GREATEST STORMS ON EARTH - Best Of Tornado Alley
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ต.ค. 2019
- Visually stunning, mini documentary of the best tornado footage, lightning strikes, supercells and most beautiful storms I've documented. Not only is Mother Nature’s fury amplified with these explosive storms, So is her beauty.
For licensing contact hankschyma@gmail.com
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/ pecoshank
MAKING OF THIS VIDEO:
I have devoted a large portion of my life to documenting thunderstorms from South Texas to North Dakota, and from California to Florida. The storms notorious in Tornado Alley can be terribly powerful, however the side I'm most interested in is her beauty. This is a collection of my all time most beautiful and greatest moments storm chasing. I have strived to capture steady shots in the worst conditions possible with no shaking, or windshield wipers. Though I've had many great encounters in my portfolio over the last 25 years, this video is mostly the last decade simply due to the increase in camera quality. Many great 1080p HD captures were left out to make room for the 4K storm footage. I hope you enjoy :D
STORM INFORMATION:
Roughly 75% of the ENTIRE planet’s tornadoes are reported in the United States. Here, unique geography is ultimately responsible for the high frequency of extremely powerful storm cells. Though tornadoes most often make the headlines, all this excessive energy in the atmosphere can result in an freak show of other wonders.
Many of the phenomena we are familiar with and others we are still just discovering. Not only is Mother Nature’s fury amplified with these explosive storms, So is her beauty.
Storm updrafts most frequently erupt near late afternoon when daytime temperatures reach their highest.
RAINBOW INFORMATION
Rainbows are caused by the reflection, refraction and dispersion of sunlight in rain droplets. The secondary rainbow is visible when the light that is reflected twice inside raindrops is bright enough for detection. And Because this light is reflected twice, the order of the secondary rainbow’s colors are reversed.
WHY STORMS TURN GREEN:
The concentrated downdraft of heaviest rain and hail is the core
This icy waterfall often has a turquoise hue.
In the evening or morning when golden hour sun light mixes in, the storm can turn an eerie green.
SUPERCELL INFORMATION:
In a wind sheared environment cell updrafts may rotate, becoming a mesocyclone. Mesocyclone’s are the defining character of the rarest and most powerful breed of thunderstorms, the supercell. And it’s these supercells that are responsible for the majority of the worlds strong tornadoes. Thankfully, most of these tornadoes occur over sparsely populated areas causing little damage if any.
LIGHTNING INFORMATION:
Thunderstorms have the ability to create electric fields by separating pools of positive and negative charges. When oppositely charged regions become strong enough, a flash of lightning temporarily equalizes the difference. Most flashes occur within the storm, but roughly 1 in 5 initiate by a downward moving stepped leader that connects to the ground. This is a cloud-to-ground flash. The more powerful the thunderstorm, the less time needed for the regions to rebuild their energetic charges.
UPWARD MOVING LIGHTNING or Ground-to-cloud lightning:
On rare occasions lightning initiates from tall objects on the ground and propagates upward into the storm. During extraordinary events, two or three GROUND-TO-CLOUD flashes occur And during extremely rare conditions over a dozen bolts of lightning can leap up into the sky.
Near the ceiling of our troposphere, pouch like mammatus clouds hank underneath the storms anvil cloud. High above the anvil cloudds, mysterious large scale discharges burst into color. Scientists call these Transient Luminous Events (TLEs).
Music Score by: Dan Workman, Christine Wu & Hank Schyma
![THE TOYS x NONT TANONT - ดอกไม้ที่รอฝน (spring) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pPa1d5cC8M4/mqdefault.jpg)
I never cared about the weather until I watched a Pecos Hank video. I was blind and now I see. Hallelujah
And on that day, he was converted! 🙏
I see Pecos Hank, I upvote.
Tell it brother!
Cord Crenshaw And if I could, I surely would
Stand on the rock where Pecos stood!
geoengineering though
Very nice, very good. Thank you. Good watch!
lol
I LOVE YOU
nice one
nice! xqcL
eawfgaegaegea
This whole video is like a work of art
thanks duck!
It isn’t like one, it is one mate
AFFLACK!!!
