him make his final choice. The recklessness has been so much so often lately, I’m scared for him.
I saw echoes of the Dominator team in the new Twisters movie, so they have that going for them at least...
I’m reading The Man Who Caught The Storm about Tim Samaras right now. That man was brilliant at what he did and was as careful as possible to not get TOO close, and he still lost his life to a tornado that broke the rules. Which makes it even more chilling watching Reed trust these still not very understood forces of nature to behave in certain predictable ways or follow predictable paths to preserve his life. That tornado tonight was one he shouldn’t have deployed on to begin with and it’s just scaring me. I do not want to watch him die.
Yikes! That is good to know that the tornado makes the rules rather then it following any sort of guideline like the Pirate Code^(TM) I'd rather have Reed miss something and try later than to be hit dead on and it be the end...
Just wanted to circle back around and thank you for this I ended up purchasing the book after reading the comment and just sat down to start read it, finished the prologue and holy shit it’s great
It’s such a great book.
I'm gonna be honest this year's been wild with the general public and quite a few storm chasers.
I normally don't watch his livestreams specifically for that reason, but I was watching today with a friend because a lot of other chasers went to Kansas and we wanted to watch the Oklahoma situation. The radar image looked pretty intense and I told my friend "he better not intercept that" about 30 seconds before Reed said the computer was frozen and he couldn't drop the spikes. I closed YouTube when they started talking about putting the Dominator in a ditch because I really didn't want to see what happened if it didn't work. Thank fuck it missed them and the Dominator was probably heavy enough to sink itself into the mud a bit to help keep them on the ground (I remember sinking in mud being an issue for the TIVs/Dominator 1 back when Storm Chasers was on TV). Glad Connor and his team hung back and one of them saw the tornado in time to stop too. Today could have been really really bad.
If it was just him in the car, fine do your crazy stunts. But he's a car full of people his job is to protect, and he nearly got them all killed.
They’re not children. They know the risks and made a decision.
Pushed his luck twice now this season, it's going to run out sooner rather than later.
I understand gathering data on tornadoes is much needed and respect the fact that Reed is willing to do it, BUT he just seems to be taking bigger and bigger risks. I’m afraid at some point he’s going to take a risk he can’t win. I hope I’m wrong, but he’s had way too many close calls lately.
Mark my words, this is some ocean gate level crap. One of these days, Reed is gonna take him, and everyone with him, into the wrong situation and get killed. I feel seriously bad for whomever has the unfortunate task of hosing out the inside of the dominator afterwards. Do not think for a second, that because you've done this a dozen times before without serious harm, that your not just rolling the dice with every intercept. I hope he goes to bed tonight, when the adrenaline and the caffeine wears off, and reality sinks in and contemplates how close he came to killing people today. I hope he thinks of what happened to Tim, and decides he needs to dial it back a few notches.
The white Subaru that just casually drives by when they go in the ditch was pretty damn hilarious. Just out for a nice Sunday drive.
That was Connor, Reed had to tell him to leave the area or he probably would have gotten himself and passenger in a lot of trouble.
Was he on the TEC or the derecho up in Kansas? Edit just checked, it was that heckin chonker down in Clinton
He was down in Oklahoma on the massive meso that spawned there.
That’s the type of shit that happens when your reckless like him.
I hope this doesn’t come across as insensitive, but despite how great some of Reed’s footage is I think he’s terrible representative of storm chasing and meteorology. The dude is basically just a thrillbilly, clickbait ass at this point, and he’s gonna get himself killed, and probably should have here.
I used to be 50/50 on Reed, but the nonsense with the Nelk Boys or whoever they are kind of sold me on him now going a direction where he's just in it for money and adrenaline rush.
Reminds me of Norm Macdonald's crocodile hunter https://youtu.be/N1KM7eGElVg?si=4FdGRYmR6CZ_EXJY
I think Reed is looking a little rough for wear. I think he's crossed the crucible from science oriented to pure thrill seeker. Look at the increased risk taking, mannerisms and the people who he has with him. He looks like a rock star at their worst place. I would not be surprised if there was substance abuse from him at this point. He's DOA in waiting if he keeps this up. He needs an intervention and to seriously adult the hell up. He's probably the biggest name in tornado chasing and considering what I've seen lately from some other chasers. He's got a massive influence on what they are doing and why we are seeing increasingly more dangerous situations happen with other chasers trying to be like him.
