TempestTours®  SCE

2003 TORNADOES

In Spring 2003, our team intercepted significant tornadoes in several states including Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and South Dakota.  The following are a few images from this spectacular year.

Significant tornado intercepts include:

May 8: Large tornado, Yates Center, KS.
May 9: Large tornado, Oklahoma City, OK metro area.
May 10: Three tornadoes, northern Missouri.
June 4: Tornado passing through Portales, NM.
June 9: Three tornadoes near Atkinson, NE.
June 24: Fourteen (14) tornadoes near Centerville, SD.

MAY TORNADOES
A large tornado approaches the town of Yates Center, Kansas, as seen through the window of a Tempest intercept vehicle on May 8 (left, top).  Our team tracked the tornado eastward (second from left, top), and a guest celebrates (third photo, top).  A ghostly, white tornado passed by "T1," our lead vehicle, on May 10 in northeast Missouri (right, top).  Yates Center, Kansas tornado narrowly missed the town (left, second row).  Large, white tornado (second row) and two smaller tornadoes in northern Missouri on May 10.  Photos © J. Merrill, Blake Naftel, Brian Morganti and William T. Reid.

JUNE TORNADOES
A classic tornado tracks across farmland in Nebraska on June 9 (left, top).  The tornado passes near a farmstead (second from left, top), a larger tornado develops farther east (third photo, top), and a funnel forms directly above our team (right, top).  Photos © William T. Reid.  Power flashes illuminate night tornado, Portales, NM, June 4, 2003 (left, second row).  Photo © Blake Naftel.  A significant tornado outbreak on June 24 yielded at least 14 tornadoes for our team near Centerville, South Dakota (all remaining photos).  Photos © Charles Doswell.