@@vwlz8637 lol
💥💬
Yo guys he got this footage HIMSELF. This man recorded these amazing phenomena using his own camera!
That’s insane. Imagine being brave enough to even get within seeing distance of a tornado
I know. All his photos are his.
@@acek2016 id love to be viewing distance from a tornado. But I do actually want to be a meteorologist. Mother Nature is beautiful. Astonishing. Seeing these storms in person would be one sight of a lifetime. One storm is never like another. each one you see is a different beauty
@@acek2016 May have started out as "brave", now addiction might be the appropriate word for it...
Not only that he makes most of his own music too
As someone with an anxiety disorder, i don't know why but these videos really calm me down when I'm having s panic attack. Thank you pecos
I read long ago that being out in nature, or even watching the natural world on video, triggers some sort of "happy endorphins" in our brains. It has something to do with human evolution and instincts if I remember correctly.
@@crocodile1313 damn thats cool, althought i cant imagine watching tornados calming someone down, they are really terryfing to me.
That's quite opposite for me
I get scared by these videos
Tornadoes are scary as heck but watching storms, especially watching them form has this calming beauty but an exciting scary aspect, you never know what could happen between when the cloud forms and disperses.
I love watching thunderstorms for that reason
How think of living there, and how chaotic their lives are, how many people die. Now imagine one is forming over your house right now. Anxiety restored.
I would totally watch a full-length documentary made by you
Move to Dayton Ohio we had 15 in the Dayton area on Memorial Day.
Who wouldn't?
@@timothyspumphrey1186 Documentaries?
This one TH-cam video, just under 7 minutes long, has better production quality, is more engaging, and is genuinely more interesting than 90% of the hour-long weather documentaries on television.
Piece of art!
one of the reasons I ditched TV over 5 years ago is content such as this, and some of the history I subscribe to here. Hank is an artist and a scientist!
Beautiful View of Thunderstorms:: ❤️ th-cam.com/video/4S0jaeS-PO4/w-d-xo.html
That's because this man truly loves what he does. He truly loves the weather. So he uses artistic flare to communicate that love to others. Most hour-long weather documentaries have been focus-grouped to death by overly-cautious TV producers who want to make the documentaries as appealing to as many people as possible.
to be fair id love to watch him 1hour just vibing and showing us pretty storms
I live in the bullseye of tornado alley. Was at our local airport talking with a friend when the sirens went off one day. A fast moving twister had formed and was heading at us at a speed of 35mph. Since we were in a metal hanger, we decided to make a run for it in my car. As we were headed out the airport road, the pressure change suddenly caused every window on my car to fog over, so bad , I could hardly see to drive. After clearing the drivers window with my hand, We could see that the road led right into the twister. We reversed course and ended up driving to the end of the runway and bailing out into a ditch. The wind was so strong we could barely stand long enough to reach a drainage pipe. We watched as the tornado hit a national guard armory north of the airport. Luckily, no one was hurt, and this was a small tornado. Can't imagine being caught in one of these F5s.
That was intense just reading, I can't imagine experiencing it! Thank God u changed direction & got low.. Stay safe!
F5 : 🌫🌪 😎 nice to meet you Russell I just came to visit again since you were lonely 🙂
Question is, why would you live in a bullseye of tornado alley?:-D Do you have a death wish?
@@skadi6750 no just to play inside of 🌪. 🎶 you spin my head around baby right around when you go down down 🎶
Bill the extreme would of walked up to the twister and thrown a bottle of jack into it
Weather can be a beautiful yet dangerous thing. When it comes to tornadoes, it's best to admire them from a safe distance and respect them for their intense power. Thank you for bringing us such incredible footage, Hank. Keep up the great work!
These are the kind of documentaries that teachers should show us because they are more entertaining than reading about them on paper.
yes
This comment deserves more likes
Periodt. 💅
YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSS
@Melody Aviles bruh what
2:26
Person: World’s violent tornadoes
Subtitles: World’s violet tomatoes
Yhea lol
lol
U right
Yeah he does that so the youtube system doesn't demonitze him with words it finds "inappropriate..."
