Storm Chase Details
Chase Date: April 14, 2011
Miles Logged: 431
States Chased: OK
Tornadoes Witnessed: 1
Severe Risks: SPC Outlooks
Chase Recap:
Pre-chase, at work
The chase day started at my house in Norman. I had to go to work for a few hours in the morning before heading out to chase in the afternoon. I left work around 1pm and headed out to chase with David Drummond.
The Chase
First we got to I-40 eastbound and headed towards Shawnee. A few nice updrafts were apparent near Shawnee, Oklahoma. We ended up following the same storm from there until Tulsa, watching it mature along the way.
After some zig-zagging in the country between I-40 and I-44, we got to I-44 near Chandler. We were attempting to reposition for the storm and got onto I-44. Poor road networks made the turnpike the easiest way to stay with the storm at that point.
We ended up stopping in the service station area near Stroud, OK. Things were wrapping up quickly, and before we knew it a funnel appeared. We made a beeline for the turnpike exit at Stroud about a mile up the turnpike.
Stroud Oklahoma Tornado
Right after we exited from the turnpike, we turned left and drove onto the overpass above the turnpike. The tornado planted just to our northwest right out of the drivers side window.
After the Stroud tornado, the storm continued to have an RFD outflow push appearance. It never really did wrap up, despite all of the continued tornado warnings. We gave up on that storm somewhere east of Claremore, and headed south to Wagoner to catch the next storm. The next storm had a great blocky wall cloud presentation west of Wagoner. Radar showed a tightening couplet, but it never seemed to get the job done. We decided to bail on that storm..
Back to Tulsa
One last chance was a storm heading for south Tulsa metro area, so we headed up the Muskogee turnpike towards Tulsa, and ended up being cored pretty good in Bixby, OK. All in all a decent chase, and it was celebrated with steak at Applebee’s
We returned to Norman around 1:30 am and I finally broke a curse/streak – I slept in my own bed after seeing a tornado during the day. That is an accomplishment I had not ever done prior to this chase.
