MovingPictures

My Weight Loss, 510 Pounds to 248 Pounds...

Aurora in Ohio Tonight...

Shot between Fremont, and Bowling Green, Ohio...

Twitter for Chase 2012...

I will be posting on Twitter on our MESO chase 2012 under the name @detrichpix. Will be posting photos and updates whenever possible, hope you will follow along...

Artsy Bullshit Wednesday...

Photo Copyright Allan Detrich 2012

Cool Cloud Shot From Today...

The Real Tragedy Behind Tornadoes...

Of all the damage I see during the tornado season, it is photos like this, of a little girl, from Dexter, MI, clinging what little bit of the normalcy she is use to, after the damage is done. Having kids of my own, I get teared-up when I see scenes like this and is maybe I am compelled to shoot photos like this.

Mother Nature Makes Beauty out of Pollution...

Photo shot in the Key Bank parking lot in Fremont, Ohio.

64 Gig Verizon Black iPad 2, Canon XH-A1s for Sale...

64 Gig Verizon Black iPad 2 for Sale...comes with a Gumdrop iPad cover, box and original charger. Bought for $829, plus $70 for the case, looking to get $775 obo - E-mail me at [email protected] if interested. Also selling a Canon XH-A1s on ebay, check out the sale HERE.

Grab Shot from the Truck...

Shot this on my way to Toledo the other day...

 

Cool Cloud Shot From the Other Day...

Shot along I-94 looking West near Ann Arbor, MI...

Canon XH-A1s for Sale...

Have a Canon XH-A1s for sale, like new, have box and everything with it, extra batteries, asking $2700, e-mail me @ [email protected] if interested...I will entertain offers!

 

 

Incredible Lightning Video by Stephen Locke...

Very Nice Work by Stephen Locke...

A New Slideshow Trial...

I am experimenting with the program called SoundSlides, hope you like it...

MESO Storm Chase 2011 - Multi-Media Piece...

A very cool multi-media piece my brother Matt Detrich of the Indianapolis Star shot of our storm chase group MESO this spring on his first ever storm chase, although we did not score a tornado this year he, and we, got some amazing photos. Also a side note, my blog has gone over the 100,000 unique clicks in the past week, thanks to all of you that have visited in the past and keep coming back...

Spirit is Alive and Well in Joplin, Missouri...

Caught this photo of a teen helping re-raise the flag at a demolished home in Joplin, Mo. after a brisk wind caused the flag to fall. The spirit of the people in Joplin is pretty high and all seem to be coping well after the EF 5 tornado tore through their town leveling a great deal of the city. Click HERE to see my Flickr photos of the devastation. 

Quick Photo from Joplin, Mo. Before Bed...

A quick shot as I rolled into Joplin tonight before I hit the hotel. This is a wind tattered flag flying along US Route 44. Drove 660 miles on the way here today.

Amazing Sunset Last Night Near Toledo...

I got an amazing sunset last night after a chase in lower Michigan on a day with a moderate risk. The chase was a bust, but as always, Mother Nature always gives me something to keep me coming back...

Photo of Wood Through Concrete from Joplin, MO...

This photo from @mdrache on Twitter from a friend of his from Joplin, MO. It is AMAZING the power of an EF 5 tornado...

Joplin Death Toll up to 125 People, 1000 Injured...

Most of Joplin had been searched by noon today for survivors, according to the State Emergency Management Agency. Three of the search teams have been dismissed, and a team from St. Louis team will be working with the cadaver dogs which are specially trained to sniff for bodies. The death toll is at least 125, making it the deadliest single twister since the weather service began keeping official records in 1950. St. John’s plans to build a mobile hospital by Sunday at or near the Joplin hospital that was hit by the tornado, officials announced this morning. The mobile hospital will have 60 beds, an emergency room area and will be able to withstand 100 mph winds, said St. John’s spokeswoman Cora Scott. Medical staff will be able to do surgery there and perform imaging tests. The hospital is currently providing some medical services at the nearby Memorial Hall, but the mobile hospital will allow staff to provide more care for the people in Joplin. More than 1,000 people have been treated for injuries stemming from the tornado that struck Joplin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Freeman Health System in Joplin treated 467 people in the hours immediately after the tornado struck. More than 396 people sought treatment for injuries Sunday night at hospitals outside of Joplin. That was continuing on Monday.