Hey tomatoes are dangerous my friend beware
It's weird how reading the comments makes me think there's still hope for this World and the rest of us. Love from iran
3:52 yes youtube subtitles at it again: “that was three burritos on the ground
Was it because of the violet tomatoes?
@@DorotaGabal Lmao yea I noticed the subs saying "violent tomatoes" at 2:26
thats intentional. Hank subtitles his videos
"That was three burritos on the ground."
-Closed captioning
lol love it
Stolen comment
@@Martin-xh1hd yeah, so? There is nothing wrong with that
@@satsat247 yes there is
The Hulk gathered them up and gave them to Antman!
I would take 30 minutes of just hank talking about random stuff, and I would love it.
IKR!! He could read my electric bill to me out loud and I'd swoon....
Agreed!
@@christineparis5607 oh heck yeah, and maybe play a nice track to it too :)
He loves animals and people, you listen when he talks. Wild weather where ever he goes... New Jesus confirmed?
@@Peter-dy3tf Amen
Living in the midwest -having seen a few tornadoes- I'd have to say the lightning storms might be more impressive. Especially the ones when there is no rain & just lighting. Sometimes so bright it feels like dawn or dust. Tornadoes are just scary, especially ones at night & you can't see it but only can hear the roar of a jet engine. You're in the middle of a windy downpour, then all of a sudden it stops raining, becomes really quiet with no wind & then a few minutes later you can hear this low rumble -almost like the sound of a massive waterfall- and suddenly the tornado appears.
I think tornadoes are both scary and beautiful, especially if you can see them. I could watch a single tornado for months.
That comment gave me chills.
Sounds scary! I live in an area where I have not seen one in person in my 50 years alive so far.
Great description. I cannot imagine one at night. Lived in Iowa 8 yrs & had a ton of warnings but no twisters. I eventually ignored the warnings like everyone else but that first summer when those sirens went off, yikes 😮
Awesome video. As an Australian I can say we get some angry storms, but nothing like the supercells you get over the US which spawn tornadoes. So beautiful but so tragically deadly.
Thanks for your documentary work, you have a voice for Radio and your passion for weather phenomena permeates your narration.
+1 sub
My niece moved from Canada to Perth, Australia with her bf. So many beautiful pics she has sent me.
Tornado: *Appears*
Every trailer house nearby: *Aight ima head out*
Or up
trailer house: *why do i hear boss music*
This is at least on par or even better than most high cost production documentaries I’ve ever watched. Blows my mind that a single person can create something as magnificent as this. Very impressive.
When it is a passion close to your heart rather than a job you are told to do, it shows in your work.
3:52 "that was 3 burritos on the ground" :DDD
youtube subtitles 2021
Your mastery of composure, light and dark is comparable to Rembrandt. These are the best storm videos ever seen. The music selection is absolutely perfect!
TwT ?
He actually composes his music too, which is super cool.
This is just simply some of the best content on TH-cam.
Also one of the most dangerous to catch
Yes
Agreed
I don't think I can agree more
Unless your a nerd... like me
Sometimes when a supercell moves by it is normally on the other side of the river from where I live, so I go out with an umbrella and watch the spectacle of lightning.
THATS ONE OF THE COOLEST VIDEO ON WHOLE OF TH-cam.
7 minutes gave more insight on the beauty of nature than 60 minutes Nat Geo documentary and more.
Awesome work man; Thanks for sharing.
The closed captions are a riot.
Especially when it said that supercells are responsible for most of the world's violet tomatoes
or when it said, that was three burritos on the ground XD
(really awesome music)
Yes I saw that 😂😂😂
@@azureNotsure i was looking for this comment, and this comment alone.
In one of the videos..it read: this burrito smells like death 😂
it must be hungry.
I see Pecos Hank, I click.
Obviously
Lol
I love the storms he records
I see Craig Kinsey, I wanna have a dude hang.
ikr ME TO LOL
5:11 was amazing. I've never seen lightning act like that, and combined with the lightning bugs, that was a magnificent sight. Wish I could witness that in person!
I've seen this before in person and the most unsettling thing about it is that this type of lightning is usually completely silent. It almost doesn't seem real.
Tornado tip: If the tornado looks like it isn’t moving, it’s moving towards you!
