A south Florida man is lucky to be alive after dashcam video captured him speeding toward an approaching tornado, but appearing too busy yelling at other drivers to notice.
The irritable driver is seen plowing down a Pompano Beach road Tuesday morning, zipping around cars, when a funnel cloud appears in the dark sky.
Anthony Ciarrocchi uploaded the video to Facebook shortly after, writing that he could not see the tornado because of the rain.
Even when debris gets tossed into the roadway and cars come to a halt, he doesn't appear to spot it. He instead excitedly exclaims that he's in the middle of "a f--king hurricane" and carries on driving and honking at other cars to move.
"If anyone of the nay sayers (sic) have ever driven in S.FL during any storm. you would know it comes down in sheets, roads flood quickly and you have to keep your eyes on the road.." he posted in the profanity-laced video's comment section on YouTube. "Drivers suck in the rain and I Do not care to sit in a Tornado and watch it destroy stuff..."
On Facebook and YouTube, storm enthusiasts expressed shared excitement over the footage, as well as shock and horror.
A YouTube account for the Southeast Louisiana Storm Spotters remarked on how "extremely stupid" it is to drive straight into a tornado.
"Even the most experienced chasers don't do this. YOU Anthony almost lost your life and if you are a ‘Storm chaser’ you're not a very smart one," the group posted in the YouTube video’s comment section.
A man identifying himself as an extreme weather chaser in Australia also marveled at the video on Facebook, calling the footage -- and the driver's action -- "incredible."
"Some people spend years and thousands of dollars to intercept a tornado in the name of science (deploy probes for research). Then there are guys like this who put their life in danger for a bit of a giggle. It's mind boggling to be honest," Thomas Hinterdorfer wrote.
If caught in a tornado while driving, experts advise drivers to not try to outrun the twister but stop your vehicle and stay inside.
"There is no safe option when caught in a tornado in a car, just slightly less-dangerous ones," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states on its website.
The federal agency recommends that if far enough away, drivers drive out of the tornado’s path at right angles.
If caught in extreme winds or flying debris, drivers are advised to park as quickly and safely as possible, out of traffic lanes, and to stay inside with seat belts fastened and heads covered below windows with hands or any soft item -- like a blanket or cushion.
If possible, seek shelter from a sturdy building or underground until the storm passes.
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