Some Crazy Cloud Structure Yesterday...

I chased into Indiana and Western Ohio yesterday and got some crazy cloud structure near Greenville, Indiana and near my favorite, Van Wert, Ohio. I was on several tornado warned storms and you can see my whole shoot HERE.

Tornado Caught Close to Home Today...

I caught a tornado tonight just South of Van Wert, Ohio looking south on SR 127. The leading edge of the tornado is visible, but the back end was rain wrapped. The death toll for the tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri yesterday is up to 116, with search and rescue still continuing.

At Least 89 Dead in Joplin, Missouri Monster Tornado...

A massive tornado that tore through the southwest Missouri city of Joplin killed at least 89 people, but authorities warned that the death toll could climb Monday as search and rescuers continued their work at sunrise.

City manager Mark Rohr announced the number of known dead at a pre-dawn news conference outside the wreckage of a hospital that took a direct hit from Sunday's storm. Rohr said the twister cut a path nearly six miles long and more than a half-mile wide through the center of town.

Much of the city's south side was leveled, with churches, schools, businesses and homes reduced to ruins.

Fire chief Mitch Randles estimated that 25 to 30 percent of the city was damaged, and said his own home was among the buildings destroyed as the twister swept through this city of about 50,000 people some 160 miles south of Kansas City.

"It cut the city in half," Randles said.

Audio From Rescue Efforts in Joplin, Missouri...

 

JoplinAftermath

I searched on my iPhone and found the Jasper County Missouri Law Enforcement audio feed and recorded just over 30 minutes of their rescue efforts tonight in Joplin, MO. It is a haunting, interesting look at what these people have to deal with in the wake of a disaster like tonight's tornado. Click the above bar for audio clip.

Joplin, Missouri Hit Hard by Huge Tornado...

The Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management has said at least 24 people are dead after a tornado tore through Joplin, MO. around 6 p.m. Saturday. National Weather Service Meteorologist Mike Griffin has said that Joplin was directly hit by a tornado that touched down in the center of the town. Jasper County Emergency Management Director Keith Stammer said the St. John's Regional Medical Center on the city's south side took a "direct hit." Witnesses said windows were blown out on the top floors of the hospital. Cora Scott, a spokeswoman at the hospital's sister facility said patients were being evacuated to other area hospitals. Missouri National Guard Maj. Tammy Spicer said more than 100 members of the 35th Engineer Brigade, which has a battalion based in Joplin, were expected to immediately report for duty to aid in search and rescue efforts, clear roads, provide security and help with radio communications. The guard's armory in Joplin suffered only minor damage but was without electricity Sunday night, Spicer said. One of the challenges facing the guard was simply getting in touch with all of its members in the area, she said.

A Down Day BBQ, Recharged for Tomorrow's Chase...

Niccolo Ubalducci from the Italian Storm Chasers enjoys his steak.

We drove South from our overnight stay in Valentine, Nebraska to the small Kansas town of Colby. We found a cheap but nice motel and executed our BBQ plan flawlessly. My brother Matt manned the grills along with the help of Chris Howell and Niccolo Ubalducci from Italy. The beef was quickly consumed and some adult beverages consumed. As of right now the SPC day 1 outlook shows a 10% hatched chance for tornadoes and a whole lot of chase fun...

Chris Howell and Matt Kassawara look at forecast pages for the chase.

Nicollo Ubalducci looks at the forecast.

Bust Day in South Dakota, now on to Kansas Toto...

Jim Leonard in his chase van.

