Reed Timmer from 'Storm Rising' was married once, but his true love is chasing storms. At the end of the day, if youre caught in a tornado capable of throwing the vehicle, a weight difference of 500 or 800 pounds wont matter. What happened to Matt in Storm Chasers? [5], Samaras became a prominent engineer at Applied Research Associates initially focusing on blast testing and airline crash investigations. [2], Samaras was the founder of a field research team called Tactical Weather Instrumented Sampling in Tornadoes EXperiment (TWISTEX) which sought to better understand tornadoes. Please be respectful of copyright. According to O'Neill he worked "from dawn to dusk" with "the same dedication and focus he brought to his meteorological work". Initially, the cause of his death remained undisclosed, which contributed to the mystery. Scientists have been trying, and failing, for decades to get data from the core of a violent tornado. His goal was to expand the lead time on tornadoes, which he said is about 17 minutes. Can we bring a species back from the brink? A patent was pending for instrumentation measuring winds in 3D. He was taken to hospital, but succumbed to the injuries and died 13 days later. My whole life is hunting that feeling again and again, he tells Mental Floss. [5], In addition to tornadoes, he was interested in all aspects of convective storms with particular research focus on lightning, for which he utilized cameras shooting up to 1.4 million fps. Who Is Ayisha Diaz? Ive met a number of them and its hard to find any singular demographic except, as you say, they are mostly men. Samaras authored or coauthored around one dozen scientific papers. A significant portion of this lawsuit focuses on claims that TWC pushed chasers to their limits and overlooked bad behavior. Even the lowest-key folks will usually have a setup that allows them to look at a display of data from their seats when stopped. When asked, Samaras said that the most dangerous part about following tornadoes is not the actual storms themselves, but rather the road hazards encountered along the way. Herbs filmed adventures were featured in several TV productions, such as Tornado and Naked Science. A graduate of Oklahoma University, Herb actively worked with the National Geographic Channel and the Weather Channel and was a spokesperson for the Natural History Museum in Cleveland. This article was published more than3 years ago. [6] He also worked at National Technical Systems and Hyperion Technology Group. Courtesy Discovery Channel. It can be brutal and often dangerous work that's not for the faint of heart. At 6:23p.m. on May 31, 2013, Samaras, his 24-year-old son Paul (a photographer), and TWISTEX team member Carl Young (a meteorologist), 45, were killed by a violent wedge tornado[19] with winds of 295mph (475km/h) near the Regional Airport of El Reno, Oklahoma. In an interview with the Daily News two days later, Samaras said he gave wide berth to the Moore monster, which measured EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the highest tornado rating. Ive seen a house flying through the air, he says. The sub-vortex slammed into their vehicle, picked it up, and its counterclockwise winds carried it northeast and deposited it in a field more than 600 feet from their starting location. Press Esc to cancel. These animals can sniff it out. As is well-known, storm chasing is a very dangerous profession, or a hobby, and often storm chasers, overwhelmed with the adrenaline, thrill of adventure, and possible scientific discovery go too far, risking their life, and end up losing it; these included Tim Samaras (55), his son Paul (24) and Carl Young (45). Before the beginning of the 2009 season, Josh Wurman become one of the leaders of Vortex 2, a government sponsored tornado research program, which led to massive cast changes. Enter these women, who are showing what it takes to track some of the most severe weather on the planet. Samaras, 55, along with his son, Paul Samaras, 24, and chase partner Carl Young, 45, were killed Friday night by a tornado in El Reno that turned on a dime and headed straight toward them. I ran into Josh Wurman in Tribune, KS (Leoti storm). Vortex 2, Josh Wurman and some of the other cast reappeared in several episodes across Seasons 3 and 4. Jessica Moore, a Colorado meteorologist pushing for more on-screen female meteorologists' delivering live reports in the field, took her daughter, Lily, 11, storm chasing . He was this middle-class guy born and raised in Lakewood, Colorado, grew up a bit of a tinkerer. [He had] incredible natural instinct chasing tornadoes and reading the sky, said Timmer of Taylor. His truck had been crushed into a twisted gnarl of metal and shattered glass. Others are now following in his footsteps, like Joshua Wurman at the Center for Severe Weather Research, who is now actively going out there and deploying instruments of his own design