Though we sometimes take it for granted, Tim's death is a stark reminder of the risks encountered regularly by the men and women who work for us. I am sure disc will come, right now just prayer/thoughts needed, RIP storm chasers killed in crash. You will forever be missed . The Associated Press contributed to this report. Celebritys Net worth, Biography, Sports, Health, Technology, & Entertainment. Joel Taylors Cause of Death: How Did Famous Storm Chaser, Joel Taylor Die? "Though we sometimes take it for granted, Tim's death is a stark reminder of the risks encountered regularly by the men and women who work for us. d: "YWxsc3RhcmJpby5jb20=", After seeing last month's tornado also turn homes into piles of splintered rubble, Ms Black said she decided to try and outrun the tornado when she learned her southwest Oklahoma City home was in harm's way. We chased so many intense storms, and I wish we could have just one more storm chase. Myers said the man left for work early Saturday and his vehicle was found empty near East Hefner Road and Dobbs Road just after 6 a.m. 'His vehicle was found washed off the road,' Myers said. Close call: One storm chaser's story. The news of Matts death came as a shock to fans who followed his storm chasing adventures on the show. The documentary-style reality TV series premiered in October 2007. The reality, Cowan said, is that all chasers have their own style. In 2017, three storm chasers, Kelley Williamson, 57, Randy Yarnall, 55, and Corbin Jaeger, 25, were killed in a car accident . 'I'm wondering if the tornadoes from a couple of weeks ago didn't frighten people so badly that this time they were taking no chances and trying to evade it by car,' said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up. 'Mile Wide Tornado' originally aired Sunday and focuses on the May 20 tornado that devastated a wide swatch of Oklahoma. Taylors team, from the website TornadoVideos.Net, consisted of meteorologist Reed Timmer and Chris Chittick, a photographer/probe technician. In Missouri three people died in three counties after rivers rose to dangerous levels, and in Arkansas a sheriff was killed by flooding in Scott County on Friday. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. I am shocked and absolutely devastated by the loss of my incredible, caring friend. Unlike many other reality stars, Reed Timmer puts his life at risk as one can also die during their work. #chaserfamily, Sad news in weather community again. But that afternoon, the attraction would turn fatal. 'It was chaos Everybody was running for their lives,' Terri Black, who lives in Moore, said. Describing Matts days in intensive care, his close friend and colleague Aaron Blaser wrote in a blog post, There was a 24-hour vigil outside the waiting room, family, other chasers, business associates, etc., Aaron also revealed the reason behind Matt Hughes suicide attempt saying, I knew we were going to lose him. Flood waters up to 4ft deep hampered rescue attempts and frequent lightning roiled the skies well after the main threat had passed to the east. Thoughts are with their families tonight. He was Reed Timmers quiet and understanding chase partner in the series and one helluva nice guy off-camera. Just because Reeds family was small, his childhood went happily. Explore the Rise of Southern Charm Star Leva Bonaparte, Meet Salvage Dawgs Star Mike Whiteside of Black Dog Salvage. 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. The salaries of Storm Chasers in the US range from $12,621 to $339,998 , with a median salary of $61,444 . Thank you.". Five tornadoes battered the Oklahoma City area on Friday, while another tornado hit the Tulsa area early Saturday. Two of the deceased had been featured on The Weather Channel's "Storm Wranglers.". Three storm chasers died in a car crash near Spur, Texas, on Tuesday while reportedly live streaming a nearby storm. What happened to Oscar on Only Murders in the Building. I am shocked and absolutely devastated by the loss of my incredible, caring friend. Young was chasing tornadoes with Samaras every spring since 2003 and together they tracked more than 125 tornadoes, according to his bio on the "Storm Chasers" website. 0:39. Nicholas Nair, 20; Gavin Short, 19; and Drake Brooks, 22, were killed after their vehicle hydroplaned and lost control while returning to Norman from storm chasing in Kansas at around 11.23pm Friday. Mr West guessed the experienced storm chasers were attempting to parallel the storm on the county road and it either changed course or another vortex appeared. Our thoughts & prayers go to their families," The Discovery Channel tweetedthis afternoon. The season usually starts in March and then ramps up for the next couple of months. The news comes as the death toll from Friday's tornadoes and storms in Oklahoma has risen to 18 people, including six children and 12 adults, the Oklahoma chief medical examiner said on Monday. The officers had to contend with hail and strong winds as they worked to help motorists. His body was found but the wildlife officer is still listed as missing. When the storm passed between El Reno and Yukon, it barreled right down Interstate 40 for more than two miles, ripping billboards down to twisted metal frames. A star of Discovery's Storm Chasers killed himself in May, but Matt Hughes' death was made public on last night's episode of the show. The network said though Betts was hurt, he and the car's two other occupants were wearing safety belts and were able to walk away from the banged-up vehicle. Officials in St. Charles County also reported that local schools suffered some damage. At the end . Tired of reading? Kelley and Randy were beloved members of the weather community. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin told CNN that motorists faced great danger when stuck on any freeway in the path of a twister. And Kansas native Matt Hughes was one of them. Thanks for contacting us. On Friday, TMZ reported that the reality star died from an ecstasy overdose, citing toxicology results obtained by the outlet. Trooper Randolph said roadways quickly became congested with the convergence of rush-hour traffic and fleeing residents. Paul and Young were pulled from a car by a tornado. Martha Llano Rodriguez of Mexico City, Mexico, died. Violent weather also moved through the St. Louis area. Kelley and Randy were beloved members of the weather community. 'I think we are still a little shaken by what happened in Moore. Thanks for signing up! Drivers were encouraged to stay off the roads on Saturday, as emergency crews started to repair the flood-damaged roads and bridges, and began clearing trees and other debris from roadways to make it easier for first responders to get to the areas hit by the tornadoes. The worry soon turned to flash flooding and floodwaters topped four feet in Oklahoma City on Saturday morning. We lost a legend., RIP my best friend and storm chasing partner, Joel Taylor. There is certainly risk inherent in tornado chasing, as with every other hobby, but Im not going to let that stop me from doing what I love to do, Cowan said. Storm chasers keep an even closer eye on weather data, but for a different reason. var qs = Object.keys(params).reduce(function(a, k){ a.push(k + '=' + encodeURIComponent(params[k])); return a},[]).join(String.fromCharCode(38)); Storm Chasers was largely filmed in the central United States, in an area known as Tornado Alley, where twisters are most frequent and severe. The live-stream ended right when it happened . This is a guy who was not just a meteorologist, he's an engineer, he's one of the smartest men I have ever met in my life," she said. Louise Boyle Since El Reno, its become easier than ever to track down storms, thanks to improved technology and forecasting methods. 'I'm not sure why people do that sort of stuff, but it is very dangerous.'. It was also violent, a strong EF-3 on the 0-to-5 scale for ranking twisters, packing winds as high as 296 mph. Ill miss you forever, Joel. This is an enormous loss for his family, his wide circle of friends and colleagues and National Geographic. USA TODAY. 'We're scrambling around,' said Lara O'Leary, a spokeswoman for the local ambulance agency. When she realized she was a sitting duck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Ms Black turned around and found herself directly in the path of the most violent part of the storm. The man, Corbin Jaeger, who was 25, was killed on March 28, 2017, when the two storm chasers, Randall D. Yarnall and Kelley G. Williamson, ran a stop sign at about 70 miles per hour in. Your goal is to shoot the best twisters pictures without dying because . Discovery Channel said it will honor the three veteran storm chasers, who regularly appeared on its show Stormchasers, with a special airing this week. Dale Sharpe, an Australian, struck a deer and subsequently became disabled. With the severe weather knocking out power to nearly 120,000 customers in Oklahoma, according to electricity provider OG&E. 'There is very low visibility with the heavy rain so we're having trouble getting around. Owner Tyler Weston described himself as a longtime patron before purchasing the spa at 3540 W. Colfax Ave. for $2 million last October with co-owner Scott Kilkenny. 'It's not even close to anything like what we had last week,' Smith said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Five years ago, four of their own died in the monster El Reno tornado. We are saddened by this loss and our deepest sympathies go out to the families and loved ones of all involved." 'Tim's research included creation of a special probe he would place in the path of a twister to measure data from inside the tornado; his pioneering work on lightning was featured in the August 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine. harry hill family. When a tornado or hurricane happens, they want to be there to observe and record it. Timmer, a 1998 Forest Hills . Fans were shocked When Matts death was announced after a Storm Chasers episode in November 2010. The storm was a behemoth: 2.6 miles wide, the largest tornado ever measured on Earth. Long-time friend of Tim Samaras, meteorologist Mike Nelson, told the Denver Channel: 'I have known Tim for over 20 years, he was the most brilliant and most careful severe weather researcher of them all. Storm . Storm chasers with cameras in their car transmitted video showing a number of funnels dropping from the supercell thunderstorm as it passed south of El Reno and toward downtown Oklahoma City. Amy Williamson, who lives just off I-40 in the western Oklahoma City suburb of Yukon, said when she heard the tornado was heading towards her home, she put her children, baby sitter and cats in her car and drove away. Similarly, he celebrates his birthday every 17 March. The El Reno, Okla., tornado of May 31, 2013, killed eight people, all of whom died in vehicles. In St. Charles County, at least 71 homes were heavily damaged and 100 had slight to moderate damage, county spokeswoman Colene McEntee said. I ask that you keep the families in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time," Tony Laubach, meteorologist and TWISTEX collaborator posted on the TWISTEX Facebook page . The live stream ended when when Williamson, 57,. The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported on Saturday that Oklahoma City-area hospitals treated 104 people. 'Our hearts also go out to the Carl Young family as well as they are feeling the same feelings we are today. Taylor, an Elk City, Oklahoma, native, joined the popular Discovery Channel series in 2008 for season 2. Irrespective of how close someone gets to a storm,Cowan and McGowan agreed that the act of driving is probably more dangerous than the tornadoes themselves. What a lot of us didnt know was that he suffered from depression.. 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