it’s Wednesday morning Sioux City Iowa and a major storm is moving into the
and a major storm is moving into the
and a major storm is moving into the region we call it freight train type
region we call it freight train type
region we call it freight train type storms you you get yourself positioned
storms you you get yourself positioned
storms you you get yourself positioned northeast of these storms and you just
northeast of these storms and you just
northeast of these storms and you just catch them basically as they go by
catching storms is something Tim Samaras
catching storms is something Tim Samaras has been doing for decades
has been doing for decades
has been doing for decades every summer tornadoes rip across the
every summer tornadoes rip across the
every summer tornadoes rip across the American plane States by positioning
American plane States by positioning
American plane States by positioning himself in the path of monster storms
himself in the path of monster storms
himself in the path of monster storms Samaras can deploy equipment that
Samaras can deploy equipment that
Samaras can deploy equipment that measures barometric pressure humidity
measures barometric pressure humidity
measures barometric pressure humidity and wind speed you get out there and you
and wind speed you get out there and you
and wind speed you get out there and you see some of these storms it’s better
see some of these storms it’s better
see some of these storms it’s better than any video game that you ever see
than any video game that you ever see
than any video game that you ever see because you’re watching mother nature at
because you’re watching mother nature at
because you’re watching mother nature at work and all the associated dynamics
work and all the associated dynamics
work and all the associated dynamics fantastic it’s absolutely fantastic but
fantastic it’s absolutely fantastic but
fantastic it’s absolutely fantastic but this year Samaras and his team are
this year Samaras and his team are
this year Samaras and his team are expanding their horizons they’re also
expanding their horizons they’re also
expanding their horizons they’re also documenting two other potentially
documenting two other potentially
documenting two other potentially dangerous phenomena storms lightning and
dangerous phenomena storms lightning and
dangerous phenomena storms lightning and hail with a battery of new gadgets
hail with a battery of new gadgets
hail with a battery of new gadgets but first they must find bad weather
but first they must find bad weather
but first they must find bad weather because I think Missouri Valley kind of
because I think Missouri Valley kind of
because I think Missouri Valley kind of puts his equidistance together target
puts his equidistance together target
puts his equidistance together target for weeks on end their convoy Criss
for weeks on end their convoy Criss
for weeks on end their convoy Criss crosses a section of the United States
crosses a section of the United States
crosses a section of the United States known as Tornado Alley their vehicles
known as Tornado Alley their vehicles
known as Tornado Alley their vehicles act with state-of-the-art technology
act with state-of-the-art technology
act with state-of-the-art technology this is like Grand Central Station in
this is like Grand Central Station in
this is like Grand Central Station in here we’ve got computers in here that
here we’ve got computers in here that
here we’ve got computers in here that are connected on the internet gives me
are connected on the internet gives me
are connected on the internet gives me data on the storm gives me radar data
data on the storm gives me radar data
data on the storm gives me radar data I got obviously cameras in here I’ve got
I got obviously cameras in here I’ve got
I got obviously cameras in here I’ve got communications equipment on a ham radio
communications equipment on a ham radio
communications equipment on a ham radio operator so I report severe storms to
operator so I report severe storms to
operator so I report severe storms to the National Weather Service directly
the National Weather Service directly
the National Weather Service directly yeah it does
yeah it does
yeah it does does this look pretty impressive huh
does this look pretty impressive huh
does this look pretty impressive huh like in the looks of this they stop when
like in the looks of this they stop when
like in the looks of this they stop when they catch up to bad weather find a
they catch up to bad weather find a
they catch up to bad weather find a vantage point and wait to see what
vantage point and wait to see what
vantage point and wait to see what develops that’s probably gonna go right
develops that’s probably gonna go right
develops that’s probably gonna go right there maybe I say that and I’ll kill it
there maybe I say that and I’ll kill it
there maybe I say that and I’ll kill it perhaps jinxed these clouds never
perhaps jinxed these clouds never
perhaps jinxed these clouds never develop beyond a summer thunderstorm oh
develop beyond a summer thunderstorm oh
develop beyond a summer thunderstorm oh nice the odds are against them getting
nice the odds are against them getting
nice the odds are against them getting to the right place at the right time is
to the right place at the right time is
to the right place at the right time is difficult only one in five storms they
difficult only one in five storms they
difficult only one in five storms they encounter produces a tornado however
encounter produces a tornado however
encounter produces a tornado however during this chase season they are also
during this chase season they are also
during this chase season they are also angling for a hailstorm on top of the
angling for a hailstorm on top of the
angling for a hailstorm on top of the lead car is a net for catching
lead car is a net for catching
lead car is a net for catching hailstones and cameras for recording the
hailstones and cameras for recording the
hailstones and cameras for recording the velocity of the strike and there’s more
velocity of the strike and there’s more
velocity of the strike and there’s more this thing here is actually a sample of
this thing here is actually a sample of
this thing here is actually a sample of an aircraft company’s wing of their new
an aircraft company’s wing of their new
an aircraft company’s wing of their new aircraft and what we’re looking for is
aircraft and what we’re looking for is
aircraft and what we’re looking for is impact effects of hail on it these
impact effects of hail on it these
impact effects of hail on it these little blocks here are simply impact
little blocks here are simply impact
little blocks here are simply impact sensors when a hail stone hits it like
sensors when a hail stone hits it like
sensors when a hail stone hits it like that it actually measures the magnitude
that it actually measures the magnitude
that it actually measures the magnitude of the hit hail causes billions of
of the hit hail causes billions of
of the hit hail causes billions of dollars worth of damage each year
dollars worth of damage each year
