How do rainbows form? What exactly are mirages? Explore nature's most fantastic tricks of light with simple scientific explanations of how the brilliant colors come alive. In this video we also showcase and explain halos, pillars, mirages, crepuscular rays, glories, iridescence and other funny ways the spectra of light appear on our spectacular planet. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/c/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023 NOT FOR REBROADCAST HOW DO RAINBOWS FORM When visible sunlight enters a raindrop it REFRACTS, separating into many different wavelengths. Each different wavelength appears as a different color. Some of that light is then REFLECTED off the back of the raindrop, refracts again and then travels to observers appearing as the bowing spectrum. All rainbows are optical illusions. They do not exist in specific spot in the sky, rather in your head. You cant see a rainbow at midday unless you’re high above the horizon looking down. The closer to sunrise or sunset, the higher the rainbows arc into the sky THE SECONDARY RAINBOW The secondary rainbow appears when the light reflected twice inside the raindrop is bright enough for detection. Because this light is reflected twice, the order of the colors are reversed. The band of darker sky between the two rainbows is sometimes called “Alexander’s dark band.” HIGHER ORDER BOWS In rare conditions a third rainbow can be seen but its extremely faint and you’d have the sun in your eyes. SUPERNUMERARY ARC / BOWS Sometimes rays bouncing around in the rain cause interference. The result can be bonus bands of color usually underneath the primary bow. These are called Supernumerary arcs or bows. MONOCHROME RAINBOW or RED RAINBOW The farther sunlight travels through our atmosphere, the more the shorter blue and violet wavelengths are scattered, becoming less visible. When only the long-wave red remains visible. A monochrome rainbow or red rainbow may appear. Anywhere you have sunlight interacting with water droplets and an observer in the right spot, you can have some kind of bow. FOG BOW or WHITE BOW The tiniest water droplets in fog tend to make a white bow or fog bow Also called a mist bow or a ghost bow. GLORY Small rings of color most often seen around an airplane’s shadow is called a glory. These are most often visible when the viewer is above the horizon looking down. The closer your position to the clouds, the larger the shadow. In special conditions a hiker climbing through fog pondering the meaning of life may see a glory around their head and believe they’re on to something. This is sometimes called Brocken spectre or specter of Brocken. Because glories are optical phenomenon, only the observer's own shadow will have the crown of color, but their buddies will only see the glory around their own head. more soon...

Short documentary exploring the deadliest tornadoes in the world. You might be surprised that most of them did not occur in the US. To license video contact [email protected] COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2024 NOT FOR REBROADCAST Support this channel https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank DEADLIEST TORNADO of 2024 (so far through Sep. 12) During the active storm season of 2024, incredible tornadoes seemed to be making daily headlines. Despite the high tornado count, the death toll has been surprisingly low. Of the 1600 tornadoes counted (so far) this year, only 44 deaths have been reported. Perhaps a testament to our warning system, and luck. The deadliest tornado this year was an EF3 that tracked between Valley View TX and Sanger TX at night on May 25th. Manufactured and mobile homes were heavily damaging or demolishing and seven lives were lost. THE TRISTATE TORNADO of 1925 On Wednesday, March 18, 1925 a highly visible funnel appeared under a classic supercell thunderstorm at 1pm near Moore Township, Missouri. Shortly after the deadliest tornado in US history would claim its first life. Town after leveled town would endure a horror unlike anything America had ever seen. After crossing into Illinois, the parent storm transitioned to a high precipitation mode obscuring the intense tornado behind a curtain of rain while the strength and size of the tornado increased. With wind estimates perhaps in excess of 300 mph, the tornado obliterated the numerous towns directly in its path while racing across the landscape at an average speed of 62 mph. Entire rows of homes were leveled and swept away. Schools were devastated. Railroad tracks were reportedly ripped from the ground and sheets of iron were carried as far as 50 miles away. In rural areas, farmhouses were also leveled. Trees were debarked and the tornado carved deep scours into the earth Indicating this tornado would have easily earned the highest intensity rating on today’s enhanced Fujita scale, an EF5. Between The obliterated town of Gorham and the highly devastated town of Murphysboro, the mile-wide tornado sprinted to an incredible speed of 73 mph and for a long-time it was recognized as the fastest tornado ever recorded. In its wake, large fires burned structures with trapped victims inside. Thousands were left without shelter or food and looters raided the rubble. After 3 hours and 38 minutes of unspeakable horror, the tornado, or family of tornadoes, finally dissipated at 4:38 PM near Petersburg Indiana. Along a 235 mile damage path, approximately 15,000 homes had been destroyed, and 695 men, woman and children lost their lives. By far the largest death toll registered by any US tornado to the present day. THE DEADLIEST TORNDO IN THE WORLD On April 26th, 1989 a large powerful tornado tracked through Bangladesh. According to the World Meteorological Organization this tornado killed roughly 1,300 people and injured 12,000. According to the Bangladesh Observer, "The devastation was so complete, that barring some skeletons of trees, there were no signs of standing infrastructures.” TOP 10 DEADLIEST TORNADOES EVER RECORDED Bangladesh is no stranger to terrible tornadoes. In fact six historic tornadoes occurring in Bangladesh are contenders for the Top 10 deadliest tornadoes ever recorded. The United States has only two on that list. TORNADOES IN BANGLADESH It's not that Bangladesh has bigger, badder tornadoes than the US. Oklahoma is roughly the same size of Bangladesh and has significantly more tornadoes. But Oklahoma has population of 4 million while Bangladesh has a population of 174 million. If a big bad tornado occurs, It would be much more likely to hit a heavily populated area in Bangladesh than in the US. BANGLADESH VULNERABLE TO TORNADOES The dense population, absence of a sophisticated warning system and lack of tornado shelter able to withstand destructive winds make Bangladesh highly vulnerable to any tornadoes that occur and thus the deadliest location in the world regarding tornado related fatalities. CREDITS: Video and photography by Hank Schyma Additional photography by my man Daniele Shaw “Deep River” Piano performance by Anton Seimon RESEARCH: National Weather Service World Population Review Bangladesh and East India Tornadoes Background Information - Jonathan Finch Tornados in Bangladesh and East India - Jonathan D. Finch, Ashaf M. Dewan AMS Journal - The Tornado Archive: Compiling and Visualizing a Worldwide, Digitized Tornado Database. Malcolm Maas, Timothy Supine, Andrew Berrington, Samuel Emmerson, Ava Aidala, and Michael Gavan. Atmospheric Research: The environment associated with significant tornadoes in Bangladesh Dan Bikos, Jonathan Finch, Jonathan L. Case SPC - The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes

We were mobbed by hundreds of Manta Rays in the Maldives. After swimming into a swarm of plankton, countless manta rays suddenly appeared and plowed right through us. Support this channel here https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2024 NOT FOR REBROADCAST To license video contact [email protected] SNORKELING WITH MANTAS In the Maldives We flew to the other side of the planet hoping to find manta rays In the Maldives. Our manta guides warned the stormy conditions were not ideal and only a few mantas had been spotted on the previous outing. They seemed genuinely concerned about charging us $165 each (not including taxes and tips) and not finding anything. But we ended up hitting the jackpot! After 15 minutes or so of swimming into the strong currents around Hanifaru Bay, the water turned murky with tiny debris. We paddled right into their plankton soup. And that’s when things went kinda crazy. An estimated 150 manta rays swam right past us. As large and scary as they might seem to some people, I felt completely safe. During heavier traffic, some of the mantas accidentally bumped into us, however for the most part, they try to steer away from you.. Sorta. A fe times their fans slapped us and you could feel their tail drag across your body. Not to worry though, they don't have stingers. MANTA RAY FACTS and INFORMATION Reef Manta rays are massive fish attaining wingspans around 12 feet. Their larger cousins the oceanic manta ray can attain wingspans up to 22 feet. Even bigger according to some tales. When filter feeding, mantas unroll their cephalic fins to help guide plankton into their gaping mouths . When not feeding, they coil their cephalic fins back up into a more streamlined horn shape and man can they fly. The dual horn look earned them the name “devil fish” in some parts of the world. “Manta” however, means “blanket” or “cloak” in Spanish and it’s easy to see how they got that name too. They have one of the largest brain-to-body mass ratios of any fish and demonstrate high intelligence levels and long term memory abilities. They can map and remember places they visit and pass the mirror test experiments where they are able they can recognize themselves. REETHI BEACH RESORT We stayed at the Reethi Beach Resort as it's one of the more reasonably affordable resorts in the Maldives and is not too far from Hanifaru Bay where the Mantas are most likely to hang around. Right off the beach in front of our room a wonderland of marine animals thrive. Not too much farther out the atoll abruptly drops into the dark depths where leviathans lurk in your imagination. Its an amazing place to test yourself how deep you can free dive. More info later... MUSIC "La Malediction de la Dance du Poulet" by Pecos Hank "Pillbox" by Southern Backtones

