STORM TRACK: September 30, 1983 (Volume 6 Issue 6)

Someday, a book may be written about storm chasers. The longer that we do what others consider risky and unique, the more superlative pictures that are taken, and the increasing number of dramatic and humorous personal experiences makes this eventuality increasingly likely. It could be a very interesting work -- educational, exciting and philosophical; a thematically unified piece with the customs and traditions of chasing, all that describes and explains what we are and are about.

However, this is not to announce, or even recommend, such a project. For myself, I have deep reservations about, assuming this responsibility for representing my colleagues in print, let alone the thousands of hours required in crafting the English language to make it say what you want, and how the rest of us would like to be remembered. Moreover, two good questions continue popping up: (1) "Why do it?" and (2) "Who needs the ego trip?" I can't answer either of these, so feel no compulsion to undertake it. However, setting aside these somewhat narrow ethical questions, and standing back from the self in order to see the whole, it could be a hell of a good book!

Which leads to the point of this discussion: We need to record our experiences and document significant storm intercepts! There is a wealth of history out there that is becoming lost with fading memories. Storm chasing began for many of you in the early 70's. However, the sharp distinctions of those early storm encounters, their taste and texture, even the nerve wracking experiences are losing their edge with time. The details of unique and amusing/exciting chase encounters are blurring with distance. Ours is not only a visual record but also one of human experience. 'Without the latter, the former are just small strips of celluloid. I don't know who or when (or if) we'll ever be written up in this way. However, if that happens, some archival record will need to be constructed -- perhaps 5, 10, 20 years from now. For most of us, it is in our heads. Even if its never used (or used well by a competent writer), I think we owe it to ourselves or our grandchildren to keep some kind of record. ... Think about it. Remember how it was? Write it!!!

Just a highlight note that one of our sterling subscribers and accomplished chasers, Tim Marshall, has written a nice article, with some of his pictures, on "Chasing Tornadoes" in the August, 1983 issue of Weatherwise. Tim and Roy Britt's work also appears in the May, 1983 issue of Storm Data, regarding the May 20 Plainview tornadoes -- referred to in the last issue of Storm Track. This was a very interesting storm, with detached suction vortices rotating beneath a ragged cloud base.