Here's my thoughts on the ever-popular movie "Twister". Your milage may vary... Some pointers to chasing storms are at the end of the text. :) This movie was great for special effects. However...please remember that it was just that -- special effects. There are a number of meteorological flaws in this movie. There are a number of 'dumb things' about it as well. I'll list a couple of the more obvious... In one of the opening scenes of the movie, in talking about the current conditions, "Bill" (one of the main characters) says to "Joe" (the other lead character), "Do you see the sky today?" To which she responds, "Yeah, she's really talking." Now, a person who has any interest in chasing storms would not look at a powerful cell like that and simply go back to what they were doing...they would high-tail their asses on the way to the storm. I immediately recognized the storm, by the way, as a real storm from 1995 (or 1994?) (Texas?). I've also seen time-lapse photos of this storm...it was very nice. Why would they have just ignored it?? This didn't make sense to me. A side note (there's going to be lots of these in my 'review')... :) if anyone wants the name of the time-lapse photographer, I can dig it up for you. The show "Wonders of Weather" on TLC had an episode dedicated to his work (I regret not remembering his name right now...I may fill it in after I find the episode and check). His work is very good. Anyways, part of the storm is in one of the time-lapse scenes. It also appears in at least one other episode of WOW, as well. Another point is that it is a triumph just to actually SEE a tornado (in chasing; it's a terrible thing to see one as a storm SPOTTER -- and I'm one of the small number of people who both chase and spot...talk about mixed reactions). The fact that they saw what, FIVE, of them in one day is not only unrealistic...it's just plain silly. I'll recall on the 1997 storm that hit Detroit and spamwed 14 tornadoes. To be a chaser in Detroit that day you would have been lucky to have been in the right place at the right time to see one (especially while one touches down somewhere ELSE while you're already chasing one). In this odd case, you may have got to see more than one in one day. But these all happened in one small area...not over an entire STATE! Next point is that a tornado does not move back and forth like the light on the front of "KITT" from Knight Rider. :) They move in a fairly slow, steady motion. Unless you're driving a Geo Metro or something, you should be able to outrun one without too much difficulty (outrun, as in in a car, not on foot...as was done in the last scene of the movie, where they decide to make the tornado's movement more accurate). ?? I wonder if any real chasers/meteorologists have checked the winds in this show...I didn't pay close enough attention to them. I imagine they have them spinning in the wrong direction, inward vs. outward, things that the movie producers were probably never thinking that people would pick apart and catch as flaws. :) Just one short note on the hail...pretty pathetic. What the hell did they do, break up ice blocks and chuck it on the road? :/ Sad. Most people who've only seen hail once would probably catch this...but again, we must keep in mind that the movie is purely for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY...it's not to be taken as face value. :) Although I can just imagine how many new chaser-wannabees have popped up after watching this movie. People, please, I can't stress strongly enough... tornadoes are DANGEROUS. LIGHTNING is DANGEROUS. If you cannot go with an experienced storm chaser, please don't go. You can get seriously hurt or killed. This isn't Hollywood. In the real world, a tornado won't gently pick up an 18-wheeler, and leave your 3500 pound truck on the ground. Don't take risks. More lecturing later... :) At the end of the movie, the lead characters are caught in the center of the tornado. Now, as far as I know, there's no "100%" proof that the inside of a tornado isn't like the inside of a hurricane. It MAY have an eye in it...but there is something else to note. The pressure (atmospheric) in the inside of a tornado is so low, noone could possibly survive long enough to look up and enjoy the ride. :-P It's not JUST the winds that damage things in the path of the tornado...the extremely low pressure in the core of the tornado may actually help to cause things it passes over to implode. I can't imagine being in the center of this and just carrying on as if I'm looking at a picture in an art gallery. Sorry, I don't buy it. As my final note...it's nothing to do with meteorology. Did anyone catch the fact that when the truck (I'm a Dodge fan, BTW, so I enjoyed the 'tough truck' aspect of the show) went through the house that it enters the house ON ITS SIDE, but travels up the stairs NORMALLY, and enters the room at the top of the stairs ON ITS SIDE again? Uhm, yeah... was that one of those space-time rift things from Star Trek where things are different on each side of the wall? :) It was amusing... That's my $0.02... (more lecturing) :) There are some important things to remember when chasing. 1. NEVER put yourself and/or your party at risk If you're too close...MOVE. I've seen lightning strike over 5 MILES from the main area of activity. You may not get a second chance. 2. Don't chase alone. I've broken this rule a few times, but never when being around a severe storm. If you get hit/hurt...having someone there to call for help (or even there TO HELP, if they know CPR) can be the thing that saves a life. 3. Don't drive like a maniac. I sometimes speed a bit on unpopulated paved back-roads...but speeding on main roads or in any kind of residential area could get you in an accident, or worse. Don't cut people off and make enemies, or worse. BE CAREFUL on wet roads. There is no need to hydroplane off the road and get yourself hurt just to get a picture of a storm. 4. While speaking of wet roads...watch out for FLASH FLOODS. A high-precip storm that is moving slow can produce an amazing amount of water, and cause major flooding, especially in low-lying areas. A HP storm in Ottawa last year FLOODED the downtown area by two-feet in some places, and caused major damage. 5. Try to plan out your route on the way to a storm in advance (another good reason to have an extra person with you...he/she can help out with the map). Always have an escape route planned out. The last thing you want is to be in a position that your only route out is THROUGH the storm. You could end up emerging from the storm right into the tornado!! If you would like some other advice or info, or just plain want to talk, feel free to email me (doctor@cyberus.ca).