into the cores of tornadoes. [1] Paul (19252005) was a photographer and model airplane distributor who was an Army projectionist in WWII. On January 21, 2012, Tim Samaras and Sean Casey confirmed on their Facebook pages that Storm Chasers was cancelled by Discovery Communications. The elder Samaras founded TWISTEX, the Tactical Weather Instrumented Sampling in/near Tornadoes Experiment, to document and measure the characteristics of cyclones. For a week at a time you can drive thousands of miles just to see a thunderstorm that doesnt produce. On a Friday morning, Reed set out to do his usual business, pursuing a twister, finding himself in a tricky situation where he couldnt escape the vortex. The hail can hit the camera. Young also died in the tragic tornado pursuit. [5], In 2011, Samaras took time off chasing to help build homes in Alabama for victims of tornadoes earlier that year. Unfortunately, the network never disclosed the reason, or released an official statement regarding the cancelation. Most chasers spent . When you see videos on YouTube of incredible tornado events, recognize what youre seeing is the 1 percent of the time, Johnson tells Mental Floss. Tornado chasers in a van track an "elephant's trunk" tornado in South Dakota. But as the storm is getting closer, people are worrying and start panicking. Winter was also fascinated by weather and was informed by his mother that Tim was his father after he heard Samaras speak at the 2006 Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. Is Sister Wives returning for Season 18? DOW crew was created and led by Dr. Joshua Wurman, a well-known atmospheric scientist, who teamed up with the filmmaker and storm chaser Sean Casey in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Amongst others, the Storm Chasers cast included Dr. Joshua Wurman, a reknowned atmospheric scientist, documentary IMAX filmmaker Sean Casey, and engineer and veteran storm chaser Tim Samaras. Id rather the truck be lighter and easier on gas., Storm chasers dont want to drive directly into a tornado or other severe weather event. Hurricane Michael, the building I was in was shaking. With tornadoes, we often dont know whether ones going to come down 10 minutes before, so its extremely hard to get data. They just want to get close enough to obtain readings or to take photographs. Storm chasers, left to right, Tony Laubach, Carl Young, Paul Samaras and Tim Samaras. However, thats not the case with Matt Hughes, who died on 26 May 2010 in Kansas from a non-chasinginjury. The new year once started in Marchhere's why, Jimmy Carter on the greatest challenges of the 21st century, This ancient Greek warship ruled the Mediterranean, How cosmic rays helped find a tunnel in Egypt's Great Pyramid, Who first rode horses? Another addition to Casey's team was the addition of the Doghouse, driven by meteorologists and storm chasers Matt Hughes (died 2010) and Brandon Ivey, who chased as part of the TIV team. He finally got it right in South Dakota, the titan of the plains. For still photography, Mottice puts the camera on a tripod outside while he remains in the truck. [citation needed], On January 21, 2012, Tim Samaras and Sean Casey confirmed on their Facebook pages that Storm Chasers was cancelled by Discovery Communications. At the time of his death, the cruise ship hosted the Atlantis Events all-gay Caribbean Cruise Olivia Newton-John had headlined a concert on board with the electronic dance music duo Galantis. TWC employed Kelley Williamson and Randall Yarnall, the passenger and driver of the vehicle faulted in the accident. Even though his profession had already taken so many of his fellow meteorologists lives, and hes well aware of the danger; Reedsaid: Life is incredibly fragile, and I hope storm chasers continue to work hard to practice their job or hobby safely during this storm season and beyond.. [7] Meteorologist Jim Cantore remarked "This is a very sad day for the meteorological community and the families of our friends lost. Young also died in the tragic tornado pursuit. I have not heard anything about what he is currently doing - his facebook page has been empty since 2017. One of the cast members of the show whose death shook the American community and the series fans was the passing of Matt Hughes. Samaras also shot for art and for pleasure. Jeff Frame, a University of Illinois professor who leads and participates in tornado field studies, concurred. Some episodes were also filmed in Dixie Alley, an area in the southeastern United States that is particularly vulnerable to violent tornadoes. The show was canceled at the end of its 5th season by Discovery Communications on January 21, 2012. [28] A permanent memorial was later established, although this monument was vandalized in late March 2016. A mans world? During a thunderstorm hed run a line out to a power pole outside to see if he could conduct a little bit of the charge to