Wow, huh, never thought about it in this way 😅 thanks for this tip!
True!!
Raeally...?No offense!
Another tip. If it IS moving toward you , GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAAAAAAYYYYY
@@KP-ik2wf if ground to cloud lightning hits you. Its like a grenade going off under you.
Started off like a PBS documentary lol the quality is unmatched on TH-cam
Your videos are incredible, Hank. I found one of them, and immediately watched as many as I could. The production value, your knowledge and expertise, AND your excellent communication/explanation skills really are a wonderful recipe. Love that you incorporate wildlife into your videos too.
Who's going thru past videos in anticipation for this seasons events. Stay blessed n stay breezy
Me: "mum can I use computer?"
Mum: "to study?"
Me: "yess!"
*actually to watch Pecos Hank*
STORM TIME!
RoadRunner Storm Chasers I mean.... your learning about storms.
@@Rodwayy i mean... true.
IT'S EDUCATIONAL!
You'll learn more from Hank than you will in most of your school classes.
Time to study storms
I love how the subtitles are like: And these supercells are responsible for the most violet tomatoes
Indeed, watch out for those killer tomatoes...
😂 😂 😂
HAHAHAH
Also watch out for "Three burritos on the ground"
HAHAHAHAA LMAO
I appreciate the calm and professional tone you have with storms. A lot of videos always have someone panicking or over excited and it gets annoying. But this is beautiful ❤️
Hank, I only found your channel yesterday, and I’ve binged SO many of your videos. You’re so full of info and humour. Loving it. Also, appreciate the crap out of your love of animals and critters. You’re a cool dude. 👍🏽🇦🇺
Goes near a tornado.
Pecos: Magnificent!
Steve: *N I C E H I S S*
lol love it.
*gets models and map*
Alright, let’s get this out onto a tray!
*SPC MOD risk*
Nice, okay...
Kyaw Zaw Aung the ultimate cross over!
LA Beast: HAVE A GOOD DAY!
M’kay
Tornadoes, while scary, are some of the most beautiful forces on Earth.
Earth? Google "Saturn's north pole".
What we see on Mother Earth is a merely a comparison to the power of the Father Cosmos.
Hurricane has entered the chat.
I agree. They are scary, but beautiful.
This was phenomenal to watch! From the great explanations and delving deeper into the science of what we are seeing, to the beautiful and calming voice narrating these beautiful but frightening natural occurrences, to the jaw-dropping footage of such amazing events, some of which are extremely rare, I am in awe of this video. This blew me away, incredible job :)
I admit, when the two tornadoes appeared and the graceful music started, I half-expected the narrator to talk about their mating ritual.
With the last 1% of my phone, I say: Holy shit, that was amazing
Rip. If only there was some sort of way to perhaps "recharge" phones. If only.
@@PatrickStarthnxroxrock never fully charge your phone, charge to 70% only, you will get 3more years out of the battery.
The best use
@@nordic5490 source?
RIP TheHmm43. It was a good comment, and your mild inconvenience shall be forever remembered in our hearts.
2:25
CC: "And it's these super cells that are responsible for the majority of the world's violet tomatoes."
ahahaha xD
Violet tomatoes? THERE'S SUCH THING?!
Ahh yes those must be some "super" cells to make such a violent tomato 😂
Hank you produce the BEST Mother Nature videos. They’re so detailed, informative, sometimes frightening, but ultimately incredibly beautiful. Thank you for that and be safe out there! 🇨🇦🇺🇸
Imagine back when people were heading west in covered wagons coming across this??
People back then had another connection to nature they could see signs and smell it
@@TrappedInTheNorth no, animals are like that not humans
@@hudsonmatz2123 We are animals, and some of us can still sense things like that. And it's really not that big of a deal.
@@TrappedInTheNorth the people traveling west would be coming from environments without these, so they wouldn't know what to look for. Natives however, knew how to weather predict based on cloud formations
@@TrappedInTheNorth people do today too. I live in Oklahoma. I step outside and know if we are under tornado watch hours before the sirens go off of the tornado is on the ground. You can sense it in the air. The temperature is unique for tornados.