We had a long day of playing hurry-up and wait with almost every major name in storm chasing in the country. Reed Timmer, Joel Taylor, Tony Laubach, Tim Samaras, Jim Leonard, Roger Hill, Verene Carlson, Mike Umschied, Adam Lucio and many more were there waiting with no less than 100 other storm chasers from all over the world. The day did not produce what was expected, but it was a nice social day for all of the chasers. I met one of my FaceBook friends from England, Vicki Redwood, and many others for the first time. We caught some night time structure, lightning and a wall cloud north of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. We will be taking tomorrow to drive to Kansas after overnighting in Valentine, Nebraska to set up for Wednesday and a already forecast moderate risk.

North of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

Nice Surprise Structure After Dark...

Tonight we got a little after dark surprise shelf cloud which was being lit up by lightning near Mitchell, South Dakota. See my other photos from today, CLICK HERE. 

Travel Day to Grand Island, Nebraska, Cool Clouds...

Lenticular type clouds and a bridge in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Our group MESO all hooked up today in Kansas City, Missouri, by plane truck and rental car and then proceeded to our "Aunt Meg's" house for our annual BBQ dinner. The Italian Storm Chase Team also met up with us for the second consecutive year for our chase. We set a target in lower Nebraska and headed out for a 350 mile jaunt to Grand Island, Nebraska. We saw some incredible lenticular type clouds on the way, and some clouds I can't name, but I can show them to you in photos. They looked to be twisting sideways, with lines in the bizarre formations. If anyone has idea what they are, please leave a comment. We will see what tomorrow brings...

One of the bizarre twisting clouds we saw on the way to Grand Island, NE.

Some Photos of the St. Louis Tornado Damage...

Members of Disaster Relief Service International clean up the property of the Temple Christian Fellowship Church in Bridgeton, MO.

Today my chase partner Chris Howell and my brother Matt Detrich traveled through the damage path of the 04/22/11 tornado that did significant damage to the town of Bridgeton, MO and the St. Louis Lambert Field airport. Click HERE to see a slideshow of the photos. We are overnighting in Kansas City, MO and will meet up with the rest of the MESO group tomorrow and then head out to Kansas to get into position for some possible weather on Sunday. We are also joined by three Italian storm chasers, (yes from Italy), and will once again enjoy the company of Niccolo Ubalducci and Valentina Abinanti and their friend Michael. We will be picking up Nancy Bose and Joe Falci at the KC airport tomorrow and Matt Kassawara will be driving in from Lawrence, KS.

Chris Howell looks at a twisted I-beam in the damage path of the EF-4 tornado in Bridgeton, MO.

G-Form Extreme iPad Case, in my Hands, in Time...

The G-Form Extreme iPad Sleeve on my desk today.

With the help of Cathy from G-Form, I now have in my hot little hands one of their newest products to protect my iPad for my upcoming storm chase into the plains, before its official release. The G-Form iPad Extreme Sleeve™ protects your iPad or iPad2 from impact by utilizing RPT-Reactive Protection Technology, a combination of PORON® XRD™ material and proprietary G-Form design and manufacturing. The Extreme Sleeve™ is water-resistant, soft, flexible, lightweight and changes its molecular structure on impact. Cathy tells me it is a bit of miracle molecular manipulation that makes the sleeve so impact resistant. They have a bunch of great products and I recommend a visit to their website.

12 Years Since May 3, 1999, OKC Tornado Outbreak...

Tweleve years ago, I was in Oklahoma City shooting photos of the aftermath of the May 3rd, 1999 F5 tornado that hit most Norman, Midwest City, OKC, Mulllhull, Bridgecreek and other small towns around the OKC area. The tornado outbreak killed 48 people, and spawned 66 tornadoes that day. If I had looked back at this event a month ago, it was a holy crap event in my mind, but as I look back on it today, I think, what was the big deal when I compare it to the tornado outbreak a week ago in Alabama and the South. Not to diminish 05/03/99, but when you compare numbers, 04/27/11 were more than four times greater, four times!!! Lets all remember the victims for years to come, and may we never forget to pay attention to, and take action when you have a weather warning in your area. Your life depends on it!

Can't Believe how Soon News Organizations Forget...

MSNBC Website

It has just been a few day since the 04/27/11 tornado outbreak in the South and already the story has rolled off the main page of most news organization webpages. Pope John Paul, Gahadfi, Obama joking on Trump at the White House Correspondents dinner; they are all more important than the continued pain that the people in the South are going through as they prepare to bury some of the 347 killed in the rogue storms. It is unfortunate that we forget so quickly, hell, how much do we hear about Japan anymore, 13,000 dead and 14,000 still missing and their whole country is royally screwed for a long time. As a photojournalist, I have found that some of the long term follow-up stories I have done are the most compelling stories you can come up with. Lets not forget the people in Alabama and neighboring states, even if the news outlets have. They deserve better.

Associated Press news Website

Death Toll From 04/27/11 Outbreak up to 347...

The death toll from Wednesday's storms keeps rising. At least 347 people were killed across seven states, including at least 248 in Alabama, as the storm system spawned tornadoes through several states. There were 34 deaths in Mississippi, 34 in Tennessee, 15 in Georgia, five in Virginia, two in Louisiana and one in Kentucky. the 04/27/11 outbreak had largest death toll since March 18, 1925, when 747 people were killed in storms that raged through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

On the Ground for 450 Miles, Four States, no words...

Image by Brian Tang.

No words can describe the radar montage of the most impressive supercell from 04/27/11 massive tornado outbreak. This cell traveled about 450 miles and lasted over 8 hours, and was on the ground through four states! It also was responsible for the large, violent tornado that caused the destruction in Tuscaloosa, the North side of Birmingham, Alabama and a number of other cities in its destructive. NOAA has put up a special webpage on the April 2011 tornado information page.

An image of the tornado as Tuscaloosa, AL, the big purple dot is the debris ball.

The National Weather Service preliminary tornado track map fro 04/27/11.

04/27/11 Tornado Outbreak Captured from Space...

Death Toll from Outbreak of 04/27/11 Exceeds 1974...

I never thought I would see the 1974 record broken, but I must admit, this is one hell of a year in weather related record-breaking natural disasters. First the 9.0 earthquake in Japan, the tsunami, and now the tornado outbreak of 04/27/11. With the confirmation of 318 deaths, and over 1700 injuries by state officials, Wednesday's outbreak surpassed a deadly series of tornadoes in 1974 to become the deadliest day for twisters since 332 people died in March 1932. The storm eight decades ago was also in Alabama, the 1932 record may also fall to Wednesday's storm.

A Nice Little Bit of Coverage Last Night...

Fremont photographer turns stormchaser: foxtoledo.com

Sad, Amazing, Devastating, How to Describe Yesterday?

I have seen four major tornado outbreaks that stand out in my mind, 1974 Super Outbreak, where I saw my first tornado, May 3rd 1999, November 10, 2002, and yesterday, April 27th, 2011.

The 1974 Super Outbreak, raised my awareness of tornadoes as I got my first glimpse of the power of Mother Nature as I watched my first tornado. May 3rd, 1999 I drove overnight to Oklahoma City, OK to cover the aftermath of the outbreak for the news agency I was working for at the time. I was one of the first photojournalists let into the Moore and Midwest City area, and the city of Bridge Creek, OK, as I entered with the Pegasus Project, an animal search and rescue team. The F-5 tornado wiped most of those cities off the map, literally. I spent several days shooting the totally destructive force of the twisters that hit the area.

On November 10, 2002, I had the day off from my job, and was celebrating my 40th birthday by watching the weather during the outbreak, we were under a tornado watch here in Ohio. I saw a huge cell heading NE towards Findlay, Ohio. I knew it would track towards, Tiffin, Ohio and I live just 15 miles from Tiffin. I jumped in my truck, and drove through the most intense thunderstorm I have ever witnessed. The rain stopped as I entered Tiffin, but was running into some quarter sized hail, I turned West down Second Street and then South on Nelson St., that is when I saw a white funnel cloud drop from the clouds and immediately turn black, I stopped in the middle of the street and threw my truck into park, threw open the door and fired off several shots with my 20-35mm lens. Little did I know that my photo would be named one of Time/Life Picture of the Year for 2002.

