tornado got too close: A. J. Bedard and C. Ramzy, “Surface Meteorological Observations in Severe Thunderstorms. Part I: Design Details of TOTO,” Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology, May 1983, 911.
So while attending an after-hours party: Interviews with Al Bedard and Howie Bluestein.
Unless anchored or widened: Howard B. Bluestein, “A History of Severe-Storm-Intercept Field Programs,” Weather and Forecasting, August 1999, http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/full/10.1175/1520-0434%281999%29014%3C0558%3AAHOSSI%3E2.0.CO%3B2.
The instrument promptly pitched over onto its side: TOTO, http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/toto.htm.
“It would be fascinating to actually get inside”: A Day in the Life of a Storm Chaser, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/imax/life.html.
But this, too . . . failed to pierce the core: Interview with William P. Winn, Langmuir Laboratory.
CHAPTER SIX: THE COWBOY SCIENCE
So the answer he finally strikes upon: Roy Heyman, “Air Blast Response of Low Drag Shape Launcher Vehicles,” Small Business Innovation Research, Small Business Administration, 1991.
quarter-inch-thick mild steel: Timothy M. Samaras and Julian J. Lee, “Pressure Measurements within a Large Tornado” (conference paper, Eighth Symposium on Integrated Observing and Assimilation Systems for Atmosphere, Oceans and Land Surface, 2004).
The project is an exceedingly unusual one: Interviews with Larry Brown.
The real selling point: Rod Franklin, “Tornado Chasers: Engineer’s Device Will Help Measure Their Fury,” Boston Business Journal, http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass-high-tech/2002/04/tornado-chasers-engineers-device-will-help.html.
If they have learned anything from TOTO: Interviews with Al Bedard.
Tim’s dream is made flesh: “A Hardened In Situ Tornado Pressure Recorder,” 1999, https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/93740.
the turtle gets its first: Interviews with Julian Lee.
a fleet of the probes: “A Hardened In Situ Tornado Pressure Recorder,” 2000, https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/93742.
CHAPTER SEVEN: A TURTLE IN THE WILD
a credible plan to penetrate the tornado core: Interviews with Anton Seimon.
The mission’s title underscores the danger: National Geographic Society Expeditions Council Grant Application Form: “Inside Tornadoes: A Research Initiative.”
coordination issues dog the squadron: Interviews with Anton Seimon.
the classic plains setup: Anton Seimon’s personal chase log.
he finds the arrangement chafing: Interviews with Anton Seimon.
Eleven days into the mission: Ibid.
It uprooted hardwoods: Al Pietrycha, StormEyes.com chase summary, 2001, http://stormeyes.org/pietrycha/vortex/010618/chasesummary.txt.
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE TOREADOR
The pair now imagine a stripped-down mission: Interviews with Anton Seimon.
Tim believes he should be the one to make the call: Email correspondence between Tim Samaras and Anton Seimon.
a manifesto of sorts: Mission outline written by Tim Samaras.
Tim is chasing harder now: Interviews with Pat Porter.
Until Lee began chasing: Interviews with Julian Lee.
Tim misses an outbreak: “Service Assessment: La Plata, Maryland, Tornado Outbreak,” National Weather Service, September 2002, http://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/laplata.pdf.
closer than he’s ever been: Julian Lee and Tim Samaras, “Pressure Measurements within a Large Tornado” (American Meteorological Society conference paper).
But the storm will not wait: “Service Assessment: Veterans Day Weekend Tornado Outbreak of November 9–11, 2002,” National Weather Service, March 2003, http://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/veteran.pdf.
CHAPTER NINE: STRATFORD, TEXAS
The road trip to the target: Interviews with Anton Seimon.
Clouds as dull as slag: Chase video provided by Anton Seimon.
In the paper that Tim coauthors with Wurman: Joshua Wurman and Timothy Samaras, “Comparison of In Situ Pressure and DOW Doppler Winds in a Tornado and RHI Vertical Slices through 4 Tornadoes during 1996–2004” (conference paper, 22nd Conference on Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society, 2004).