I’m looking forward to the best tornados of 2019!!!
Same
January 2020 to a computer near you.
@@PecosHank what do you do in storm chasing do you like learn about tornadoes or do you just take photos or just spot them
Or you just do it for fun
Pecos Hank thank you sir!!!
@@alestonkas1327 I think he does a combination of all three.
This was nothing less than a masterpiece.
2:59 this is my favorite tornado footage ever. absolutely beautiful, and i see it in almost every video of yours. thanks mr pecos!
The voice over, the imagery, and the music are well placed that every time I watch it gives me the chills. This is a great, well done video. Everything about this gives it an outstanding and creative feel to it and to watch! I enjoyed it very much!
Pecos Hank notification?
Guess I better drop what I'm doing and watch immediately
10 out of 10 Hank!!! That was SO well made.
I was almost in tears watching it.
Our Earth is amazing. Thank you for sharing this work of art.
Our Earth is amazing. So glad you appreciate it Jacob.
@@PecosHank So glad you do too.
And you have a talent for explaining things. Never seen anything like it.
Hank, you never cease to remind us how beautiful our world is and how much we need to pay more attention to storms. thank you. your videos are always so nice to watch because you always manage to capture the right moments.
This is some of the most incredible footage I've ever seen, and some of the best content I love every single video you post Hank!
Lightning never strikes in the same place twice
4:27 yeah ok buddy
Eh, couldve been the same bolt
in tall towers in america, it is known they get hit like 500 times per year
It was the same bolt. Plus no one says it never happens, it just rarely does
@@fourtive6415 isn't it because those towers are especially made with special antenas that attracks all the near potential lightning that could hit the building ?
@@PunMister thanks for this beautifull explanation
I'm such a weirdo for tearing up a little at the end. It was so pretty.
Natalie Rose I did too Natalie! I couldn't help it. You're right..it was so beautiful
Natalie Rose you guys aren’t alone :,)
WERIDOS
Absolutely this is the most awesome thing this planet gives us, it eminates reality like no other, the powers of nature
Yeah u are
Wow--I just came across your channel, so glad I did!
Several years ago I got stuck in an insane tropical storm while traveling, and the bizarre color-flashes of reds and greens coupled with the seemingly constant strobe-like lightning, was just beyond words--definitely one of the most confusing/terrifying/awe inspiring experiences of my life. But I never knew what those color bursts were, and hadn't heard of or seen them since--until coming across your video!
"Transient luminous events."
Thank you:)
Can we just take a moment to acknowledge the fact that this man has the most amazing job on the planet and does an amazing job at it?
I think you should do a TED Talk. You’d be amazing. I have learned so much from you xx
I agree.
Hank, Paul Smith, and the other whom are modern pioneers of lightning sprites should collaborate, and put together presentation of the green afterglow.
I third this.
th-cam.com/video/Jc272RCNIJA/w-d-xo.html
@@jamesmcginn6291 Thanks! I don't know how I missed that video.
The footage is unbelievable. The music matches PERFECTLY. Your voice is so soothing and perfect for narrating. And you actually know what you're talking about. Can't get better than this!
a masterpiece
This is absolutely mesmerising. The quality of your work is amazing. I'm oddly drawn to tornados so I am glad I can live it through your videos.
I've just recently started watching your videos and I'm drawn to the narrated information that is educational and even poetic. Your shots are beautiful and mesmerizing. It's a nice relief from crazy frat boys freaking out.
Haven't clicked anything fast in a while, literally ran to my room and closed the door and put on my headphones hahahaha
Same! Highlight of my day when he uploads
I had captions on and it said “that was three burritos on the ground” 😂😂
Well pick them up! Lmao
violent tornadoes= violet tomatoes...
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Same lol
3:49 have English captions on lol (not auto caption)
Anyone else randomly addicted to watching Tornado videos?
I’ve never seen one in person but it’s always been on my bucket list
I am so fascinated by those massive storms, especially tornados. Thank you for the great compilation and explanations!
Hank.. I just want you to know that everytime I see a new upload from you, it makes my day. You are an amazing youtuber, but an even better artist!