Yesterday I sat at my desk, glued to the TV watching the Weather Channel live coverage as the tornado worked its way from Tuscaloosa through Birmingham LIVE on TV, had Radar Scope running on my iPad, live streaming of chasers on my laptop, and streaming radio from Birmingham on my iPhone. I don't see how people can claim they had "No Warning" of the impending disaster. I could see it in 1974 maybe, but today with 24/7 coverage on TV, FaceBook, Twitter, e-mail, cell phones, iPads, I just can't understand. 

Today reality sets in, the Associated Press reports that at least 307 people are dead, 210 in Alabama. This will no doubt go down in history as one of the largest, if not the largest outbreak in history. There were 32 deaths in Mississippi, 34 in Tennessee, 14 in Georgia, 12 in Arkansas, five in Virginia and one in Kentucky. Hundreds if not thousands of people were injured - 600 in Tuscaloosa alone. All I can say is that people need to be more aware of weather forecasts and maybe sign up for mobile alerts to their cell phones. A simple move like this may save your life.

The storm prediction center received 164 tornado reports around the region, but some tornadoes were probably reported multiple times and it could take days to get a final count.

As I watched the monster tornado move from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, just a small parcel of it almost 300 mile track, I could not help but to be reminded of the day I watched 911. I had a deep down feeling of dread in my gut knowing hundreds of people might be getting killed, as I watched live on TV. Through all my years of storm chasing, I have seen many bad tornadoes and deaths, but it sure does not get any easier to see things like this happen.

 

1974 Super Outbreak - Xenia, Ohio

The 1974 Xenia tornado that wiped out half of the town in Greene, Co Ohio.

 

May 3rd, 1999 Outbreak - Oklahoma F-5

Sylvia Andrews, a resident of Mulhall, OK, begs a rescue worker to help find her dog which had wandered off. Later the rescuers found her dog and she finished her trip to the post office. Behind her is the water tower which was knocked over by the tornado and washed her home off its base with her inside.

Paula Sanders sifts through the rubble of what used to be her home in Del City, OK. This is the area President Clinton toured on Saturday.

A 2 x 4 is stuck in the windsheild of a truck in Midwest City, OK.

 

November 10th, 2002 Outbreak - Tiffin, Ohio

View of the Tiffin, Ohio tornado looking South down Nelson Street.

A resident of Port Clinton, Ohio in front of whats left of his home.

An inspector for the gas company in Port Clinton looks at a destroyed home.

 

April 27th, 2011 Outbreak - Alabama

SPC Tornado report graphic.

Amazing Photo from Twitter

Yesterday's SPC Tornado Watch graphic.

Photo of the Tuscaloosa tornado by the Dusty Compton via AP.

...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK ONGOING...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
636 PM CDT WED APR 27 2011

A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IS CURRENTLY UNFOLDING ACROSS CENTRAL
ALABAMA...AND SUPERCELLS HAVE ERUPTED ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND
WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW TORNADOES HAVE
ALREADY TOUCHED DOWN...AND REPORTS OF MAJOR DAMAGE ARE STARTING TO
COME IN. THE 18Z SPECIAL SOUNDING THAT WAS PERFORMED PRESENTS A
DESTRUCTIVE SETUP...WITH 2700J/KG OF CAPE...EXTREMELY STEEP LAPSE
RATES...AND DRY AIR ALOFT. 0-3 KM HELICITY VALUES ARE ALMOST 700.
THE PARAMETERS WILL ONLY WORSEN AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE REST OF
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE TIME FRAME FOR THE WORST SEVERE
WEATHER WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS FOR
NORTHWEST SECTIONS OF THE STATE...ROUGHLY FROM 2PM TO
8PM...CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE...INCLUDING THE BIRMINGHAM
METRO AREA...FROM 4PM TO 10PM...AND THE SOUTHEAST SECTIONS FROM
6PM TO 2AM. I CANNOT STRESS HOW SERIOUS THIS SITUATION IS. DO
WHATEVER YOU CAN TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE AND PROPERTY NOW...YOUR LIFE
MAY DEPEND ON IT! ALL WEATHER WILL CLEAR THE AREA AFTER 6Z
TONIGHT...SO THE CLEANUP PROCESS CAN BEGIN.

