All language subtitles for Tornado.Alley.2011.720p.BluRay.H264.AAC-RARBG

There is a place in the
heartland of the United States

that is home to the most
severe storms on earth.

When a clash of forces above

can turn day into night

and rain terror
on those below.

"Tornado alley"
is a name well-earned

for it is home to nearly 80%

of the world's most
violent tornadoes.

The destruction they leave
behind each year is enormous

and the human toll
is no less devastating.

We've come to understand why so
many tornadoes plague this region,

but we still cannot predict
with great accuracy

where and when
they will strike.

The scientific mission called
vortex two is now underway

to gain a better understanding of
why some storms produce tornadoes

and others do not.

Well,guys,i guess
y'all are about ready to go.

Meteorologist don burgess

is one of the principle
investigators on the team.

Vortex two,
or "v-2" as we call it,

is a large
scientific experiment.

Large because we need to get
as much data as possible

on the details
of tornadogenesis,

the time when
tornadoes are born.

A storm can be huge,
miles across.

So we've got to use
every tool we've got.

We'll surround the storms
with sensors called sticknets.

Mobile weather
data collecting vehicles

called mesonets will get as close
to the tornado as possible.

We'll drop mini
weather stations called pods

right in the path
of an oncoming tornado.

And we'll scan
inside the storms

with the most sophisticated
mobile radar trucks.

The goal of their field
research is to gather information

that can be used to provide earlier
and more accurate warnings.

And with over 100 researchers,

forty vehicles and a huge array
of advanced instrumentation,

vortex two is the most ambitious
severe storm investigation in history.

Scientists are not the only
ones drawn to severe weather.

Sean Casey is both a filmmaker
and a storm chaser

and his preparation is taking
shape in a very different way,

upgrading his 14,000-pound
homemade tank.

He calls it the
"tornado intercept vehicle"

or "tl v. "

Built for one purpose,

to drive into the heart
of a tornado.

People ask me
why I 'm doing this.

I know that some of them
think I'm nuts,

but for years I've had
this goal, this dream.

I want to get a shot of a
tornado coming directly at us

and film that impact.

And this is the only way
i know how to do it.

With two-inch composite
armor and bulletproof windows,

tiv is designed to survive tornadic
winds up to 200 miles per hour.

Meteorologist Brandon ivey will monitor
weather conditions for the team.

Just watch yourself.

All right, Marc.
Keep going. Keep going.

Driver Marcus Gutierrez
is a trained Navy medic,

a skill set that hopefully
won't be needed.

A little more.

All right, Marc.
Keep going. Keep going.

Sean Casey will spend
most of his time under the turret,

which both houses and protects
his large-format camera.

Tiv is ready to roll,

but first, a rehearsal.

Tornado coming! Deploy!

Four seconds.

Panels lower
to block lifting winds.

Eight seconds.

Sixteen seconds.

Steel spikes drive 40
inches into the ground as anchors.

22.9.

Nah-uh.
Yeah.

Why do we keep
getting that number?

The chase is on,

for it's storm season
in tornado alley.

And a unique combination of
geography and converging air masses

provide the perfect environment
for tornadogenesis.

With no Southern mountain
range to block the flow,

warm moist air from the Gulf
of Mexico moves northward

under the dry, cool fast moving
winds of the jet stream.

If the warm air rises,

it cools and moisture
condenses into clouds

reaching as high as 10 miles into
the atmosphere and a storm is born.

Winds moving in different
directions and different speeds

can rotate a storm into
what is called a supercell.

Scientists believe that a downdraft
wrapping around the rear of the supercell

is critical to bringing
the rotation to the ground

and that the temperature of
the downdraft might determine

whether the storm
merely produces strong winds

or a monster tornado.

don". Welcome to day one,
first day of vortex two.

We have an interesting
situation this morning.

This is the first slide today,
the 500 millibar chart.

On it you can see
that we have...

Each day begins
with a weather briefing

to target areas
with tornado potential.

Then team leaders go to work.

Vortex two researcher doctor Karen
kosiba directs placement of the pods.

Before each mission i
like to meet with the pod teams

so we can go over a strategy so
they know where to drop the pods.

