Amazing clear slot with nice lowering. (click picture)
 

Chase Account by: Brian Thalken
 
My second day in a row of storm chasing paid off in south central Kansas, after a very challenging previous day of chasing.  We went through a lot of the same area we had already been in on May 4, 2007.  Unfortunately several people lost their lives in the Greensburg, KS F5 tornado on May 4, 2007. Lincoln Nebraska's special Urban Search and Rescue team helped rescue efforts in devastated Greensburg, KS after the first ever EF-5 tornado.  Nebraska Task Force One  We took HWY 183 south from the Red Cloud, NE area towards Great Bend, KS and caught a cell on the way south that didn't keep our interest for too long.  We kept on working our way further south towards a storm to our southwest.  We went south of Chase, KS and then to the east of Alden, KS and then waited to intercept as the storm came towards us.  We could see the updraft and then the rain free base came into view.    



We worked our way west again and could see an interesting lowering and then a clear slot started to form and was VERY impressive.  There was a lot of action going on under the lowering and I'll have to review the video but curtains of rain appeared to be rotating underneath.  Then a tornado touched down fairly close to our location just on the other side of a row of trees.  I wasn't able to get a still photo and again I'll have to check the video to see what I all got on video.  It kicked up some dust and then lifted back up.   More chase details to come...plus more photos and video.

 Lowering with a lot of dust/rain curtains. (click picture)
  

 Clear slot becoming more visible at this point. (click picture)
 

 Clear slot really opening up at this point with finger. (click picture)
 

 Great clear slot with some action going on underneath.
 

 Curtains of rain underneath lowering by Alden, KS. 


 Lightning strike at 1:30am - Lincoln, NE after a long day.