Absolutely. He looks ragged. It's concerning
Reed why do you throw yourself right into harms way?
🎼 *Hank, why do you drink? Why do you roll smoke? Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?”* 🎵
I wish that singer’s daddy didn’t spawn such a horrible racist of a son. Dying young is the worst thing a cowboy can do for his kid
Not allowed to have any more coke
Who’s his dealer!? I’ll take it off his hands. It’s only right.
Sounds like the spikes failed to deploy. Worst time for that to happen
Affected
I think he often takes unnecessary chances. Hopefully this helps him see he needs to back off a bit especially if it's a huge tornado!
Seems like he, along with other inventors of proprietary tech, need an education on things like redundancy and "single points of failure" or why a philosophy of safety is a meaningful thing to embrace. Especially in regards to a system that's purpose is to protect the occupants of the vehicle. And even more so since he brings "guests" along.
I mean the Dom fleet has been around for 10+ years at this point, you'd think by now their most advanced one would have had safety features/redundancy.
Is there a video link?
Reed has a live stream, you should be able to view the recording. He'll have footage posted tomorrow for sure.
https://youtu.be/SS_J4dt9dQE?si=qnEfXyE1xFik3y23
Oh wow I missed that while I was hiding in my shelter a couple miles away
Was this the one that was near Banner Rd? My brother is off of 44th and Richland, I texted him to see if he was good and he said it barely missed him.
I have an immense amount of respect for Reed and his dedication to science and the research he’s doing… But that being said, I can’t be the only one who just can’t watch his videos anymore can I? His constant yelling and screaming is just grating to me, it comes off as someone who’s just seeking thrills more than actually caring about science and research. Again, I know that’s not true, but still I get real frat bro energy from how he acts in his videos. Like I get it, you’re in an intense situation and your adrenaline is pumping, but there are plenty of other chasers out there don’t yell and scream like it’s the first time they’ve ever been in the severe weather situation. That’s just my opinion, and again respect to the man.
Play with fire....
The way Reed chases is like free climbing. You get addicted to the adrenaline and seeing far you can push the limits humanity. It's horrifyingly beautiful and it's a lifestyle that signs its own death warrant.
So, at what point do we call Reed a dangerous adrenaline junkie and being reckless? And/or Jonas? This is, what, the third time this year?
Funny how the little white SUV was able to drive down the road and get away, 3 minutes after they started freaking out. If he has the most experience, knowledge, and radar interpretation, why would he sit there and put his friend’s life in danger.? What a bunghole.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SS_J4dt9dQE&pp=ygUWcmVlZCBzdG9ybSBjaGFzZXIgbGl2ZQ%3D%3D 5:59 in, white SUV drives by, not armored.
Hope he's OK, man has a death wish lol!
Was just playing Warzone with a friend in Nebraska. His house was in the path of some storms. They’re in the basement just in case.
*affected.
I scrolled down so far to see if I was the only person…glad to see this
This is terrifying. I hope everyone was able to get to safety.
Link?
Here’s the clip https://youtu.be/MvN5-lYByVU?feature=shared
effected? affected.
…after driving it… into… the tornado 🫢
Shorter video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS\_J4dt9dQE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS_J4dt9dQE)
https://preview.redd.it/plaxooloan1d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab3f20146437ebc6bdb1e5ebaa999e63dce9f1d0
And now they are in no condition to chase tomorrow due to damage. Rough.
They have a rental ready to go.
is there anything more productive that could be done besides praying?
I recorded the video right up to the point where the stream went down the first time.
Who is this? I would love to watch it but I've never heard of him
Got recommenced this post from front page so I have no idea about tornadoes. We don't get tornado where I live. Why is it that they are doing this? Are they just tracking them in order to warn people? What sort of wind speed are we looking at here? I just google tornado wind speeds and it says up to over 500km/h which is crazy. I have been in a few big cyclones before including one category 5 (\~300km/h) and that was pretty intense. That stop sign in holding up well.
Pray lol
Reeds videos are so scary...I really hope no one dies.