Really well done mini-doc Hank! I loved the editing and music choices. It felt very fresh and entertaining! 👌
My boyfriend was laughing at me because I knew which tornado was which. "There's El Reno...oh that's Pilger, there's the Canton tornado!" 😂
I've seen most of these clips from watching your videos, but the way you present them and their beauty feels like I'm seeing them again for the first time. What amazing phenomena take place on our planet. Thanks for brightening a sleepless Covid night.
Amazing video, love how educational it is along with the beauty of the storms. Thank you Pecos!
"the order of its color is reversed"
SERIOUSLY, I NEVER KNEW THIS
yeah mee too!!
it made me say wtf too
Yo wtf ur pb has a fade when scrolling dayum
@@iVel0_0 pb.. fade.. wha
@@koneeche i mean Profile picture sorry.
And there is a wave or idk how to say ut but when i scroll some of the colors of ur pp scroll with me
You remind me so much of Carl Sagan when you narrate. Well done.
HUGE compliment!
AB-SO-LUTELY!!!
@@PecosHank Do you believe in weather manipulation...? Curious since you have been doing this a while.
As someone said in the comments above, I don't know why you don't have your own show on netflix or something. I could, (and often have) watch your video's for hours. The cinematography and narrative are excellent.
I could watch this for hours and hours and never get bored, absolutely fascinating stuff man!
TH-cam: Pecos Hank uploaded a n-
Me: *HAPPY SQUEALING*
I’ve always been absolutely in love with storms and tornadoes since I was a child. Seeing your videos ignites that passion I’ve had into my adulthood. I hope one day I can watch an entire documentary by you in an IMAX theater in Ft. Worth! I know the commentary, cinematography, and captures would keep me in complete awe sitting on the edge of my seat. I appreciate your work and dedication to mother nature’s chaotic beauty. Thank you Pecos Hank!
Me too.. don't know why I am attracted to storms and heavy rain. Strange...
I'm with you.
Mother nature's beauty is amazing.
Same
I am very scared even its just a fun what we have Strom here after watched this video... But yes really I am very scared
Holy cow.. These shots are so beautiful.. Hank has the definitely seen the Beautiful side of mother natures weather and ugliest.. Thanks Hank for doing what u do, giving the viewers like myself an opportunity to understand how amazing & beautiful storms can be and how ugly also.. Stay Safe Out There...
This is a greater than life experience, this footage is absolutely stunning and super high quality.
I live in Switzerland and I cannot even imagine how it must feel experiencing this in person.
It can be either an absolutely gorgeous experience or an extremely traumatizing one depending on the weather at the time. I live in Tornado Alley, and you just kinda learn to live with tornadoes here.
I think I’m gonna pursue my dream in becoming a meteorologist.
"I think I’m gonna pursue my dream in becoming a meteorologist."
Me as a kid in the 90's after Twister came out, follow your dreams.
SEE YAI AYE it’s funny you said that because that movie came out when I was 6 and it’s actually one of my favorites till this day.
@@Jayahrdknocc134pl Lol, funny how many people it inspired to get into the industry. We don't get many Tornados in Australia but we do get some good ones from time to time, nothing better than sitting out on the patio at night watching lightning across the lake or watching Hail go sideways along the house. I think we've only had a couple of EF5's in our history. You poor Yanks took the big L on your weather system.
Me to! :D
Good luck to all of y'all!
If i didn't see a tornado in my life before, i'd thought that tornados are calm and beautiful as shown in this video. You are a legend bro you need to do documentaries
Hank you are the absolute best, man. Your footage is unrivaled. You get THE BEST shots period! Your music is an invaluable addition to the feel of your videos as well. Your shots of sprites and other TLEs is just unmatched. I remember when sprites, et al, were still unconfirmed...debated whether or not they even existed. But you have gathered the strongest, most comprehensive catalog of TLEs I have been able to find.
So to reiterate, u da man!
Keep doing what you're doing please!
Fantastic footage as always, dude. Thank you for what you do!! Your fascination in storms is shared by many, but not so many can put them on camera like you. Thank you for chasing for the storm enthusiasts who aren’t able to see them this way for themselves.
