2009 Storm Chases

  • September 27, 2009 – Tornado Warned storms in Chicago (504 Miles) Largest hail observed1.00″Highest wind observed60 mph2 Spotter Network reports2
  • August 19, 2009 – Tornado Warnings in SW Michigan (310 Miles) 1 Spotter Network report1
  • July 25, 2009 – Bust in Ohio (575 Miles)
  • July 23, 2009 – Non Severe Storms in Michigan (95 Miles) 1 Spotter Network report1
  • July 19, 2009 – Drove to Lake Michigan to chase waterspouts (210 Miles)
  • June 19, 2009 – Major Flooding in Holland Michigan (373 Miles) 1 Spotter Network report1
  • June 18, 2009 – Iowa Blue Sky Bust (1256 Miles) 2 Spotter Network reports2
  • June 8, 2009 – Shelf Cloud comes ashore in South Haven, MI (710 Miles)
  • June 7, 2009 – Intense supercell in Northwest Missouri near the town of Oregon produces softball sized hail and very pretty supercell structure (481 Miles) Largest hail observed2.50″
  • June 6, 2009 – Blue Sky Bust in Nebraska (335 Miles)
  • June 5, 2009 – La Grange/Goshen County Wyoming Tornado (1386 Miles) 1 tornado witnessed1Largest hail observed1.50″
  • June 1, 2009 – Bust in Southwest Michigan (256 Miles)
  • May 13, 2009 – Edina and Kirksville Missouri Tornadoes (1275 Miles)
  • May 8, 2009 – Severe Storms in South Central Oklahoma (1573 Miles)
  • May 5, 2009 – Monster Hail near Breckenridge, Texas (570 Miles) Largest hail observed3.00″1 Spotter Network report1
  • May 1, 2009 – Western North Texas Supercells (538 Miles) 1 tornado witnessed12 Spotter Network reports2
  • April 30, 2009 – Blue Sky Bust (68 Miles)
  • April 29, 2009 – Close encounters with multiple tornadoes in Floyd County TX (386 Miles) 5 tornadoes witnessed51 Spotter Network report1
  • April 28, 2009 – Supercells with hail in New Mexico (580 Miles) Largest hail observed1.00″2 Spotter Network reports2
  • April 26, 2009 – High Risk bust in Texas and Oklahoma (788 Miles)
  • April 25, 2009 – Brief tornado near Mobeetie, TX (1439 Miles) 1 tornado witnessed1Largest hail observed2.00″
  • April 16, 2009 – Supercells and my first chase in West Texas (3162 Miles) Largest hail observed1.50″
  • March 8, 2009 – Southern Indiana Frustration (690 Miles)

Tornadoes for 2009

  1. Mobeetie – April 25, 2009 – (35.51, -100.46) (Unrated)
  2. Lockney Rope – April 29, 2009 – (34.16, -101.32) (EF-0)
  3. Cedar Hill (Main) – April 29, 2009 – (34.14, -101.18) (EF-1)
  4. Cedar Hill (Satellite) – April 29, 2009 – (34.12, -101.19) (EF-0)
  5. Cedar Hill 2 – April 29, 2009 – (34.14, -101.12) (EF-0)
  6. Cedar Hill 3 – April 29, 2009 – (34.07, -101.09) (EF-0)
  7. Haskell – May 1, 2009 – (33.02, -99.79) (EF-0)
  8. La Grange – June 5, 2009 – (41.61, -104.25) (EF-2)

Chase Statistics for 2009

  • Chase Days: 23
  • Miles Driven: 17,560
  • Number of States Chased: 11
  • Chase Days by State:
    • Texas: 8
    • Michigan: 6
    • Indiana: 4
    • Oklahoma: 4
    • Nebraska: 3
    • Illinois: 2
    • Iowa: 2
    • Missouri: 2
    • New Mexico: 1
    • Ohio: 1
    • Wisconsin: 1
  • Spotter Network Reports: 13
  • Average Miles per Chase Day: 763.5
  • Longest Chase: 3,162 miles (April 16, 2009)
  • Windshields Replaced: 1

Convective

  • Chase Days: 23
  • Tornado Days: 4
  • Tornadoes: 8
  • Photogenic Tornadoes: 3
  • Largest Hail Observed: 3.00 in.
  • Highest Wind Observed: 60 MPH
  • Tornado Day Percentage: 17.39% ⓘTornado Days divided by Convective Chase Days — the share of convective chase days that produced at least one witnessed tornado.
  • Tornadoes per Mile: 0.0005 ⓘTotal tornadoes witnessed divided by total miles driven — a rough measure of chasing efficiency. Higher means more tornadoes for the driving effort.
  • Average Miles per Tornado: 2,195.0 ⓘTotal miles driven divided by total tornadoes witnessed — the same ratio as Tornadoes per Mile, just flipped into "miles per tornado" instead of "tornadoes per mile."
  • First Tornado of the Season: April 25
  • Last Tornado of the Season: June 5
  • Busts: 11 ⓘA "Bust" day: storms were expected and something did fire, but the setup underperformed the forecast — a weaker, shorter-lived, or less organized event than anticipated.
  • Blue Sky Busts: 1 ⓘA "Blue Sky Bust" day: nothing fired at all — clear skies despite a forecast that called for storms.
  • Kiss of Death Days: 1 (0–1) ⓘA "Kiss of Death" day: the SPC tornado outlook included a 15% hatched (significant) tornado probability within a Slight, Enhanced, or Moderate risk (Categorical Risk 1–3) — a favorable-looking setup that historically often underperforms relative to the risk level. Shown as days chased (with tornadoes–without).
  • SPC Risk Record: ⓘThe SPC Day 1 outlook risk where the chase actually was (states chased, within 200 miles of the GPS track when there is one) — not the highest risk anywhere in the country that day. Based on 23 of 23 convective chase days with a known risk (chases outside the US are left out).
  • Tornadoes by SPC Tornado Risk: ⓘThe SPC tornado probability right at each tornado's location, from the Day 1 outlook in effect when it happened. When no time was logged, it's estimated from the GPS track, or else assumed to be late afternoon (4 of 8 tornadoes). 0% means the spot was outside even the 2% area.
  • Tornadoes by State:
    • Texas: 7
    • Wyoming: 1
  • EF Rating Breakdown: EF-2: 1, EF-1: 1, EF-0: 5, Unrated: 1
  • Storm Modes: Supercell – Classic: 1
  • Best Chase Day: April 29
Shelf Cloud over Lake Michigan
Shelf Cloud over Lake Michigan