Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Twister caught on camera
North Platte Telegraph ^ | 6-2-2004 | Kathleen Mulcahy

Posted on 6/3/2004, 5:35:52 PM by Hillary's Lovely Legs

On a bright, shiny afternoon May 29, Jo Anne and Wes Grady came upon one of nature's most deadly phenomena: a tornado.

The Gradys were driving southwest of Gothenburg on their way to Peckham Cemetery to decorate Wes' family graves. Jo Anne said, "We were driving along and thought we saw smoke. When we came to this intersection, there was that tornado."

The tornado had touched down in the middle of a freshly cultivated field along the Banner Road just past the Banner Methodist Church.

"It was so bizarre," Jo Anne said. "Here it was a bright, shiny, beautiful day and there's that tornado just sitting there in the middle of that field."

Wes and Jo Anne watched the tornado from about a third of a mile away. They estimate that they watched the tornado for close to 15 minutes before the tail dissipated and went back up into the cloud.

The Gradys had their camera with them because they were on their way to an all-class reunion for Gothenburg High School. Jo Anne started snapping photos of the tornado from about a mile away, and kept photographing the twister as they drove closer.

Wes said, "The tornado was about 3 miles inside the Lincoln County line."

After watching it dissipate, they thought the show was over, but the twister just moved two miles away.

Wes said, "We thought it was all over, so we went on to the cemetery. It had moved to another field and blew over two pivot towers, and stripped some new corn."

Wes went back out the next day to see what kind of damage the twister had done. He said the tornado also blew debris all over Sid and Jolene Kite's farmstead.

The tornado picked up some of Jim Clark's farm equipment and rolled it into another field half a mile away. The equipment was hard to identify after being mangled by the tornado. It also ripped two round granaries off the foundations and tore them into four pieces.

Wes said he had only seen one other tornado but never this close.

"It was just stationary when we saw it," Wes said. "It seemed perfectly safe. There was no wind or anything." Jo Anne said, "We didn't hear anything like they say you will. No freight train, no rain and no strong winds. It was scarier driving home through the wind and rain later in the evening Saturday."

Jo Anne said, "I could never be a storm chaser. I don't like driving through rain and wind."

This was the first time Jo Anne had seen a tornado, and she had plenty of time to take a lot of pictures.

"It was a very cooperative subject," Jo Anne said, laughing.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last

1 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:35:52 PM by Hillary's Lovely Legs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Hillary's Lovely Legs

Awesome pic, and an interesting tidbit.

Thanks!


2 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:38:27 PM by kimmie7 (Are you a VETERAN voting for Kerry? Remember: The grass is always greener over the septic tank!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hillary's Lovely Legs

growing up in the midwest.. that picture sends chills down my spine...


3 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:38:57 PM by Americanwolf (Causing a cold shiver to go down a liberals spine every 8 seconds... and loving it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hillary's Lovely Legs

Oh, the horrors!
4 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:39:22 PM by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hillary's Lovely Legs

Awesome!


5 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:40:37 PM by catpuppy (John Kerry! When hair is all that matters ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus
Here, a frantic rescue worker deals with the human carnage.
6 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:44:13 PM by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: catpuppy

Like God's Dremmel Tool.


7 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:45:13 PM by blackdog (I feed the sheep the coyotes eat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Hillary's Lovely Legs
Great photo.

Is that Hillary under that house?

8 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:46:28 PM by RckyRaCoCo (todo su país es pertenece a nosotros)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Americanwolf

Corn's just emerging here in Wisconsin. It looks to be about two feet in that picture.


9 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:52:17 PM by blackdog (I feed the sheep the coyotes eat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Hillary's Lovely Legs

10 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:52:28 PM by FReepaholic (War On Terror: If not us, who? If not now, when?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RckyRaCoCo
No. sadly...
11 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:53:28 PM by null and void (If you think more government is the solution to every problem, North Korea should be your paradise!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: blackdog

where in wisconsin? I grew up in the land of cheese and beer.


12 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:54:43 PM by Americanwolf (Causing a cold shiver to go down a liberals spine every 8 seconds... and loving it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: dangus

tragically the rescue worker could not pry the 10 men that had locked themselves around the keg to protect it from the storm.


13 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:56:29 PM by Americanwolf (Causing a cold shiver to go down a liberals spine every 8 seconds... and loving it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Hillary's Lovely Legs

That looks like a F-0 or F-1.


14 posted on 6/3/2004, 5:58:29 PM by Pyro7480 (Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genitrix.... sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Are you sure that's not another picture of the prison torture?


15 posted on 6/3/2004, 6:01:29 PM by trebb (Ain't God good . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Hillary's Lovely Legs

Great pic! thanks


16 posted on 6/3/2004, 6:07:34 PM by No Blue States
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Americanwolf

Waupaca County side of Fox Valley.


17 posted on 6/3/2004, 6:09:03 PM by blackdog (I feed the sheep the coyotes eat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: blackdog

ok grew up on the lake in Sheboygan...


18 posted on 6/3/2004, 6:11:34 PM by Americanwolf (Causing a cold shiver to go down a liberals spine every 8 seconds... and loving it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Hillary's Lovely Legs

What's really cool is the transparent part. You can see an inner core to the tornado. Probably the highest winds are there.


19 posted on 6/3/2004, 6:14:18 PM by Arthur McGowan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480
I remember a story about a woman hit by lightning in a mall parking lot. It was the middle of the day, not a cloud in the sky. Freaky!

When I was in South Carolina I was tossing the garbage into a dumpster in the apartment complex. The sky looked all grey and churning. As I was walking away from the dumpster, KAPOW! It struck the dumpster. I remember just before it, all the little hairs on my body stood on end. It was about a full second delay.

20 posted on 6/3/2004, 6:14:30 PM by blackdog (I feed the sheep the coyotes eat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson