Watch the Storms on TV

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I was watching online coverage of the tornados in Oklahoma earlier today, and I couldn't believe some of the things I saw. Some people were driving through storms toward tornadoes. People were going around the news channel cars (you could see them on the live shots) and heading toward the tornado (that later was reported to have killed at least two people). Those TV stations have meteorologists. That means, they have a degree in meteorology. They know what they're doing. If they've pulled off the road to stay back from a tornado then it's a really good bet that it's not safe to go any further. And yet people were whizzing around them. Some of them soon came whizzing back once they saw exactly what they were up against. Still others could go no further because the debris had the road blocked. Professional storm chasers know what they're doing. The "hey, hold my beer and watch this" guy in his pick-up truck doesn't. People are killed every year trying to do their Jim Cantore impersonation. (In 2013 three professionals were killed in Oklahoma. Storms don't discriminate between famous and "average Joe" when they unleash their fury on an area.) Worse, emergency responders' efforts are increasingly hampered by the amateurs. Most professional storm chasers, in addition to knowing meteorology (whereas some of these others can't even spell "meteorology"), have been trained in things like CPR and first aid. When they get on the scene they aren't just walking around, taking pictures, and going, "Wow, look at that." They're assisting. The other people are just getting in the way. And for what? The average "tornado video" is sold to news agencies for about $100-$400. That's an awful lot of risk for a very small reward. Leave the storm chasing to the professionals. Stay in your shelter and watch the storms on TV. Porter Wagoner's song about a tornado, "Big Wind:"