a light bulb. One of the cast members of the show whose death shook the American community and the series fans was the passing of Matt Hughes. After five seasons, Tim Samaras and Sean Casey confirmed that the show had been officially canceled. On Wednesday, Timmer, now a meteorologist for AccuWeather, shared footage from one of Taylors tornado intercepts in the Texas Panhandle when he was just 21. The episode titled "Dedication" which debuted on November 3, 2010, begins and ends with a dedication to Wichita native Matt Hughes, who had attempted suicide on May 14, 2010 and died twelve days later at age thirty in Valley Center, Kansas. Matt Hughes was a well-known cast member of Storm Chasers in the first two seasons of the series, who worked for ABCs new affiliate KAKE-TV, which operated out of Wichita, Kansas. He hauls down this dirt road with the tornado closing in. The tag line was something like "a space cowboy, a hooker, and girl in a box" or some stupid shit like that. [13] His colleagues considered him to be one of the most careful chasers in the business. Three storm chasers died in a violent Texas collision. Their team was known as Team Dominator, referring to the name of their armored chase vehicle, the SRV Dominator, driven by Taylor. In addition, hes credited for placing Sean Caseys Tornado Intercept Vehicle close to tornadoes to capture IMAX footage of the storms. The vehicle suffered constant chronic mechanical problems, and was sent for re-modification early in the season, and was replaced with the original TIV. One mother now blames the Weather Channel. (In fact, theres been only one fatal incident as a direct result of a tornado, when chaser Tim Samaras, his son Paul, and colleague Carl Young were trapped in their vehicle and picked up by 200 mile-per-hour winds during the El Reno tornado in 2013. In addition, the chasing group Severe Studio launched a memorial fund to collect money for Andys daughter and parents. But contrary to the depiction you see in the movie Twister, a lot of it is quite boring. However, four months later, the autopsy revealed that his death was caused by a fatal mix of drugs in his system, including MDMA, Ketamin, and MDA. He had been studying destructive weather for 35 years. The chasers got too close to the twister, the critics say, setting a . (HANDOUT/REUTERS). But for storm chasers, tumultuous weather is an invitation to move toward the danger. Fans began questioning whether the show ended due to producing issues, the ratings, or personal problems among the cast members. What if we could clean them out? About the time they got to U.S. Highway 81, the tornado was outpacing them, moving faster and faster, and getting bigger and bigger, until it was around two miles in width. Specifics aside, it has always been a truism that for most chasers the most dangerous part of chasing is the driving, rather than the tornadoes themselves. The damage associated with these storms. Many chasers drive thousands of miles a week when chasing. In season four, Dr. Wurman was also shown to be involved in the funding of Casey's IMAX film, when he addressed Casey about a video showing reckless driving by TIV2. Tim Samaras was found inside his car with his seat belt still on. Storm chasers are known for their competitive nature, but they also tend to police themselves and take pride in safety habits and helping others. It is essentially an instrument package, which he made from a shell of milled steel. Morgerman says that jarring contrast is a little like an acid trip. The show was canceled in January 2012 by Discovery Communications. The popular cast members of the show and meteorologists, deeply involved in tornado research, were killed by a violent wedge tornado in El Rino, Oklahoma on 3 June 2013. Taylors best friend and former costar Reed Timmer tweeted a touching message alongside several photos of the pair. [3] The open space enabled Tim to erect amateur radio and other towers and provided ample room for workshops. But when tornadoes do occur, these outbursts may be much, much worse than anything weve seen. [7] With one such in-situ probe, he captured the largest drop in atmospheric pressure, 100 hPa (mb) in less than one minute, ever recorded when a F4 tornado struck one of several probes placed near Manchester, South Dakota on June 24, 2003. It was a gamble he had to make time and time again. Engineering, meteorology. No one better at dominating back roads behind the wheel., Storm Chasers was canceled after five seasons in January 2012. Wiki, Age, Height, Boyfriend, Naked Truth Of Crystal Westbrooks - What Do We Kno Greta Onieogou Biography: Parents, Height, Husband Jeff Dunham's Car Collection (aka Achmed the Dead Benjamin Brady wiki biography. Tim was transfixed by the image of these guys tracking these storms down, then racing down dirt roads trying to head them off. The first, Forces of Nature, was released in 2003 with a third