Storm chasers in northwestern Texas were in the right place at the right time earlier this week. They captured incredible footage of what appeared to be a massive tornado that touched down in an open field.
Around 7 p.m. CDT on May 23, the first of four tornadoes was on the ground near the town of Morton, Texas, about 60 miles northwest of Lubbock, giving chasers an unforgettable view of nature unleashed.
The twister appeared to be just as wide as it was tall, which would classify it as a wedge tornado. Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather meteorologist and senior weather editor, and others on Twitter noted the dust, which is plentiful in this region of Texas, could have made the twister appear larger than it actually was.
“Although it appeared to be a large wedge tornado, it’s possible that it was a smaller tornado wrapped in dust, as this photo shows,” Ferrell wrote. “Regardless of its size, it was a very scary sight to see.”
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground. Tornadoes are capable of completely destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The exact size and intensity of the tornado have not been confirmed yet by the NWS in Lubbock, Texas. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, even though there were many storm chasers scattered alongside the road watching the storm.
In one video shared on Twitter by storm chaser Chad Casey, cars can be seen parked on the side of the road, and at least one person can be seen taking a ‘selfie’ with the massive tornado in the background. Casey described the tornado as an “absolute monster” in his post.
In awe of the sheer size of the tornado, storm chasers shared multiple photos and videos of the twister on social media.
“Honestly, not sure how I could ever top this moment,” NWS employee, Carter J. Humphreys, wrote on Twitter. “Amazing tornado near Morton, Texas, this afternoon.”
While these storm chasers got a front-row seat to this twister, being out in the elements with no safe place can be incredibly dangerous.
Three more tornadoes were reported Monday along with large hail, as big as tennis balls, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center,
Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms and can level neighborhoods in seconds. Taking some basic tornado safety precautions can save one life. Most important, it is crucial for someone to seek shelter immediately if they are within a tornado-warned storm.
Produced in association with AccuWeather.