YESSSSSSS
HANK: Uploads
Me: clicks so fast
My phone: screen breaks
Me too
Me too
And me too
Me three
@@epicfromepic nice
Of all the creators on TH-cam, I have a very high amount of respect for this man. He is so calm and intelligent, but manages to explain things so the laymen can understand. This kind of material is why TH-cam stands out among social media video platforms. I have learned more about tornado safety and the amazing weather patterns that create tornados than I did while watching all the other creators combines. Magnificent video.
The most amazing moment of mine and my wife's lives; was one stormy Virginia night that took us up to Raven's Roost Overlook, on the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway in Lyndhurst, VA. We got to watch TLE's and Ghost's with cloud coverage below and a storm off in to the distance. A truly magnificent, memorable moment to have shared, something we greatly miss living out here around Watonga, OK.
Wonderful mini-documentary! One of my 4th grade students is writing a research paper on the who, what, where, when, and why of tornados, and he learned so much from your film! Thank you!
I will watch this more than once!! There’s something about Hanks voice that makes the narration perfect for his footage.
So, Hank, on Sunday, June 9th 2019 I was leading a group of Houston rockhounds in a dig at a serpentinite quarry near Fredericksburg, Texas. As I always do when I visit that particular site, I parked in the shade of a majestic 150+ year old live oak tree to keep my truck from melting in the 103 degree heat. The day held no surprises until a little after 3 pm, when it became apparent that a massive supercell thunderstorm was approaching us from a little bit east of due north. There were three things wrong with this scenario. The first was the lack of any weather fronts within 700 miles of central Texas. The second oddity was the fact that it was a lone supercell storm and the third was its approach vector. As you are well aware, almost all the lumpy weather here is triggered by cold fronts in the Spring and Fall. After looking at the radar on my phone, I was shocked to discover that, although it appeared to occupy the entire northeast quadrant of the sky, it was only one storm and was still more than 150 miles from our location, having just ripped Dallas a new one. Since our dig site was high on the side of a large hill, I decided to send everybody home while they could still do so safely. I took one more look at the radar and estimated that the storm would be upon me shortly after I arrived at my home, just west of Austin.
The storm's fury exceeded my wildest expectations. The number of videos posted to YT of this same storm attest to extreme energy as well as its longevity. That single thunderstorm popped up just north of the NB/KS line then tracked roughly due south through Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas before crossing into Mexico near Laredo. In addition to dropping tornadoes along most of its southbound track, it produced lightning unlike any I had ever seen, and I've seen a lot of lightning in my 66 years. I've also seen a lot of positive lightning, but some of these discharges were at least an order of magnitude larger and longer and displayed a peculiar bright pink color. The next weekend, I would discover just how powerful that lightning was.
The next day, as I started to work, I reached into the console for my sunglasses, but they weren't there. I had bought them less than a month earlier, a gold plated pair of AO aviators. I knew instantly where they were. I had set them on the roof of my truck while making that last radar check the day before. I knew they would be right where I parked, under that oak tree, so I decided to go back the next Saturday. A little rain wouldn't hurt them, so I wasn't concerned. As soon as I rolled onto the property I was greeted by a big hole in the sky where a fifty foot live oak tree had stood since the Comanche reigned here. It was still there, but just a segment of the trunk remained standing. A scattered jumble of massive limbs was all over the ground, but not beneath the tree. All the limbs had been blasted off of the trunk and thrown to the west side, some more than 50 feet. There wasn't a single green leaf still attached. I then noticed something really strange. The tree had not been struck by lightning at all.
The bark on the remaining trunk had been burnt black, but only on the east side of the tree, the side opposite from where the limbs landed. Furthermore, there was none of the shattered wood or stripped bark you normally see when a tree is struck. The outside of the bark was deeply charred, but the underlying wood wasn't damaged. The tree had been exposed to an intense pulse of heat and blast, almost as it had been nuked, but there was no evidence of a direct strike anywhere on the tree's remains. It was then that I noticed that the other younger trees nearby had the same char pattern on one side and had also been stripped of leaves. The char pattern of the trees and mesquite bushes all faced inward toward a single knobby granite outcrop, the obvious source of the blast that burnt them black. It was about 25 feet east of the destroyed live oak. I then noticed fist sized chunks of shattered granite scattered around the outcrop and a patch about the size of a dinner plate where the granite had been fused to glass. As I stood in awe, I remembered why I had returned.
