I'd sprawl out in the futon in Waterbury, Vermont, dog by my side, and take a precious hour or two between studying and working two jobs to watch the different tornado chasers work towards achieving their goals. I'd start watching in early March so that by the time storms were ramping up in earnest I could follow the real thing instead of the show.
This documentary series profiled different teams comprised of scientists, filmmakers, a team of adrenaline-junkies-masquerading-as-scientists, and a team of engineers as they studied tornadoes from many different angles. My favorite group to follow were the engineers; they seemed the most dedicated and were portrayed as being level-headed and drama-free. Twistex, led by Tim Samaras and Carl Young, sought to better understand the tornado life cycle and how it relates to building structures that can better withstand a tornado's winds. In a highly profiled incident within the chase community, Samaras, his son, and Young all lost their lives while chasing tornadoes in 2013.
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| Twistex in Action (Laubacht) |
As we get closer to April 30, I realized that I hadn't gotten down to the business of beginning my usual spring ritual. Imagine my dismay when I discovered today that the show was no longer available on Netflix, and that I'd have to find some other way to build up the energy and excitement that usually comes hand-in-hand with warmer weather. Luckily I discovered Reed Timmer's documentary streaming on Hulu, but it isn't quite the same.
One of the things that I most anticipate with regards to this trip is witnessing the cultural phenomenon- I look forward to learning about the kind of people who anticipate thunderstorms with the same zeal that I do. One of my SLT tripmates has already reached out to me on social media, and I'm enthusiastic about meeting everyone else in person. Only 34 days to go!
