mobile radars, 56–57, 114, 115, 131, 132, 156, 157, 163, 181, 214, 251, 253
RaXPol, 210, 211, 212, 231–32
see also Doppler on Wheels
Moore tornado (2013), 192–93, 194–95, 198, 200, 201, 205, 252
multiple-vortex mesocyclone (MVMC), 83–86, 87, 131–32, 165, 166, 208, 223, 227, 231–32, 250
El Reno tornado as, 215, 216–17, 223, 225, 227, 230, 231–32
National Center for Atmospheric Research, 67, 252
National Geographic Magazine, 92, 109, 150
National Geographic Society (NatGeo), 67, 68, 69, 71, 74, 92, 93, 96, 100, 103, 113, 143, 144, 146, 154, 182, 184, 185, 196, 245
Expeditions Council of, 66, 75, 154
2001 tornado-research expedition of, 66–72
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 38, 39, 42, 60, 61, 63, 65, 78, 110, 112, 117, 154, 182
Northern Plains Convective Workshop of, 119, 120
Wave Propagation Lab of, 54
National Science Foundation (NSF), 89, 113, 117, 134, 144, 173
National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 66
National Technical Systems, 180, 243
National Weather Association Conference, 142–43
National Weather Center, 190, 199, 200, 202–3, 206, 235
National Weather Service, 2, 6, 28, 29, 71, 193
Nebraska, 68, 71, 91, 92, 93, 94
NOVA, 27, 38
nuclear weapons, 22–23, 59–60
Oklahoma, 31, 39, 45, 53, 55, 68, 80, 93, 183, 194, 196, 197, 198, 200, 201, 203, 205, 236
Oklahoma City, Okla., 161, 198, 199, 201, 205, 208, 216, 219, 232, 233
2013 EF5 tornado in, 5
Peter, Carsten, 92, 93, 100, 101, 104, 105
Phantom cameras, 183, 196, 244
Physical Origins of Coupling to the Upper Atmosphere from Lightning (PhOCAL), 183, 195–96, 197–98, 244, 247–48
Pietrycha, Albert, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71
Porter, Pat, 30, 31, 32, 75, 91–92, 105
Manchester tornado (2003) and, 97, 98–102, 103, 104
Totum’s snail deployment and, 39–41
Woonsocket tornado (2003) and, 94–95, 96
Pratt tornado (2002), 78, 87, 92
pressure sensors, 54, 57, 60, 61, 62, 64, 65, 78, 87, 105–6, 110, 155, 176, 181, 257
Quinter tornado (2008), 136–42, 144–45, 146, 153, 159, 180, 237
Rapid-Scan DOW, 216
Rapid Update Cycle (RUC), 162
Rasmussen, Erik, 66–67, 70, 81
RaXPol mobile radar, 210, 211, 212, 231–32
rear-flank downdraft (RFD), 122, 125, 136, 137, 139, 153, 164, 167, 169, 170–71, 180, 237
“return period,” 252–53
Reynolds, Brad, 223, 224
Rhoden, Gene, 92, 93, 96, 100, 101, 105, 106
Rhoden, Karen, 92, 93, 101, 105
Robinson, Dan, 30–31, 226, 227, 228, 229–30
ROTATE 2012 mission, 181
Rozel tornado (2013), 189–90, 200
Salina, Kans., 184, 196
Samaras, Amy, 25, 33, 34, 150, 236
Samaras, Jack, 19, 128, 129
Samaras, Jenny, 25, 33, 34, 129, 147, 149, 240–41
Samaras, Jim, 19, 20, 128, 235, 236
Samaras, Kathy Videtich, 23–25, 26, 33, 71, 76, 88, 125, 129, 149, 150, 151, 152, 173–74, 176, 180, 192, 195, 196, 234, 242–43, 244–48
as supportive of Tim’s storm chasing hobby, 30, 34, 76
Tim’s death and, 236, 239, 240, 241, 242, 246–48
Tim’s newfound son and, 127, 128
Samaras, Margaret, 14, 18–21, 24
Samaras, Paul (father), 14, 18–21, 24
Samaras, Paul Timothy (son), 25, 28, 33, 34, 129, 149–52, 178, 184, 185, 189, 190, 192, 193, 195, 196, 197, 200, 205, 242, 244, 253
death of, 227–28, 231, 232, 234, 235, 236, 240–41, 247, 248
El Reno tornado and, 207, 209–10, 216, 218, 226, 227, 230, 237–38, 240