How far the pods
should be spaced.

It could be
a dangerous situation

so they need to be cognizant of
what's going on around them.

Okay, so I think
we're set then for today.

Principle
investigator doctor Josh wurman

is in charge of coordinating
v-2's 11 radar trucks.

Radar is the backbone
of our mission,

because it allows us
to see inside storms

and make three-dimensional
maps of the winds.

For don burgess this will
mark almost 40 years of storm chasing.

There's a great deal of excitement
when you head out the first day.

I just relish the time and
relish the opportunity to go out

and get to do this
one more time.

The height of the storm
season lasts less than two months.

For chase teams, the clock
is constantly ticking.

This is dow seven heading out.

We're going to get
our feet wet here.

Once the storm is targeted
vortex two will try to get ahead of it.

Their goal is to be
in position to collect data

throughout the entire
life cycle of a tornado.

First, they'll position radar
and other sensors

as far as 20 miles out to record
large-scale samples of the entire storm.

Some radar trucks will
deploy closer to the tornado

to collect
higher-resolution data.

Before they scan, they must get
level and be clear of obstacles.

Then, doppler radar
emits radio waves

that reflect off rain,
hail and lofted debris,

creating a map of the structure
and evolution of the tornado.

A hook-like shape
on radar can show

that a downdraft is wrapped
around the rear of the storm,

a potential indicator
of tornadogenesis.

Roaming mesonet vehicles and
pods dropped in the storm's path

measure what radar cannot,

temperature, humidity, and
wind speed at ground level.

Altogether, v-2's array
of instrumentation

will make visible the unseen
architecture of the entire storm.

Sean Casey's mission is far
less complex than v-2's,

but his commitment
is no less impressive.

This has been my life
for the last eight years now

and I don't want to spend
all this time out in the field

and bring back
ordinary footage.

It's one of the visual
wonders of the world.

It feels like it should be
on another planet.

Early on,
both v-2 and tiv

find themselves
on the same road.

Two storms have developed
and they both show potential.

Tiv heads east towards a storm
that is already tornado-warned.

V-2 goes west,

where better road network will increase
their chances for a full deployment.

There is now
a target storm.

It is the second one
in the line,

not the Southern tip.

This is dow seven
to c.S.P.R. Teams.

It looks like
it's to the west of you.

You're in a pretty good spot.

We're going to keep scanning
this and we'll update you,

but circulation is marginally
tornadic in the dow.

And I think we're seeing it
might be a tornado visually.

Yeah, it's the only thing
I've seen there is the wall cloud.

I don't know
about the tornado.

It might be another
rain curtain there.

Visually, it's clearly
on the ground.

Dow seven, probe 13.
What do you want us to do?

Josh". Standby, probe 13.

Fifty-five gallon oil
barrels fly like leaves in the wind.

Yeah, the tornado,
it is weakening.

It's 4.6 at 40 degrees.

Basically, we're just trying
to regroup out ahead of this.

Even though
the tornado has weakened,

the storm is still strong
and on the move.

Heading east as well.
Dow five, did you copy?

Yeah, we copy that.
We're rolling.

To the east, tiv
has chosen the wrong storm.

They have a lot of ground
to make up.

V-2 is already positioning sensors
on the perimeter of the storm.

Do you want to be
given our road network?

Hey, the sticknet
they're setting up on 15,

do you think
you could go up 207?

This looks like it
could produce again.

Dow seven,
are you deployed yet?

We are deploying
at our current location...

Uh, are you scanning yet?

Yeah. We're having a heck of a
time finding a deployment site.

Is it all right
if we give 2108 a try?

Yeah, that's fine.

You'll have to rush
and there's certainly

no guarantee
that's a better road.

Karen". Okay,
can the probe teams move

two kilometers south
from their given location

and then hold up there?

Probe 11, do you copy?

Yep, we copy.

The northern latitude
was 39.24, correct?

Correct.

That's in the middle
of a field, is it not?

That's correct, but just do
it right where that is, though.

Dow five, dow seven?

Man'. Dow five.

Are you scanning?

Not yet.

