Avoiding Extreme Weather

As anyone who’s paid attention to Central U.S. weather the last few months knows, it’s been a particularly violent spring across “Tornado Alley.” Midwest storms made national news and reintroduced repeat targets—such as Moore, Okla. Well ahead of the storms and far in front of the inevitable miles of destruction images, Americans coast to coast shared ringside seats of the progressing destruction thanks to the coverage of storm chasers who shared real time some of the clearest videos and still images ever made of in-progress tornadoes. Most images came from a large contingent of ground-pounders but, more than ever before, much of the resulting imagery was captured through the efforts of people aboard aerial platforms, whether helicopter or fixed-wing.

Key Takeaways:

• Pilots must prioritize avoidance and never penetrate severe storms (tornadoes or intense thunderstorms) due to extreme turbulence, hail, and debris that can travel many miles from the core.
• Maintain strict situational awareness by using all available weather tools (like Nexrad) and visual cues, staying well clear of storm cells, and avoiding clouds when near strong weather.
• Always have a clear escape plan, such as a 180-degree turn, and understand different storm types: wait out fast-moving frontal systems on the ground, or divert and outrun more stationary air-mass thunderstorms.

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