[Skywarn] Pilger, Nebraska tornado photo: Why stormchasing has become unethical.

[Standorroh]

I agree with some of what he says but definitely not all.  I think he is trying to put all chasers into one group and that is not the case.  We are not all out there hoping to have a tornado decimate a town so we can go take some pictures to sale to the media.  Me personally, I have a chainsaw in the back of my truck so if I come across a tornado that has blown down trees blocking roads that emergency responders have to use I can start clearing roads saving time.  In his article he also personally attacked Reed Timmer.  Evidently, he has never seem him break off chasing to help in rescue efforts.  Many of us here in MS will remember the Yazoo City EF-4 tornado back in 2010 where he stopped chasing to help pull people out of the rubble.  I personally saw him helping this year in Magnolia, AR, after the EF-4 went through that town and Vilonia.  Now, that being said, there are some chasers out there that are only in it for the pictures and  money.  I saw some of those while on the tornado hit Louisville, MS, this year.  While I do not agree with that, it is a free country and they have every right to do so.  But I hold fast to the notion that the majority of TRAINED chasers are out there for the right reasons.  Now those that just saw the movie Twister and think it would be fun to go out there and do that…different story.  But that is where the distinction needs to be made. 
 
He also quoted a NOAA source saying that the new Dual-Pol radar was just as good as a trained spotter report.  We had an storm just last week in NE Mississippi where a chaser from our group was on a storm late at night that was not even warned for being severe until very late in the game.  That storm produced a confirmed EF-1 that damaged some property.  Evidently, Dual-Pol was taking a break that night because the only report of a tornado came from that chaser reporting back to the local media outlet that relayed the reports.  If people were only relying on the NWS to issue a warning they would have never been aware the storm was even at severe limits…much less producing a tornado.  There are portions of this country that are not well covered by radar and spotters/chasers are absolutely necessary. 
 
Now, those that just think it is cool to go out there and do this job and/or just want to see if they can get some footage that gets them interviewed by Jim Cantore need to reevaluate why they are out there.  Not only are they putting themselves at risk, but also those that are out there for the right reasons.
 
Lastly, he blamed the chasers for try to sale their videos for profit.  Does some blame need to go to the media?  The know that disaster sales and the worse the footage they get the more viewers and the better ratings.  Perhaps if he is so upset at chasers selling footage he should ask the media to quit airing footage of destroyed homes and lives.  But we all know that will never happen because ratings are all that matters.  The more people that the national news can put on camera standing in front of what is left of their home crying and saying they don’t what to do next the better in their opinion.  And the national news organizations only air that footage because they know that is what our society will tune in to watch.  We love a good disaster or car wreck on the side of the interstate.  He points his finger at the chasers.  Maybe he should be pointing it at all of us instead.
 
Stan
 
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 20, 2014, at 8:05 AM, Lloyd Colston <colstonl at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/06/19/pilger_nebraska_tornado_photo_why_stormchasing_has_become_unethical.html
> 
> I hope spotters stay safe.
> 
> Lloyd
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