Man". This is probe one.

Any teams following us,

county road 4
is washed out at our position.

Did you say washed out?

Yes. There is no road.
We are turning around.

Go 16.
We'll turn around after you.

Dow five, dow seven?

Man'. Dow five.

Hi, what's your status?

We're still sitting here scanning
with much better data than before.

Okay.
Good job, dow five.

Okay, let's start
closing hatches.

Close hatches.

Oh, man. I gotta
get the camera up.

Now it looks like
it's dissolving.

Come on, you're going
to have to go faster, Marc.

Half the driving is done.

Okay,
just drive into it.

Come on.

Five minutes
and we would have had it.

It was that one train.

We just missed it.

Dow seven to all teams,
mission is over.

Good job today, you guys. And
we'll see you back at the hotel.

For all their efforts,

the tl v team came up short.

But there's always
another day...

Blue skies,

white clouds,

warm dry breezes...

Terrible weather
for storm chasers.

What they need
is a little luck.

Through 14 seasons,

dow driver herb Stein
has followed the same ritual.

Searching for just the right
good luck charm.

No matter how slim the
chances, the search goes on.

Back up. Back up,
back up. Clear.

Now go. Go, go, go.
Whoa! Turn!

Warm, moist air from the
Gulf of Mexico has now returned,

a necessary fuel
for the storms on the plains.

Any hail reports? We're
starting to pick up a little bit.

Hailstones can range in size from as
small as a pea to as large as a softball...

A threat to both researchers
and their equipment.

All teams,
this is n.O.X.P.

We've got moderate
hail falling now.

Probe 11's already got
half-inch hail and increasing.

We're getting
nickel-sized hail.

Okay, copy.
Write it all down.

Dow seven, this is u.M.X.
Pole, what's the status?

The dow's going to be
pulling out now.

The storm's got
big hail in it.

So everybody try to get east on
this road as quickly as you can.

Probe 11's
already got golf balls.

Probe 12. Go ahead now.

Dow seven, dow six,

we're getting
caught up in this

so we're at the edge
of the storm right now.

Josh". Dow seven is about five miles
ahead of you and we are in the clear.

Man". Okay, dow six copy. Fyi, there
are still some probes way behind us.

Probe 11 and 12,
are you coming this way?

Yeah, we are.
We're behind you.

We're seeing some
cut-off from communication,

was somebody
calling dow seven?

Man 2". Yes. Probe 11 is about
a mile in front of us

and we are moving very slowly
because we cannot see.

Circulation is on the road.

Probe 11. We are seeing
circulation right off to our right.

Stop. Stop.
We are in circulation.

We're turning around.
Turn around. Turn around.

It's passing over us.
We're fine.

Probe 15?

Probe 16?

Probe 11?

Probe 12?

Probe 13?

Great. Herb, you need to go out
and restart the generator.

Karen, you need to get
the antennae controller off.

Yes, I'm doing it.

Okay, just fyi,
the dow is down.

We have no power. We cannot
see where the tornado is,

so get safe visually, please.

With a third of their
team stuck in a massive storm,

safety is now
the number-one priority.

Josh, with everybody
spread out and the comms bad,

I just don't see any reason to
continue with this deployment. Over.

No, I think we just have to
get people safe at this point,

so it's disappointing.

Miles away on a different
storm, the tiv crew is waiting.

The storm is on the move.

Hunting for a tornado
can feel like

swimming with a shark
in dark waters.

You know it's there,
you just can't see it.

Hey, little circulation
right ahead of us.

Wow! Look at that.

Four o'clock,
new circulation.

Hey, new tornado
forming in the east,

new tornado
forming in the east.

A small tornado has
now become a massive tornado.

Keep going. Let's... i
don't want to go inside of it.

- Are you sure?
- Yeah, I'm sure, man.

I'm looking at it.

It's catching us.

You gotta fly, dude.
Just to be on the safe side.

You gotta fly.

It's directly behind us.
It's directly behind us.

It's coming up on the road.

I can't see the road, Sean.

Let's stop up here
and deploy.

Let's stop and deploy.

Are you guys okay?