The month old sunglasses were right where I knew they would be, on the ground where I had parked six days earlier. They were still in one piece, but looked like they had been lost decades earlier. Instead of shiny gold, the wire frames were deeply pitted and covered in green corrosion. The gold plating had been vaporized and redeposited on the inside of the glass lenses, along with some of the copper substrate. I don't think that being anywhere within 100 feet of that massive energy blast would have been survivable. It must have hit with the energy of a small tactical nuke.
The site is exactly as I left it four months ago. If you'd like to see it for yourself the next time you're in Austin, drop me a line at froberts@klru.org.
That is a doozey of an account.
this is one of the best videos i've seen in my entire life
Amazing video Hank! Very very informative and educational thank you for what you do
I can’t even pick a favorite part of this! All of the pictures and camera work are absolutely stunning!
Those storms are beautiful (so long as nobody is hurt) and I’m so glad we have you capturing their magnificence for us :)
"And it's these super cells that are responsible for the majority of the world's violet tomatoes."
Bless your heart, TH-cam.
I don't have CC on but I can see them thinking that. This is hilarious
1:43, Wow, that is amazing!!!
The calm of Pecos Hank and the craziness of Reed Timer. This video is sooo amazing, i never get bored.
Its so much easier to learn from someone when they are using visual representations.
I genuinely find it easier to learn on youtube than i did in school.
Absolutely right, I've learned more here than anywhere else.
Witnessing an EF5 in real life will educate yo you even further. Trust me.
@@curtisfranzen986 Thankfully there is little risk of an EF1 let a lone an EF5 developing in my part of the world. Stay safe!!!
@@MajPickles Be thankful. The absolute devastation that is caused will bring a strong man to tears.
@@MajPickles in my area they are rare so maybe 1-2 a year but my family doesn’t watch the news unless big storms or any other hazards might occur where we live. So I may not be 100% accurate
2:29 turn captions on, it says " the majority of the world's violent tomatoes" lmao
Edit: 3:53 it says "that was three burritos on the ground"
who in the world would leave three burritos on the ground !!!
You gotta be careful of those violent tomatoes
Violet tomatoes, not violent
2:34 IT SAYS (REALLY AWESOME MUSIC) XD
The burritos got me! 😂
Somehow he makes these crazy storms seem so incredibly peaceful and relaxing lol
I've watched a fair few of these weather vids, but this was by far the best! Lovely camerawork and smooth Narration....Great job Hank.
Patiently, (but not without eagerness), waiting for your 2019 wrap-up. In the meantime, this is gorgeous! WHY HASN’T THE BBC HIRED YOU FOR PLANET EARTH III?!?!
They license my footage from time to time. I'll try to have that video for you as soon as the year turns. (give or take 3 weeks )
Cheers Medic!
Because any time a broadcast company hires a TH-camr, they ruin the TH-camr. Ever see what happened to Brave Wilderness on here? He was great until animal planet snatched him up.
@@greatestever184 That's sad. Sorry to hear it. I wonder if they required things done a certain way, or restricted the process in some way that was detrimental. Too bad, too.
I could watch hanks storm footage for days straight
The only thing better is seeing it in real life
Tonight, I just felt like a tornado. So what did I do? I did what any intelligent, tornado-loving-freak woman would do. I searched for Pecos Hank on TH-cam of course! And I never leave disappointed!
Cheers Hank from Vancouver Island Canada! 🇨🇦🇺🇸
PS
You are the BEST photographer and videographer of tornadoes and storms out there. And I wouldn't hesitate to say the best on the planet. You don't just capture the obvious like size and intensity, you capture the raw beauty of Mother Nature. Your work is simply stunning to look at!
Thank you for sharing it with us!
Your footage is stunning! thank you so much for sharing! Mother Nature is incredible!
4:58 looks like a planetary shield taking damage from an orbital bombardment
Lol
Best comment
what is this a reference from?
You are literally a gift to those of us who love storms. Thank you ♥ 🌪️🌩️⚡