LINWOOD TORNADO EF4, WE SAW IT LIVE
The NWS survey has been released on the violent tornado we witnessed Tuesday evening. The twister was one mile wide, was on the ground for 31 miles with peak winds of 170 mph. It was the first EF4 and the strongest tornado in the United States this year. There were 18 injuries but no deaths. It was like nothing I've ever seen. Frightening and fascinating at the same time. There was also a feeling of helplessness knowing it had the potential to be a deadly and highly destructive storm.
The image below is from KMBC TV. The massive storm was captured by the stations helicopter as it narrowly missed Lawrence. I can't believe I was actually less than 1/2 mile from that beast. WOW!
Notice on the survey how close the storm came to Lawrence...1 mile from a direct hit on a major population center, A very close call that would have caused massive destruction and probably deaths.
The chase vehicle that Dahl provided us was put through the wringer.and performed at a high level under some very intense and extreme conditions.We can thank Dahl enough for giving us the protection and power to keep ourselves safe. Hats off to KV and the crew at Dahl for powering this years chase once again. Roll weather...TS