Yeah. Yeah, we're fine. Yeah.
Okay. Let's follow this.

- Hey take a left right here.
- All right.

That's another big one, Sean.

That's a really big one.

There's debris in the air.
There's debris in the air.

I hope everybody's
in their basement.

I hope they're
in the basement.

There is
a contradiction sometimes.

It can be exciting
chasing tornadoes,

but when you see this,

it really hits home how important
the warning times are.

People's lives were saved because they
had enough time to get to safety.

It's been a long
and well-traveled road.

Now there are
no storms to chase

and waiting
is the hardest part.

Still, conditions can change

and the right road might just
lead to that one perfect storm.

We have opportunity
for significant supercells,

maybe significant
tornadoes today.

This may be one of the last
good days of the spring.

Looking at the low-level...

The national weather service

has issued tornado
watch number 332.

Persons should remain alert for
rapidly changing weather conditions.

Stay tuned to noaa weather radio.
Commercial radio...

All team vehicles, you
have on your mesonets, correct?

Woman". Probe 11. Check.

Karen; Probe 12?
Man 13 check.

- Thirteen?
- Check.

- Fourteen?
- Check.

- Fifteen?
- Check.

We're going to set up
the sr. 'S down there

and then we're going to kind of have
a triangle down there with dow five

and we thought
we'd set you up there.

Copy that, Josh.
Sounds good.

We have to
go in the storm.

Try and stay in the middle.
Try and stay in the middle.

I'm trying, I'm trying.
It's really slippery.

Hey, slow down.
Slow down, slow down.

Keep it in the road.
Keep it in the road.

It looks like the surface
circulation is increasing

and the hook
is really coiling up,

so this storm looks
like it's intensifying

and certainly could produce
something in the next few minutes.

Karen". Dow seven
to all probe teams,

head up north quickly
to dow five's location

and start dropping pods
at dow five and northward.

Woman". Copy. We're moving.

We're going to do
the hopscotch method

and basically it's going
to be probe 11.

This is dow six. I can confirm
a tornado. It is moving east at 15.

Dow seven?

Go ahead, probe 11.

We have
deployed pod c.

Where would you
like us to go next?

Try to get them at 100 meters,
but do the best you can.

You don't have much time.

Probe 11 dropping pod f.
Still a large tornado.

Copy.

Dow seven, probe 14?

Probe 14. Go ahead. We're
dropping our third pod right now.

Okay, drop it
and then head south.

Dow one,
all sr. 'S are deployed.

Last one is number seven,
directly in the path.

N.O.X.P. Dow seven,
what's your status?

Yes, Josh. We've been up and
scanning since I think about 2242z.

We got it. Over.

Josh". Okay. Great. Storm should be
coming towards you after it passes us.

All 11 of v-2's
radar trucks are in position,

deployed, and scanning.

For tiv, now it's only a
matter of timing and luck.

Where do you think it's going
to cross on this road?

Just up here.

Okay.
Let's deploy right here.

Deploy. Deploy-

okay, here we go.

It's coming right at us.

It took eight years

and in less than a minute,
it was over.

He'd gotten inside
and got the shot.

Throughout the course
of their field research,

vortex two collected data on
dozens of storms and tornadoes.

It'll take years to analyze the
information they've gathered,

but their work has already pushed the
boundaries of meteorological science.

Go ahead,
dow probe teams.

Josh". Great job, Karen, positioning us.
That was perfect.

All right. Good job
getting there, you guys.

Really. All probe teams.

Today, we made
the right forecast.

We moved to the right place.
We got deployed.

We collected the data,

so there's a great feeling
of accomplishment

and a feeling of relief that
we got what we needed to get.

Now we have dozens
and dozens of datasets

that will enable us
to learn the keys

to why some of these storms made
tornadoes and some of them didn't.

Scientists from vortex two
should feel very proud

if ten years from now the lead
times are 15 minutes or 20 minutes

and families in tornado alley

have that many more minutes
to get to safety.

In the end, it wasn't about
just getting a single shot.

It's a life changing
experience

to witness the beauty
and power of these storms.

It's the lure of tornado alley

and it's got me.