Frequent close lightning strikes with loud thunder from two highly active lightning storms. Some clear air bolts started several fires with the storm in Kansas. A stationary storm fired bolt after bolt for 3 hours in Nebraska. This is a compilation of the best lightning captured between these two storms on June 16th and 18th 2024. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL HERE https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2024 NOT FOR REBROADCAST ALL NEGATIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING It was interesting that all the lightning captured in this video appeared to be negative. Generally with these June storm cells in Tornado Alley there's a mix of positive and negative. Positive lightning tends to exist much longer than negative lightning. Since I was shooting 120 frames per second, it would have been nice to have some positive flashes. At 120 fps, you only capture two frames of the initial leaders and return stroke with most negative flashes. The multi-strokes (channel flickers) that sometimes occur afterward are captured well at this frame rate though. SONY A9 GLOBAL SHUTTER CAMERA I'm using the new Sony A9 global shutter camera to video lightning here. Because it's a global shutter, there are no partial exposures (different exposed lines and blocks) like you get with most consumer cameras today while documenting lightning. It's an expensive doo-dad for something so specialized, but a necessity for lightning lovers shooting video. NEW SONG - "KING CONTRARY MAN" The new song I'm tap dancing to is slated to be released August 20th on Splice Records and will be available online everywhere. Thank you so much to all my Patrons for supporting all this craziness. I think you can see how much fun I'm having attempting to bring the world a little more goodness. xox Hank

Explaining what a derecho storm is, how they differ from tornadoes and what it's like to be trapped in one. On May 16, 2024 we were caught outside when a deadly derecho slammed onto Houston Texas. Support this channel here... https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank o license video contact [email protected] COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2024 NOT FOR REBROADCAST A derecho is a classification of powerful long-lived windstorms. Typical derechos can blow down large trees and wreak havoc on power lines. Tornadoes often like to hang out with derechos and so derechos are often accompanied by tornado warnings. But what’s the difference? The damaging winds in derechos typically occur in one general direction along a relatively straight swath, whereas tornado winds as we all know are circulating. In fact, the word "tornado" originates from the Spanish words “tronada," meaning thunderstorm and "tornar," to twist or turn. To distinguish lower end tornado damage from long-lived straight line wind-storm damage, we again use Spanish... “derecho” which can mean straight. DERECHO QUALIFICATIONS For a windstorm to qualify as a derecho It must include wind gusts of at least 58 mph or greater along most of its length. (50 knots or 93 km/h) It must have a path of continuous or intermittent wind damage that extends at least 400 miles (650 km) and is at least 60 miles wide. (100 km) When people are hit by a derecho, many believe it was a tornado. If you correct them, they’re usually disappointed or disagree. This is because being in a derecho often makes for an un-macho dinner party story. But derechos can be dead serious. THE DEADLY DERECHO / HOUSTON TX May 16, 2024 At least eight lives were lost in the event that spanned from Texas to Florida. With hurricane force wind gusts reported up to 100 mph, countless trees and power lines were brought down causing massive power outages.A couple transmission towers collapsed from estimated 115 mph winds near the top of the towers. Damage occurred to numerous structures and thousands of windows were blasted out in downtown Houston alone. All of this inflicted over a billion dollars in damage.

Horses hit by a tornado but escape unharmed as large panels and pieces of outbuildings fly by them. This was one of a few tornadoes that touched down near Windthorst Texas on May 25th, 2024. After the tornado passed I was concerned that the fence or gate might be compromised allowing the horses to get out, however everything appeared to be secure. OTHER INTERESTING THINGS to look for in this video is the third tiny vortex in the field when the two needles first touch down. Note the sudden explosiveness of the debris as the second needle tornado impacts the building. When the horses are caught inside the tornado, note the sudden explosiveness of the trees as they blast across the gravel road. Support this Channel here https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2024 NOT FOR REBROADCAST

Astonishing large white tornado in Oklahoma on May 23, 2024. With deviant motion changing from southeast to north, this tornado meandered near Eldorado, Olustee and East Duke Oklahoma. Support this Channel here... https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2024 NOT FOR REBROADCAST

How to chase tornadoes multiple choice. On May 2, 2024 two storms were developing in a very unstable atmosphere. The close storm is in a good road network but has been struggling the last hour while the southern storm in a poor road network has been slowly intensifying. Which storm would you chase? Support this Channel here... https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2024 NOT FOR REBROADCAST The May 2, 2024 Ballinger Texas Tornadoes. More info soon...

Chasing a tornado that tracked 42 miles in Iowa. This tornado impacted Houghton Iowa, New London Iowa and rural areas southwest of the Quad Cities vicinity on April 16, 2024. With peak wind speeds estimated at 130 mph this tornado earned an EF2 rating. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2024 NOT FOR REBROADCAST

A storm chasing adventure filmed in Argentina. The quest for a Southern hemisphere supercell thunderstorm takes two storm chasers through random beautiful places in Argentina but there's never enough time to bask in the charm. Another storm is brewing in the next Province. COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2024 NOT FOR REBROADCAST To license video contact [email protected] SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank MUSIC CREDITS "Sinful Refrain" by Pecos Hank "Soul Chaser" by Pecos Hank "La Malediction de la Danse du Poulet" by Pecos Hank "Won't Pray Adagio" by Southern Backtones Ukulele by Spencer Schyma Acoustic guitar by Hank Schyma