of the film dedicated to tornadoes, the other two thirds were dedicated to volcanoes and earthquakes. [29], Meteorologists at the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a statement saying they were very saddened by Tim's death. Youre not seeing countless hours at truck stops sleeping on the hood of a truck doing nothing., Severe weather can cause high winds and flooding, but its not always nature that winds up being physically threatening, especially because chasers spend so much of their time traveling. [5] Samaras's widow, Kathy, revealed in her first news interview since his death that she will continue ChaserCon, which consistently attracts luminary scientists and chasers as speakers. Magliocco went on to say he uses less gear than in the past. In March 2017, a traffic accident claimed the lives of three storm chasers on a road in west Texas. The core is probably survivable. "[3] He would continue this pursuit until his untimely death in 2013. He also contributed to Storm Track magazine. They were south of this little town, El Reno, for the most part on dirt roads. Storm chasers react to the wrongful death lawsuit against the Weather Channel, Biden enlists potential rivals as advisers ahead of 2024, Their toddler took a nap in an Airbnb and fentanyl killed her, the huge El Reno tornado took the lives of scientist Tim Samaras and his crew. Unlike many storm chasers, he was not considered reckless. Hank Schyma, a musician and veteran storm chaser based in Texas, is fully aware of the potential dangers these days, especially for the inexperienced enthusiasts. Wind is an issue. Some chasers bring back-up equipment in case their gear gets pummeled. But a unique brand of folks called "storm chasers" is looking to lower the number of victims with information and photos they're collecting out in the field on the trail of the killer storms. Tim Samaras was reportedly relieved when the show was cancelled as he thought it focused more on interpersonal drama than on the storms themselves. The crew was equipped with several weather instruments with which to collect data from 12 ft. above ground, and often collaborated with the DOW group, using their radar imagery and the probe data to establish more accurate and complete pictures of the tornados structure. Its very well-behaved. With the warming of the oceans were going to have a higher evaporation rate, more moisture released into the air, which is a primary food source for tornadoes. In June 2013, the Discovery Channel aired a Storm Chasers special, Mile Wide Tornado: Oklahoma Disaster, which covered the deadly tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma, in May of that year. Caseys team included the Doghouse, driven by meteorologists and storm chasers Matt Hughes and Brandon Ivy. Most chasers spent the majority of their careers traveling toward a storm, either by driving toward it or, in Morgermans case, flying. Is an Advanced . TIV2 did not return from repairs until the middle of the third season. As you can imagine, its an extremely dangerous place. Institutions. The steel roll cage adds weight. Storm chasers typically drive many miles, hunt down storms, and are not familiar with the communities they are visiting. The show revealed that the same weekend of his last chase, Hughes suffered a fatal injury at his home. It was eventually moving at highway speeds, which is incredibly dangerous. The sedan is not capable of handling the extremely wet roads and high winds while carrying three grown men and three steel probes. The emerging consensus is that climate change will have two impacts on the tornadoes main sources of fuel. This Stormtrack thread has more details on each one: https://t.co/Q4ClK44zHb pic.twitter.com/flvA63ddJD. The show was canceled at the end of its 5th season by Discovery Communications on January 21, 2012. As an adult he held an Amateur Extra Class license, the highest amateur radio class issued in the United States, and was proficient in Morse code. Some sound like a train or like wolves howling. Mistargeted, misleading advertising: I remember watching commercials for "this new show, Firefly" and wondering "What the fuck?". Herb Stien unfortunately passed away in 2016. Driving is a completely different story. Johnson tries to get within 200 or 300 yards to snap photos, which is still close enough to see how intense wind speeds can be. Following the news of his tragic death, dozens of chasers and spotters in Kansasformedthe initials A.G on SpotterNetwork.Orgs map as a tribute to Andy. Theres exterior coating to prevent punctures in the vehicle., While the roll cage is heavy, the goal isnt to make the vehicle heavier so it's harder for a tornado to pick up. I plan to chase as many storms as possible over the . For the occupation or avocation, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of programs broadcast by Discovery Channel, "Tim Samaras Confirms Storm Chasers