There is a place in the heartland of the United States
that is home to the most severe storms on earth.
When a clash of forces above
can turn day into night
and rain terror on those below.
"Tornado alley" is a name well-earned
for it is home to nearly 80%
of the world's most violent tornadoes.
The destruction they leave behind each year is enormous
and the human toll is no less devastating.
We've come to understand why so many tornadoes plague this region,
but we still cannot predict with great accuracy
where and when they will strike.
The scientific mission called vortex two is now underway
to gain a better understanding of why some storms produce tornadoes
and others do not.
Well,guys,i guess y'all are about ready to go.
Meteorologist don burgess
is one of the principle investigators on the team.
Vortex two, or "v-2" as we call it,
is a large scientific experiment.
Large because we need to get as much data as possible
on the details of tornadogenesis,
the time when tornadoes are born.
A storm can be huge, miles across.
So we've got to use every tool we've got.
We'll surround the storms with sensors called sticknets.
Mobile weather data collecting vehicles
called mesonets will get as close to the tornado as possible.
We'll drop mini weather stations called pods
right in the path of an oncoming tornado.
And we'll scan inside the storms
with the most sophisticated mobile radar trucks.
The goal of their field research is to gather information
that can be used to provide earlier and more accurate warnings.
And with over 100 researchers,
forty vehicles and a huge array of advanced instrumentation,
vortex two is the most ambitious severe storm investigation in history.
Scientists are not the only ones drawn to severe weather.
Sean Casey is both a filmmaker and a storm chaser
and his preparation is taking shape in a very different way,
upgrading his 14,000-pound homemade tank.
He calls it the "tornado intercept vehicle"
or "tl v. "
Built for one purpose,
to drive into the heart of a tornado.
People ask me why I 'm doing this.
I know that some of them think I'm nuts,
but for years I've had this goal, this dream.
I want to get a shot of a tornado coming directly at us
and film that impact.
And this is the only way i know how to do it.
With two-inch composite armor and bulletproof windows,
tiv is designed to survive tornadic winds up to 200 miles per hour.
Meteorologist Brandon ivey will monitor weather conditions for the team.
Just watch yourself.
All right, Marc. Keep going. Keep going.
Driver Marcus Gutierrez is a trained Navy medic,
a skill set that hopefully won't be needed.
A little more.
All right, Marc. Keep going. Keep going.
Sean Casey will spend most of his time under the turret,
which both houses and protects his large-format camera.
Tiv is ready to roll,
but first, a rehearsal.
Tornado coming! Deploy!
Four seconds.
Panels lower to block lifting winds.
Eight seconds.
Sixteen seconds.
Steel spikes drive 40 inches into the ground as anchors.
22.9.
Nah-uh. Yeah.
Why do we keep getting that number?
The chase is on,
for it's storm season in tornado alley.
And a unique combination of geography and converging air masses
provide the perfect environment for tornadogenesis.
With no Southern mountain range to block the flow,
warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moves northward
under the dry, cool fast moving winds of the jet stream.
If the warm air rises,
it cools and moisture condenses into clouds
reaching as high as 10 miles into the atmosphere and a storm is born.
Winds moving in different directions and different speeds
can rotate a storm into what is called a supercell.
Scientists believe that a downdraft wrapping around the rear of the supercell
is critical to bringing the rotation to the ground
and that the temperature of the downdraft might determine
whether the storm merely produces strong winds
or a monster tornado.
don". Welcome to day one, first day of vortex two.
We have an interesting situation this morning.
This is the first slide today, the 500 millibar chart.
On it you can see that we have...
Each day begins with a weather briefing
to target areas with tornado potential.
Then team leaders go to work.
Vortex two researcher doctor Karen kosiba directs placement of the pods.
Before each mission i like to meet with the pod teams
so we can go over a strategy so they know where to drop the pods.
How far the pods should be spaced.
It could be a dangerous situation
so they need to be cognizant of what's going on around them.
Okay, so I think we're set then for today.
Principle investigator doctor Josh wurman
is in charge of coordinating v-2's 11 radar trucks.
Radar is the backbone of our mission,
because it allows us to see inside storms
and make three-dimensional maps of the winds.
For don burgess this will mark almost 40 years of storm chasing.
There's a great deal of excitement when you head out the first day.
I just relish the time and relish the opportunity to go out
and get to do this one more time.
The height of the storm season lasts less than two months.
For chase teams, the clock is constantly ticking.
This is dow seven heading out.
We're going to get our feet wet here.
Once the storm is targeted vortex two will try to get ahead of it.
Their goal is to be in position to collect data
throughout the entire life cycle of a tornado.
First, they'll position radar and other sensors
as far as 20 miles out to record large-scale samples of the entire storm.
Some radar trucks will deploy closer to the tornado
to collect higher-resolution data.
Before they scan, they must get level and be clear of obstacles.
Then, doppler radar emits radio waves
that reflect off rain, hail and lofted debris,
creating a map of the structure and evolution of the tornado.
A hook-like shape on radar can show
that a downdraft is wrapped around the rear of the storm,
a potential indicator of tornadogenesis.
Roaming mesonet vehicles and pods dropped in the storm's path
measure what radar cannot,
temperature, humidity, and wind speed at ground level.
Altogether, v-2's array of instrumentation
will make visible the unseen architecture of the entire storm.
Sean Casey's mission is far less complex than v-2's,
but his commitment is no less impressive.
This has been my life for the last eight years now
and I don't want to spend all this time out in the field
and bring back ordinary footage.
It's one of the visual wonders of the world.
It feels like it should be on another planet.
Early on, both v-2 and tiv
find themselves on the same road.
Two storms have developed and they both show potential.
Tiv heads east towards a storm that is already tornado-warned.
V-2 goes west,
where better road network will increase their chances for a full deployment.
There is now a target storm.
It is the second one in the line,
not the Southern tip.
This is dow seven to c.S.P.R. Teams.
It looks like it's to the west of you.
You're in a pretty good spot.
We're going to keep scanning this and we'll update you,
but circulation is marginally tornadic in the dow.
And I think we're seeing it might be a tornado visually.
Yeah, it's the only thing I've seen there is the wall cloud.
I don't know about the tornado.
It might be another rain curtain there.
Visually, it's clearly on the ground.
Dow seven, probe 13. What do you want us to do?
Josh". Standby, probe 13.
Fifty-five gallon oil barrels fly like leaves in the wind.
Yeah, the tornado, it is weakening.
It's 4.6 at 40 degrees.
Basically, we're just trying to regroup out ahead of this.
Even though the tornado has weakened,
the storm is still strong and on the move.
Heading east as well. Dow five, did you copy?
Yeah, we copy that. We're rolling.
To the east, tiv has chosen the wrong storm.
They have a lot of ground to make up.
V-2 is already positioning sensors on the perimeter of the storm.
Do you want to be given our road network?
Hey, the sticknet they're setting up on 15,
do you think you could go up 207?
This looks like it could produce again.
Dow seven, are you deployed yet?
We are deploying at our current location...
Uh, are you scanning yet?
Yeah. We're having a heck of a time finding a deployment site.
Is it all right if we give 2108 a try?
Yeah, that's fine.
You'll have to rush and there's certainly
no guarantee that's a better road.
Karen". Okay, can the probe teams move
two kilometers south from their given location
and then hold up there?
Probe 11, do you copy?
Yep, we copy.
The northern latitude was 39.24, correct?
Correct.
That's in the middle of a field, is it not?
That's correct, but just do it right where that is, though.
Dow five, dow seven?
Man'. Dow five.
Are you scanning?
Not yet.
Man". This is probe one.
Any teams following us,
county road 4 is washed out at our position.
Did you say washed out?
Yes. There is no road. We are turning around.
Go 16. We'll turn around after you.
Dow five, dow seven?
Man'. Dow five.
Hi, what's your status?
We're still sitting here scanning with much better data than before.
Okay. Good job, dow five.
Okay, let's start closing hatches.
Close hatches.
Oh, man. I gotta get the camera up.
Now it looks like it's dissolving.
Come on, you're going to have to go faster, Marc.
Half the driving is done.
Okay, just drive into it.
Come on.
Five minutes and we would have had it.
It was that one train.
We just missed it.
Dow seven to all teams, mission is over.
Good job today, you guys. And we'll see you back at the hotel.
For all their efforts,
the tl v team came up short.
But there's always another day...
Blue skies,
white clouds,
warm dry breezes...
Terrible weather for storm chasers.
What they need is a little luck.
Through 14 seasons,
dow driver herb Stein has followed the same ritual.
Searching for just the right good luck charm.
No matter how slim the chances, the search goes on.
Back up. Back up, back up. Clear.
Now go. Go, go, go. Whoa! Turn!
Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico has now returned,
a necessary fuel for the storms on the plains.
Any hail reports? We're starting to pick up a little bit.
Hailstones can range in size from as small as a pea to as large as a softball...
A threat to both researchers and their equipment.
All teams, this is n.O.X.P.
We've got moderate hail falling now.
Probe 11's already got half-inch hail and increasing.
We're getting nickel-sized hail.
Okay, copy. Write it all down.
Dow seven, this is u.M.X. Pole, what's the status?
The dow's going to be pulling out now.
The storm's got big hail in it.
So everybody try to get east on this road as quickly as you can.
Probe 11's already got golf balls.
Probe 12. Go ahead now.
Dow seven, dow six,
we're getting caught up in this
so we're at the edge of the storm right now.
Josh". Dow seven is about five miles ahead of you and we are in the clear.
Man". Okay, dow six copy. Fyi, there are still some probes way behind us.
Probe 11 and 12, are you coming this way?
Yeah, we are. We're behind you.
We're seeing some cut-off from communication,
was somebody calling dow seven?
Man 2". Yes. Probe 11 is about a mile in front of us
and we are moving very slowly because we cannot see.
Circulation is on the road.
Probe 11. We are seeing circulation right off to our right.
Stop. Stop. We are in circulation.
We're turning around. Turn around. Turn around.
It's passing over us. We're fine.
Probe 15?
Probe 16?
Probe 11?
Probe 12?
Probe 13?
Great. Herb, you need to go out and restart the generator.
Karen, you need to get the antennae controller off.
Yes, I'm doing it.
Okay, just fyi, the dow is down.
We have no power. We cannot see where the tornado is,
so get safe visually, please.
With a third of their team stuck in a massive storm,
safety is now the number-one priority.
Josh, with everybody spread out and the comms bad,
I just don't see any reason to continue with this deployment. Over.
No, I think we just have to get people safe at this point,
so it's disappointing.
Miles away on a different storm, the tiv crew is waiting.
The storm is on the move.
Hunting for a tornado can feel like
swimming with a shark in dark waters.
You know it's there, you just can't see it.
Hey, little circulation right ahead of us.
Wow! Look at that.
Four o'clock, new circulation.
Hey, new tornado forming in the east,
new tornado forming in the east.
A small tornado has now become a massive tornado.
Keep going. Let's... i don't want to go inside of it.
- Are you sure? - Yeah, I'm sure, man.
I'm looking at it.
It's catching us.
You gotta fly, dude. Just to be on the safe side.
You gotta fly.
It's directly behind us. It's directly behind us.
It's coming up on the road.
I can't see the road, Sean.
Let's stop up here and deploy.
Let's stop and deploy.
Are you guys okay?
Yeah. Yeah, we're fine. Yeah. Okay. Let's follow this.
- Hey take a left right here. - All right.
That's another big one, Sean.
That's a really big one.
There's debris in the air. There's debris in the air.
I hope everybody's in their basement.
I hope they're in the basement.
There is a contradiction sometimes.
It can be exciting chasing tornadoes,
but when you see this,
it really hits home how important the warning times are.
People's lives were saved because they had enough time to get to safety.
It's been a long and well-traveled road.
Now there are no storms to chase
and waiting is the hardest part.
Still, conditions can change
and the right road might just lead to that one perfect storm.
We have opportunity for significant supercells,
maybe significant tornadoes today.
This may be one of the last good days of the spring.
Looking at the low-level...
The national weather service
has issued tornado watch number 332.
Persons should remain alert for rapidly changing weather conditions.
Stay tuned to noaa weather radio. Commercial radio...
All team vehicles, you have on your mesonets, correct?
Woman". Probe 11. Check.
Karen; Probe 12? Man 13 check.
- Thirteen? - Check.
- Fourteen? - Check.
- Fifteen? - Check.
We're going to set up the sr. 'S down there
and then we're going to kind of have a triangle down there with dow five
and we thought we'd set you up there.
Copy that, Josh. Sounds good.
We have to go in the storm.
Try and stay in the middle. Try and stay in the middle.
I'm trying, I'm trying. It's really slippery.
Hey, slow down. Slow down, slow down.
Keep it in the road. Keep it in the road.
It looks like the surface circulation is increasing
and the hook is really coiling up,
so this storm looks like it's intensifying
and certainly could produce something in the next few minutes.
Karen". Dow seven to all probe teams,
head up north quickly to dow five's location
and start dropping pods at dow five and northward.
Woman". Copy. We're moving.
We're going to do the hopscotch method
and basically it's going to be probe 11.
This is dow six. I can confirm a tornado. It is moving east at 15.
Dow seven?
Go ahead, probe 11.
We have deployed pod c.
Where would you like us to go next?
Try to get them at 100 meters, but do the best you can.
You don't have much time.
Probe 11 dropping pod f. Still a large tornado.
Copy.
Dow seven, probe 14?
Probe 14. Go ahead. We're dropping our third pod right now.
Okay, drop it and then head south.
Dow one, all sr. 'S are deployed.
Last one is number seven, directly in the path.
N.O.X.P. Dow seven, what's your status?
Yes, Josh. We've been up and scanning since I think about 2242z.
We got it. Over.
Josh". Okay. Great. Storm should be coming towards you after it passes us.
All 11 of v-2's radar trucks are in position,
deployed, and scanning.
For tiv, now it's only a matter of timing and luck.
Where do you think it's going to cross on this road?
Just up here.
Okay. Let's deploy right here.
Deploy. Deploy-
okay, here we go.
It's coming right at us.
It took eight years
and in less than a minute, it was over.
He'd gotten inside and got the shot.
Throughout the course of their field research,
vortex two collected data on dozens of storms and tornadoes.
It'll take years to analyze the information they've gathered,
but their work has already pushed the boundaries of meteorological science.
Go ahead, dow probe teams.
Josh". Great job, Karen, positioning us. That was perfect.
All right. Good job getting there, you guys.
Really. All probe teams.
Today, we made the right forecast.
We moved to the right place. We got deployed.
We collected the data,
so there's a great feeling of accomplishment
and a feeling of relief that we got what we needed to get.
Now we have dozens and dozens of datasets
that will enable us to learn the keys
to why some of these storms made tornadoes and some of them didn't.
Scientists from vortex two should feel very proud
if ten years from now the lead times are 15 minutes or 20 minutes
and families in tornado alley
have that many more minutes to get to safety.
In the end, it wasn't about just getting a single shot.
It's a life changing experience
to witness the beauty and power of these storms.
It's the lure of tornado alley
and it's got me.