Rare Look Inside A Tornado Caught On Tape (VIDEO)

The "Today Show" interviewed Mike Bettes of "The Weather Channel" and showed the extraordinary video he captured of the complete life cycle of a tornado. He's involved in a project called Vortex 2, which is studying how to improve the accuracy of forecasting when and where tornadoes will happen, as well as the characteristics of tornadoes in general, with the ultimate goal of helping to save people's lives.

The footage of this tornado is even more rare because the twister turned sideways, allowing Bettes and his crew to film the inside of the tornado from the top, something that he doesn't believe has ever been done before.

Watch the footage below.

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Comments

[AuntiepoppyCock]

Great footage. Nature can be beautiful and brutal.

[BannedInBoston]

It's interesting. I grew up on the outskirts of Oklahoma City and I never once even saw the slightest hint of a funnel dip down. And you know kids, every time there was a thunderstorm, we'd go out and start rooting for a tornado to form just so we could get all excited. I even used to have "tornado dreams". But a real one? Nada, although there was devastation all around in surrounding towns, including one that was completely destroyed by a twister. As kids, of course, we didn't really understand the suffering that went along with this.

[Richterscale]

Great video until the last five seconds when one of those plastic people tried to display his wit.

[BannedInBoston]

As plastic people will....

[JoelNH]

The Tornado Video is cool, but...
My Gawd! MSNBC Fix your video player!

I should be able to cue back and replay a portion without it re-buffering. Also, why can't I view it full screen? Almost every flash player in the world give you full screen. Get with the 21st century guys.

[VegasGuy55]

Let me see if I get this...a tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air. Air is invisible. Therefore, the "visible" component of a tornado must consist of some other element...­condensati­on due to pressure differential, rain or debris. So all we're actually looking at here is the top of the "visible" portion of the funnel, which most likely extends for thousands of feet beyond the "top" to some point where it meets the meso-cyclonic rotation of the main cell. Great video, but not necessarily great science.

Still, I suppose you have to dumb it down for the audience.

[Sensiblebg]

Cool!

[LHibbard]

The view of the funnel from the top confirms what Dr. Fujita discovered - that the inside of a tornado funnel consists of smaller vortices of higher winds. That explains why a structure may be damaged while another is left intact. But look at it from the ground, as Reed Timmer and his crew discovered, and it's wind with debris.

Spotters, chasers and researchers are there to document tornadoes that will hopefully be used to save lives. There are times when they get caught up with the excitement and let their emotions get the better of them, which is what BlueKansas is referring, but their work does go in the long way of tornado research.

[PaHairO]

"Life" cycle ?

Weather is "alive" now ?
.

Can't anyone speak English anymore ?

[Middle-Eighth]

Perhaps you would care to educate yourself on tornado terminology before you say something else silly about tornadoes? Try googling "Tornado life cycle" and see how many other people use this very common phrase.

[PaHairO]

Show me the "life" ...

Try googling "life", and see if anything meteorological fits that description.

[Garrett123]

I actually feel embarrassed for you.
There should be a retract button dontcha think?

[Buford]

Wow... really out of touch, eh? The phrase 'life cycle' is used to describe many, many things that begin, act or are useful, and then end... and I'm sorry to inform you that many of those things are never actually alive.

Maybe someone will reference the phrase on 'American Idol' soon so that you'll be more familiar with its usage.

[BannedInBoston]

Short answer? No. But it does make sense to speak of "life cycles" of non-living processes. It isn't meant literally.­...

[HummusGringo]

You've GOT to be kidding me... "Oh, no, the sky is falling, it's the end of Western Civilization, meteorologists are now using metaphors!"

Get a grip!

[BlueKansas]

I live in Kansas. I'm terrified of severe weather here, but this is where we had to move, so we live with it.

What I do NOT get is the fascination some people have with tornadoes. If the Vortex2 people were studying tornadoes with a view to coming up with ways to weaken them -- then fine. At the moment, they are just studying them. But for what? To know when and when not to sound the sirens? Give me a break. Storm chasers LOVE severe weather, can't wait for it. Do they know that the beautiful twister they're getting off on is probably tearing up peoples' lives and possibly even killing them?

Until yesterday, the Vortex2 people and all the stormchasers were moaning about what a 'dud' of a severe weather season we've had. I just don't get this love of nature's fury, and I don't care to watch Anderson Cooper flailing around in hurricanes either. It's sick.

[Middle-Eighth]

It's not about "weakening" them. It's about predicting them. It's about understanding the mechanics within storm systems that cause tornadoes to form, identifying them before they actually spawn a tornado, and getting the alarm out early so that people can save their lives (if not their property).

You also do serious storm chasers a major disservice by assuming they don't care about people in the path of tornadoes. Professionals like the members of Vortex 2 double as spotters and are part of the network that helps save lives. They no more want to see houses torn up and people killed than you do. Don't be fooled by the amateur videos (and fictional accounts) of chasers who go "Woohoo!" when houses blow up.

[BlueKansas]

I have heard the Vortex2 people on TWC get all excited at the possibility of tornadoes and it just sickens me. They have actually put the word "unfortunately" before the statement "we've had no tornadoes to study this year..." Give me a break.

Someone will be in the path of almost every tornado that is spawned, so if spotters and chasers REALLY cared more for the average person than they care about their passion or hobby -- then they would pray like hell for NO tornadoes. I see way too many "yeehaw, it's showtime" posts on weather blogs whenever the SPC highlights a risk area.

As for this huge government project being able to predict and warn....I honestly don't know what we need that exceeds what we currently have. We get a severe t-storm warning, we all watch the skies. We listen for the sirens. Some of us have reverse-9-1-1 Weathercall service. Smart people go to the basement or other safe place and wait for the DISH Network signal to go out. Then they get online to watch streaming weather coverage..­.until the power goes out. Then they open a bottle of wine.

Clueless people put themselves at risk and always will, no matter how much we learn about tornadoes.

So let me know when they come up with a way to zap converging air masses from space and disperse tornadoes before they form. Now THAT would be something.

[Cycadeoidea]

I'd love to see a tornado. One hopped over our house once as a kid, but it came and went so fast I never saw it. All I remember is that it turned a very dark green outside.

[Forester]

Studying tornadoes must really suck.

[BlueKansas]

The people who study tornadoes LOVE it. I mean, they really really LOVE it. I can understand wanting to know more about the science, but some of these people PRAY for tornadoes.

[You]

I'd rather a subject studied by someone who loves it, rather than someone who hates it.

[Cycadeoidea]

It's true. Tornadoes do suck. And the wind blows.

[Garrett123]

badumbum

[Buford]

... and proctology stinks.

[neutrino74]

I never saw it but some years ago I read that a new television helicopter flew over the top of a tornado and filmed looking down into the vortex.

[VoteOnPaper]

Yet another CLASSIC example of Matt Lauer exhibiting DBLT. "Munchkins"?

Dude. This is science. Lives will be SAVED because of the data gathered by VORTEX 2.

[Mike169]

I thought he was talking about the donut.

[Tyler-Durden]

going to a communist country to report on human rights abuse is like going to Antarctica to report on the weather and inadvertently freezing to death.

These reporters got too close to the edge and fell in.

At least they'll get some good experience to write about - if they ever see a pen again. sucks.

[Tyler-Durden]

doh! wrong article. stupid 'back' button

[Stan Schurman]

That can't be authentic. Where were the guys in the rowboat and the old lady riding the bike and the cow and the spinning house?

[daffey]

Best post I've seen today! Funny.

[rightsize2005]

here here

[Cycadeoidea]

Cool! Good for Mike!