Canceled", The Hollywood Reporter: "Discovery Airing Tribute to 'Stormchasers' Stars Killed in Oklahoma Tornado", "HERBERT STEIN Obituary - Elyria, OH | The Plain Dealer", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Storm_Chasers_(TV_series)&oldid=1125743472, 2000s American documentary television series, 2010s American documentary television series, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from February 2010, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 December 2022, at 16:26. Luckily the approaching storm weakened, but "if the storm had been producing a tornado at the time . [20], The tornado was sampled by University of Oklahoma RaXPol radar as 2.6 miles (4.2km) wide, the widest tornado ever recorded. [4] He communicated by amateur radio when chasing storms and was also a storm spotter, reporting sightings of hazardous weather. His probe went into the core of an F4 tornado. Ill miss you forever, Joel. He learned of the property through real estate investment work that he did on the side and to which his brother Jim introduced him. Storm chaser Tim Samaras displays his 1,680-pound, 1.4-million-frames-per-second camera. [8], On January 23, 2018, former Storm Chasers member Joel Taylor died of a drug overdose at age 38 on a cruise ship. Courtesy Jessica Moore. Tornado chasers come from all walks of life. Further, the insurance world expects the average driver to get into one accident about every two decades. Its my opinion that the Weather Channel has a very long history of promoting and executing dangerous behavior, photojournalist and storm chaser Warren Faidley wrote at Stormtrack.org, a forum for chasers. Ronan is an executive producer on the film entitled, Tornado Alley, with the release on March 18, 2011.[1]. [15] From 2009 until the show's cancellation in 2012, Samaras was a featured personality on the Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers. Chase partners Carl Young and Tim Samaras. But the clicks and the fame garnered by capturing viral tornado footage on social media may be provoking and rewarding risky behavior. Reed created several armored chase vehicles named Dominator, which explains why the group was often referred to as Team Dominator.. [11] Samaras held a patent, "Thermal imaging system for internal combustion engines", with Jon M. Morgerman, who has likely been in more hurricanes than anyone alivehe says the Science Channel verified the claim for his television seriesbelieves amateurs who follow chasers on social media might get the wrong idea. He pointed to past situations when chasers at the Weather Channel took ill-advised risks, including an on-camera meteorologist and crew getting hit by the El Reno tornado in 2013. He wanted to become a chaser. Samaras shows probes he uses to measure tornado strength after a May 2006 twister in Ames, Iowa. The @weatherchannel vehicle just got thrown by tornado. [26] A makeshift memorial was established at the site soon after the incident[27] and a crowdfunded permanent memorial is under development, spearheaded by Doug Gerten, the deputy who first found the vehicle wreckage. [4] Tim Samaras was reportedly relieved when the show was cancelled as he thought it focused more on interpersonal drama than on the storms themselves.[5]. Scientist Karen Kosiba goes into the eye of the storm to investigate the 2011 tornado season. "[7] On Facebook, Samaras' brother said he died "doing what [he] LOVED. The cause of his death remains unclear at this time, but several of his friends shared the sad news on social media, commemorating the. During the 2007 and 2008 seasons Dr. Joshua Wurman, a renowned atmospheric scientist and creator of the Doppler On Wheels (DOW), teamed with documentary IMAX filmmaker Sean Casey. He was fascinated by storms. For hurricanes, they scope out buildings able to withstand the force of the storm. The monument was struck by bullets and the American flag was cut away from the flagpole. [5] Broadcast [ edit] We stopped to help & they are OK. @jimcantore pic.twitter.com/AayAhvuBwA. Its an unbelievable spectacle to behold." Taylor, an Elk City, Oklahoma, native, joined the popular Discovery Channel series in 2008 for season 2. On February 4, 2016, Herbert Stein (former driver of the Doppler on Wheels) died at age 57 after a short battle with pancreatic and liver cancer. The vehicles on the roads had broken windows., In the storm-chasing community, theres much debate over what separates a professional from an amateur. So climate change may lead to a lower number of tornadoes. Tim, his son Paul, and his chase partner, Carl Young. Applied Research Associates. The thing that keeps me up at night is the driving, not the tornado, he says. Some people think a severe thunderstorm warning with 80 mile-per-hour winds is no big deal, that the tornado is the big deal, he says. Theres an activating switch on the back; you put it in the dirt, get the hell out of the way, and