 

4-27-11 Tornado Tuscaloosa, Al from Crimson Tide Productions on Vimeo.

May everyone's thoughts and prayers be with the victims of yesterdays tornado outbreak in the South...

Amazing Images on a Stellar Chase Day in Indiana...

The secret to successful "Storm Chasing" is that you must realize early on that you ARE NOT going to get to see a tornado or get a photo of one every time you go out chasing. Once you realize that, chasing becomes more pleasureable. Last night Chris Howell and I shot over to North central Indiana on the middle of a 5% tornado risk. We got a couple of nice cells that tracked NE right to us near Legonier, Indiana. It made for some nice photos, our equipment was put to its first test, a good practice run for the chase in 9 days in the plains. As we drove home, I noticed some wonderful cells drenched in golden evening light, we quickly stopped and found a pictorial little lake and shot some of the prettiest sunset photos I have seen in a long time. Here is a link to my 04/26/11 Gallery on Flickr. One thing for sure, Mother Nature always gives us something to make us come back one more time...

Awesome Panoramic Sunset Tonight...

Shot on the way home from Michigan, near the intersection of SR 20 and I-420.

Girard, Illinois Tornado - 04/19/11 - Just Rated EF-3...

Here is a video from a chase with Dave Marshall and I. We bagged this monster around 4:50 p.m. as it crossed SR 4, just outside Girard, Illinois. Not bad for the first chase of the year, as I prepare to leave for chasing in the plains in two weeks. Here is a link to my Flickr site where I will be parking my stills from the day's shoot. It was quite a day!! I made many friends this day also, at the pre-chase convergence at the McDonalds in Effingham, Il.

Photo of tornado as it crosses SR 4, just North of Girard, Illinois.

 

Girard, Illinois tornado - 04/19/11 from Allan Detrich on Vimeo.

 

This is an image from GRL 2 from the time of the tornado.

 

Here is a photo of me (bottom right by the truck) taken by Milwaukee photographer Jennifer Brindley as I am out shooting the tornado and trying to keep people from driving into the tornado at the same time...

Extreme Protection for Your iPad...

Weather ABC's Word of the Day - Anvil Rollover...

Anvil Rollover - A circular or semicircular lip of clouds along the underside of the upwind part of a back-sheared anvil, indicating rapid expansion of the anvil. See cumuliform anvil, knuckles, mushroom.

Photo of the Day - Anvil Cloud...

 

Photo of the Day - Greensburg, Kansas Aftermath...

 

Weather ABC's Word of the Day - Air Pollution...

Air Pollution - The existence in the air of substances in concentrations that are determined unacceptable. Contaminants in the air we breathe come mainly from manufacturing industries, electric power plants, automobiles, buses, and trucks.

Weather ABC's Word of the Day - AFOS...

Word of the Day - AFOS - The Automation of Field Operations and Services; AFOS is the computer system that links National Weather Service offices and other computer networks, such as the NOAA Weather Wire, to transmit weather information.

Weather ABC's Word of the Day - Aerosol...

Aerosol - Particles of matter, solid or liquid, larger than a molecule but small enough to remain suspended in the atmosphere (up to 100 m diameter). Natural origins include salt particles from sea spray and clay particles as a result of weathering of rocks. Aerosols can also originate as a result of man's activities and in this case are often considered pollutants.

Photo of the Day - Surviving Rita...

Four month Resident of the Frazier Road Trailer park, in Vidor, TX, Wayne Baton, is weary after spending the night in the woods, instead of his trailer, which was severely damaged in Hurricane Rita. He said he thought he heard a tornado also, but it was so loud all the time he could have been mistaken.

Weather ABC's Word of the Day - Advisory...

Word of the Day - Aerosol - Particles of matter, solid or liquid, larger than a molecule but small enough to remain suspended in the atmosphere (up to 100 m diameter). Natural origins include salt particles from sea spray and clay particles as a result of weathering of rocks. Aerosols can also originate as a result of man's activities and in this case are often considered pollutants.