CHAPTER TEN: MANCHESTER, SOUTH DAKOTA
The machine was to be one of a kind: Interviews with William Gallus.
Months later, in a cheap motel room: Interviews with Pat Porter.
This year, he was able to get the National Geographic Society: Interviews with Rebecca Martin, National Geographic Society.
Peter has already begged his editor for two extensions: Interviews with Pat Porter.
Rhoden and the others had pressed for a play: Interviews with Gene Rhoden.
its funnel is gracefully tapered: Samaras, Driven by Passion.
The twister has kept to the fields: Ibid.
The clouds are painted: Ibid.
That night, in a Huron, South Dakota, motel: Footage provided by Gene Rhoden.
With a back-of-the-envelope calculation: Julian J. Lee, T. Samaras, and C. Young, “Pressure Measurements at the Ground in an F-4 Tornado” (conference paper, 22nd Conference on Severe Local Storms, 2004).
CHAPTER ELEVEN: DOUBLING DOWN
Next he’s on the CNN set: YouTube clip of CNN segment with Soledad O’Brien, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mKxPY6BiVc.
Tim’s probe has proven so capable: Julian Lee and Tim Samaras, “Pressure Measurements at the Ground in an F-4 Tornado,” https://ams.confex.com/ams/11aram22sls/techprogram/paper_81700.htm.
Tim basks in recognition and praise: Interviews with Julian Lee.
The first hint of an answer: Interviews with Bill Gallus.
Tim is not just the leader: Interview with Josh Wurman.
Tim was irked: Tim Samaras email correspondence.
This sets off alarm bells: Ibid.
CHAPTER TWELVE: A TEAM OF UPSTARTS
Tim has in mind a woman: Interviews with Cathy Finley and Bruce Lee.
The other permanent member: Interviews with Bob Young.
a connection of an altogether different sort: Interviews with Matt Winter.
he seems a little chagrined: Interviews with William Gallus.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: TWISTEX TAKES THE GRAVEL ROAD
He pulls Tim into a quiet room: Interviews with Josh Wurman.
Basically, “TWIST”: Tim Samaras email correspondence.
Lee and Finley have standing invitations: Interviews with Bruce Lee and Cathy Finley.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: QUINTER, KANSAS
From the lead car: Chris Collura, May 23, 2008, chase video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dikGjoPmeqI.
The mesonets tack north along a sodden dirt road: Ibid.
That probably isn’t good: Interviews with Bruce Lee and Cathy Finley.
“That whole thing’s a tornado!”: Ibid.
“We got a great view of this amazing”: Stefan Bechtel, “Tornado Hunter: Getting inside the Most Violent Storms on Earth,” National Geographic Society, 2009, 91–93.
Minutes later, on the outskirts of town: Tim Samaras, Driven by Passion II, DVD.
Karstens felt privileged: Interviews with Chris Karstens.
The night after Quinter, this potential is on everyone’s mind: Interviews with Bruce Lee and Cathy Finley.
Storm chasers have practically commandeered Applebee’s: Interviews with Bruce Lee.
He cues up his video of the day: Doug Kiesling, May 23, 2008, chase video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzk_vnGftYE.
“somebody’s gonna get bit”: Bechtel, “Tornado Hunter,” 99.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: “YOU HAVE MY ONLY SON”
In his eyes, Tim is a giant: Interviews with Kathy Samaras.
Beyond them, suspended mist: Samaras, Driven by Passion II.
he’d go see them alone the first time: Interview with Jenny “Samaras” Scott.
He takes photographs of tangerine sunsets: Paul Samaras, Facebook page.
The young man is thrilled: Interviews with Kathy Samaras.
Hail piles in pristine drifts: Ed Grubb, May 15, 2010, chase video, Campo, Colorado.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: WARNINGS
The media probe logged a direct hit: Bruce D. Lee, Catherine A. Finley, and Timothy M. Samaras. “Surface Analysis near and within