come back once the tornado has gone past and collect your instrument. Paul Samaras and Young were sucked out of the vehicle. It wasnt until my third outing as a chaser that we saw a peerless tornado event in Pilger, Nebraska. He skipped out on chasing the massive tornado that flattened Moore, Okla., because it was too dangerous. The intense gustiness can cause rapid pressure changes that can really hurt your ears, he says. Storm Chasers is a documentary reality series that follows several groups of storms chasers as they try to intercept tornadoes in Tornado Alley in the US, the area frequently hit by tornadoes. Given TWCs past history, it may not be hard to establish a pattern of ignoring such behavior, Faidley said. In high-end tornadoes, winds can be in excess of 200 mph, with hurtling debris capable of skewering telephone poles. Samaras. As fierce weather rages in the area known as the eyewall, the eye, or center, inside is peaceful. Others are simply attracted to the beauty of the storms, capturing natures violent expressions in what could be considered an extreme form of landscape photography. Margaret was born in 1929 and died in 1996. [1] His memorial service was held on June 6, 2013 at Mission Hills Church in Littleton, Colorado. [11] Samaras had another son, Matt Winter, whom he had only learned about seven years before Samaras' death and who was welcomed into the family. [7], Atmospheric scientists and storm chasers embarked on a major project to gather information and analyze what happened regarding chaser actions and meteorological occurrences. This forced them to drive closer to the tornado than they would have preferred. The 2011 outbreak of tornadoes in Dixie Alley caused at least $27 billion in damage and something like 360 deaths. The show chronicled several teams of storm chasers as they attempted to intercept tornadoes, collecting scientific data to improve warning systems and filming up-close footage using special armored vehicles and equipment in order to obtain a more complete picture of tornado structures. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recognized him for his investigations of the TWA Flight 800 crash. When three storm chasers were killed while chasing an EF3 tornado, fellow storm chasers spelt the initials of the fallen across 3 states using their GPS trackers in tribute Storm chasers ride around in the Dominator III. Repeats of the series are currently airing on the digital broadcast network Quest. Immediately out of high school and without a rsum, he was hired as a walk-in at the University of Denver Research Institute. Not according to biology or history. A storm might be coming down through Oklahoma and you might be out of danger initially. ), Unlike tornadoes, which have a very clear visual identity as they spin in a cone shape over land, hurricanes just look like a fierce concentration of weather. According to Johnson, professionals usually opt for an armored truck to help insulate them from the destructive power of the storm. We will always remember him fondly as an incredible meteorologist and driver of The Dominator. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.. Similar to Matt, Joel did not die while chasing weather phenomena or anything related to storm-casing. [4] Tim Samaras was reportedly relieved when the show was cancelled as he thought it focused more on interpersonal drama than on the storms themselves. Forecasters were often wary to announce storms for fear of causing panic or making people complacent if the storms did not appear. Old cells hang around as we age, doing damage to the body. The twister packed winds up to 165 mph that somersaulted the tornado chaser's vehicle and sucked out Paul Samaras and Young. During the 2009 season, the series also documented the TWISTEX team, led by engineer and veteran storm chaser Tim Samaras, who was killed in 2013 while storm-chasing in El Reno, Oklahoma along with his son Paul and fellow storm-chaser Carl Young. [1] The family lived on 35 acres near Bennett, Colorado, at the time of his death. Most chasers hit the road with doppler radar, laptops, cameras, and other equipment to help them analyze data and capture images. Heres the technology that helped scientists find itand what it may have been used for. Storm Chasers was filmed each year in the central United States (an area known as Tornado Alley due to the frequency and severity of tornadoes occurring there) primarily during late spring and early summer, the time of the most frequent tornado activity (though some episodes of recent seasons have also been filmed in the lesser-known Dixie Alley in the southeastern U.S.). Storm chasers killed in Oklahoma . What are brothers John and Lonnie Hambrick from My 600-lb Life doing now? It's no secret that chasing storms is dangerous business, and three individuals who were featured on the program met their demises after getting caught up in tornadoes.