Dust Storm Or Tornado? Reed Timmer’s Wild Chase Near Kermit, Texas

Meteorologist Reed Timmer recently shared video of a haboob spawned by a supercell over the weekend near Kermit, Texas. Of course, he drove right into it. It would have been weird if he didn’t. 

The thing is, Dr. Timmer was well aware of the fact that there could be a tornado hiding behind that massive dust storm, which he would have been totally fine with. The Dominator research vehicles he and his team drive are designed to withstand tornadoes. They’re rolling storm shelters that also serve as research labs.

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The clip reminds me of a story about the tornado that struck my hometown of Vernon, Texas, back on April 10, 1979 (aka Terrible Tuesday).  

A friend of mine’s parents lived west of town as the storm approached. His dad initially thought it was a big dust storm, but quickly realized it was a tornado. They didn’t have shelter, so all they could do was run into a freshly plowed field and lie flat. The tornado passed over them, but they were unharmed. However, they were left with an awful case of PTSD (especially his mother). 

The residents of Vernon weren’t given much warning that day. That’s why I’m so grateful for storm chasers like Dr. Timmer. They’re willing to put themselves in harm’s way in the name of saving lives through advanced warning and storm education.