dollars worth of damage each year destroying crops vehicles and property
by measuring the speed and impact of
by measuring the speed and impact of hailstones
hailstones
hailstones Samaras hopes to discover ways to
Samaras hopes to discover ways to
Samaras hopes to discover ways to predict storms or mitigate the damage
predict storms or mitigate the damage
predict storms or mitigate the damage there’s hardly any data telling us what
there’s hardly any data telling us what
there’s hardly any data telling us what actual velocity is hail stone
actual velocity is hail stone
actual velocity is hail stone are when they fall because the hailstone
are when they fall because the hailstone
are when they fall because the hailstone itself the shapes are sometimes all the
itself the shapes are sometimes all the
itself the shapes are sometimes all the way from smooth to very jagged spikes on
way from smooth to very jagged spikes on
way from smooth to very jagged spikes on them and we really don’t know your
them and we really don’t know your
them and we really don’t know your average velocity and then there’s white
average velocity and then there’s white
average velocity and then there’s white another destructive force of nature that
another destructive force of nature that
another destructive force of nature that accompanies these killer storms it’s the
accompanies these killer storms it’s the
accompanies these killer storms it’s the leading cause of weather-related death
leading cause of weather-related death
leading cause of weather-related death and injury in the United States and
and injury in the United States and
and injury in the United States and sometimes even a veteran like Samaras
sometimes even a veteran like Samaras
sometimes even a veteran like Samaras can get too close
I felt the power I was electrified right
I felt the power I was electrified right now CG is just hitting all around us we
now CG is just hitting all around us we
now CG is just hitting all around us we are in definitely in the strike zone man
are in definitely in the strike zone man
are in definitely in the strike zone man with lightning strikes just a few feet
with lightning strikes just a few feet
with lightning strikes just a few feet away
away
away Samaras moves the team a safety is the
Samaras moves the team a safety is the
Samaras moves the team a safety is the safest place to be is right here in this
safest place to be is right here in this
safest place to be is right here in this vehicle maybe not with microphone in my
vehicle maybe not with microphone in my
vehicle maybe not with microphone in my lap lightning strikes in a flash far too
lap lightning strikes in a flash far too
lap lightning strikes in a flash far too fast for the human eye or a camera to
fast for the human eye or a camera to
fast for the human eye or a camera to fully comprehend his path so Samaras has
fully comprehend his path so Samaras has
fully comprehend his path so Samaras has constructed an ultra high-powered camera
constructed an ultra high-powered camera
constructed an ultra high-powered camera that can shoot more than 400 times
that can shoot more than 400 times
that can shoot more than 400 times faster than those used to record movies
faster than those used to record movies
faster than those used to record movies in Hollywood when he’s photographed a
in Hollywood when he’s photographed a
in Hollywood when he’s photographed a strike
strike
strike Tim slows down the imagery to 10,000
Tim slows down the imagery to 10,000
Tim slows down the imagery to 10,000 frames a second
frames a second
frames a second then fingers of supercharged energy
then fingers of supercharged energy
then fingers of supercharged energy streak down beating it upward discharge
streak down beating it upward discharge
streak down beating it upward discharge from the earth the goal is to capture as
from the earth the goal is to capture as
from the earth the goal is to capture as much detail as possible this year we’re
much detail as possible this year we’re
much detail as possible this year we’re actually coming out into the field with
actually coming out into the field with
actually coming out into the field with a camera that’s capable of 1.5 million
a camera that’s capable of 1.5 million
a camera that’s capable of 1.5 million frames per second it’s all digital we
frames per second it’s all digital we
frames per second it’s all digital we jittery it’s all custom-built we’re
jittery it’s all custom-built we’re
jittery it’s all custom-built we’re trying to capture what we call the
trying to capture what we call the
trying to capture what we call the return stroke I don’t want it to affect
return stroke I don’t want it to affect
return stroke I don’t want it to affect the mission let’s go
the mission let’s go
the mission let’s go Samaras is gathering such minut
Samaras is gathering such minut
Samaras is gathering such minut information about mega storms with the
information about mega storms with the
information about mega storms with the hopes we can better predict when and
hopes we can better predict when and
hopes we can better predict when and where they will strike next right now is
where they will strike next right now is
where they will strike next right now is just kind of a clear spot to kind of
just kind of a clear spot to kind of
just kind of a clear spot to kind of look and watch this thing go by their
look and watch this thing go by their
look and watch this thing go by their power to destroy is awesome as evidenced
power to destroy is awesome as evidenced
power to destroy is awesome as evidenced when the crew pulls into Manhattan
when the crew pulls into Manhattan
when the crew pulls into Manhattan Kansas on the heels of a tornado
cars have been tossed into the air more
cars have been tossed into the air more than a dozen homes have been flattened
a dazed Ashley Wimsatt
a dazed Ashley Wimsatt surveys the damage to her family’s home
surveys the damage to her family’s home
surveys the damage to her family’s home that was my my sister just had a baby
that was my my sister just had a baby
that was my my sister just had a baby three weeks ago that was the baby’s room
three weeks ago that was the baby’s room
three weeks ago that was the baby’s room on the left where the cars at the total
on the left where the cars at the total
on the left where the cars at the total damage exceeds millions of dollars but
damage exceeds millions of dollars but
damage exceeds millions of dollars but at least no one has been killed
so Samaras and his crew will continue
so Samaras and his crew will continue their research sometimes driving 25,000
their research sometimes driving 25,000
their research sometimes driving 25,000 miles in a single season they are
miles in a single season they are
miles in a single season they are chasing danger
chasing danger
chasing danger and whoops of making people safer
sponsored by National Geographic mission
sponsored by National Geographic mission programs taking science and exploration
programs taking science and exploration
programs taking science and exploration into the new millennium
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