The National Weather Service unveiled a new training video Wednesday for storm spotters and chasers with the hopes of avoiding a repeat of the tragedy that followed the May 31, 2013 tornado near El Reno.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBjr-nvA2Jg
Eight people died, including storm chasers Tim Samaras, his son Paul, and Carl Young, during the widest tornado ever recorded. The 2.6 mile wide twister included multiple vortices, changed directions several times, and was wrapped with rain, making it a worst-case scenario for storm chasers.
"We wanted to put something together to help storm spotters/chasers avoid dangerous situations like those encountered back in May," National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist Rick Smith said in an email.
The NWS says the 27 minute video is intended for people with some formal storm observation experience, but the information is important for anyone.
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