Storm chasing can be a dangerous business, with experts and hobbyists, alike, putting themselves in the paths of hurricanes, tornadoes, and lightning storms to get that stand-out shot.
Smarter storm chasers, today, are using safer ways to capture spectacular imagery – and it’s no less exciting.
WXChasing’s Brandon Clement was on-site in Scullin, Oklahoma, when a tornado touched down Tuesday afternoon. Clement sent his drone to capture the event. The funnel crossed the highway, ripped through farmland, and moved northeast into Hickory, finally lifting around 12:30 PM Tuesday.
By midnight on Tuesday, Clements video had been viewed 1.8 million times on Facebook, shared by 94 Facebook users, and picked up by multiple news outlets, including the Washington Post. The drone footage affords an up-close view of the funnel, the debris on the ground and around the storm, and the destruction it left in its wake.
Tornado near Sulphur, Ok shot from drone, up close, 4k
Tornado shot from the drone just a short while ago.
Posted by WXChasing on Tuesday, April 30, 2019
The tornado was one of many that touched down on the southern Plains Tuesday afternoon, with a dozen tornadoes confirmed in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri, and a storm watch in effect until late into the night.
The tornado outbreak was just one facet of destructive spring weather across the southern and central U.S. Amarillo, Texas, experienced golf-ball sized hail, and severe thunderstorms hit Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, with threats of flash floods, according to an AccuWeather report.
In Davenport, Iowa, a Mississippi River levee was breached, resulting in an evacuation of the area. The flooding covered four blocks of the downtown area, with water as high as six feet in some areas. Residents cannot return to the area safely until the river recedes.
In the wake of this brutal spring weather, storm chaser Clement was grateful for his location, vantage point, and the drone technology that enabled the video of a lifetime.
Clement posted on Facebook Tuesday night, “Huge thank you to so many friends, family, chasers and followers for reaching out to me today. For those that know me, I have been trying to get that shot for years and it all came together today. I never thought I would actually emotionally care about a video that much until after I shot it. It’s very difficult for me to explain but just wanted to express my gratitude even if it may sound cheesy.”
