Tornado Encounter

Story

Nature, in all its glory, provides some fantastic encounters, be those wide, expansive vistas, or small delicate vignettes. Many of the times, we can safely observe and watch and enjoy. Now and then, however, nature is far more intense, and you need to watch your step. Tornado Encounter represents one of those moments.

The Texas day dawned clear and bright in the morning, as most spring days, especially in the high plains, tend to be. The cool, crisp air was still as can be, and surely the day would be sunny all day. The cheery forecaster on the morning news said a few storms may roll through. But, a more in-depth look at the forecast revealed these weren’t going to be ordinary storms.

In fact, there was a very good chance a tornado would form from the intense supercells that were going to roll through. By mid-morning, the clouds had rolled in, and by early afternoon the storm was fierce. A wall cloud came down, then a tornado formed and reached for the ground. Tornado Encounter was made.

I was anticipating a tornado from this storm and had positioned myself safely, or as safe as you can when dealing with tornados, in a great vantage point. I watched the clouds begin to rotate, and I watched the tornado form.

The afternoon light was eerie and full of hues not typically seen. In Tornado Encounter, you can see some of these hues to the right of the cone. After a few brief moments the tornado dissipated and the storm, now a regular storm, raged on.