as filmmaker and photographer, 147, 150–51, 152, 243
footage captured by, 147–48, 151, 190, 192, 194, 207, 240, 243–44
introverted nature of, 149, 150, 151, 152
Tipton tornado and, 147–49
TWISTEX mission joined by, 147, 150, 151, 152, 246, 251
Samaras, Tim, 36, 37, 91–94, 137, 150, 151–52, 159–60, 161, 178, 181, 190, 191, 193, 195, 197, 243–44, 246–49, 253
authority and leadership of, 74, 111, 144, 155–56
Bennett home of, 174, 189, 195, 196, 244–45, 247–48
Bowdle tornado and, 165–66, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171–72, 206
as calm under pressure, 140, 143–44, 251
chase vehicles of, 29–30, 31, 40, 67, 81, 82, 122, 128, 137, 148, 159, 165, 166, 195, 233–34, 235, 239, 243, 244, 245–46
childhood and adolescence of, 18–20, 27, 42, 109, 150
compilation DVDs of, 126, 150–51
at Conference on Severe Local Storms, 109–10
congeniality of, 14–15, 81
in courtship of Kathy Videtich, 24–25
crushed sedan of, 233–35, 240
in Crystal Springs tornado, 239
dangerous risks taken by, 41, 83–86, 87, 88, 99, 100, 110, 122–23, 142, 146, 148, 152, 192, 219–20, 238, 246, 247, 251
death of, 8, 227–28, 231, 232, 234, 235, 236, 240–41, 247, 248, 250
in decision to build own probe, 41–42
demanding travel schedule of, 23, 24, 25, 26, 34, 71, 75, 76
domestic life of, 25, 33, 150, 158
electronic tinkering and gadgetry skills of, 18–19, 20, 30, 33, 42, 81, 128, 139–40, 143–44, 150
El Reno tornado and, 205–10, 213–15, 216, 218–22, 225–28, 230, 237–39, 251
engineering career of, 17, 21–24, 26, 42, 58–59, 62, 73, 76, 109, 128, 158, 180, 181–82, 184
footage captured by, 13, 31, 32–33, 34, 39, 142–43, 148–49, 151, 157, 246
forecasting skills and tornado-reading instincts of, 8, 14, 15, 29, 72, 82, 88, 134, 142, 154, 166, 198, 219, 227
fundraising and self-financing of missions by, 75, 92, 96, 144, 154, 156, 175, 197, 242
Gallus’s partnership with, 112–13, 123, 134, 154–55, 180
gradual forays into storm chasing by, 27–30, 31–32, 35, 54
growing reputation and celebrity of, 31, 32, 38, 109–10, 111, 114, 125, 151, 155, 173–74
ham radio of, 13, 19, 29, 31, 39, 128, 150, 174
HITPR project of, see Hardened In Situ Tornado Pressure Recorder
Hyperion Technology job of, 181–84
independent nature of, 69–70, 72, 75, 110–11, 120, 132
inquisitive mind of, 18, 24, 35, 41, 182
investigation into death of, 236–40
lack of schooling and unconventional career route of, 8, 15, 16, 20–21, 23, 59, 61, 64, 67–68, 109, 111, 112, 113, 115, 117, 118, 126, 144, 250
Lakewood home of, 24–25, 70, 128, 150, 174, 240, 242–43, 245, 247
Last Chance tornado and, 11–14, 15–17, 31, 54, 83, 219
legacy of, 249–52
lightning research projects of, 182–84, 185, 193, 195–96, 197–98, 206, 243, 244
Lipscomb tornado and, 31–32, 75
Manchester tornado and, 96–106, 110, 112, 117, 120, 169, 219, 250, 251, 257, 258
Matt Winter and, 126–29, 240
media probes of, 101, 113–14, 117, 125, 136, 141, 142–43, 148–49, 153, 155, 156, 157, 158, 173; see also TOWER
meteorological community’s growing skepticism and, 81, 91, 106, 117
physical appearance of, 13, 14, 20, 23–24, 76, 94, 109, 128, 141, 173–74, 180, 207, 234, 243
post-Manchester expansion of goals by, 110–11, 113, 115
Quinter tornado and, 137, 139–42, 159
rotating chase partners of,