Tornado chasing documentary following the incredible storms during the 2023 storm season. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] *COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023* *NOT FOR REBROADCAST* REMARKABLE STORM EVENTS FEATURED: On March 24, Powerful Tornadoes impacted MS, AL and TN at night. Morning light revealed catastrophic EF4 rated damage in Rolling Fork Mississippi where 17 people lost their lives. Storm Chaser Brandon Clement documented the incredible damage with his drone. See his incredible video here... https://youtu.be/Gsq-UO2Slr0?si=xsGR5j8iOlRd6JvN 3.31 ARKANSAS Racing toward me at 50 mph was a killer EF3 In Arkansas. After ripping through Little Rock and Jacksonville, this tornado would injure 50 people and miraculously only one fatality was reported. However, this outbreak was just beginning. another large, intense tornado was about to tear through Wynne Arkansas. In its wake of obliterated homes, the high end EF3 claimed the lives of 4 people. 4.04 ILLINOIS & IOWA A fast moving tornadic supercell tracked from Missouri into Illinois. Several chasers were hit by a tornado with max EF3 rated damage. Luckily, the chasers would all survive. Because of the the high precipitation storm mode, extremely fast cell motion and difficult chasing terrain, I kept my distance. Over in Iowa, Scott Currens was documenting an incredibly photogenic tornado. See his footage here... https://youtu.be/Nz_5vWfD-MM?si=MQ-0YZPdz5mEdrTZ 4.19 KANSAS One storm in eastern Kansas would produce 8 tornadoes after sunset. More info later...

Impulsive tornado chasing and dangerous behavior nudging more and more chasers closer to the edge of death. Is it really worth it? COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023 NOT FOR REBROADCAST To license video contact [email protected] SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank CORE PUNCHING A strong storm’s heaviest concentration of rain and hail is the core. Storm chasers often risk their windshield’s driving through the core to keep up with a storm or see a tornado on the other side. But sometimes the tornado is lurking inside the core. Punching into a core hoping to see a soggy, rain wrapped tornado is highly risky and largely shortsighted. Both times I came close to being killed by tornadoes, they were obscured in precipitation. So why do some of us risk so much to capture sloppy, often passed over and forgotten, rain-wrapped tornado footage? DEDICATION or DESPERATION A handful of you are aware of the immense dedication and sacrifice it takes to track down and capture these monsters. The pricey gear and gadgets, the expensive wear and tear, the endless driving day after day, the months of preparation each year, and the years of research. After all that investing, when that rare tornado shot is finally in your sites, the need to succeed can be a wicked influence. NEBRASKA CHASE ACCOUNT - MAY 12, 2023 In the midst of a four week losing streak and another long commute, I just missed a photogenic tornado in Nebraska. Several of my friends hit the jackpot. From the notch of another storm, I was able to capture a soggy wedge before it wrapped itself in thicker blankets of rain. That sting of failure was driving me beyond better judgment and into the heavy rain for a highly unlikely redeeming shot. The adjacent winds of the invisible, tornado raked across and rocked my vehicle as I fled. Looking back at radar loops, it appeared that the tornado weakened and expanded effectively backing up its perimeter to my location. After some deeper, internal reflection I realized I was more susceptible to the impulses of hubris, competition, and the need to succeed, then I was aware. Especially when caught up in the chase. The next time I'm in a hungry hot pursuit of a tornado wrapped in heavy rain, I hope I'll remember how stupid it is. HERD MENTALITY In the information whirlwind of storm chasing, It’s easy to become overwhelmed and confused. Another disoriented chaser racing by might appear confident and so you decide to follow them to glory. Then another clueless chaser starts following you and pretty soon you’re in a conga line of confusion. Perhaps this is one reason we’re seeing more and more convoys racing into potentially perilous situations. If you’ve lost situational awareness, try not to assume others know what they’re doing. You may end up following a bunch of lemmings. I'm guilty of the above as well. I recall back around 2005 I was chasing a lightning storm in Oklahoma. Back then I had no data other than a weather radio. Storm chaser Warren Faidley's vehicle whizzed by going the opposite direction with all its antennae and I thought "He must know something." I turned around and followed him all the way to his hotel parking lot. For some reason he was quitting for the day. AWESTRUCK To be a successful chaser, you’re really gonna have to love thunderstorms. If you don’t, daily disappointment and road wear is gonna cull you out fast. When that rare tornado moment is baring down, it’s EASY for a tornado nut to become a transfixed, sitting duck. If you think tornadoes are neato on YouTube? Wait until you see one in real life. As massive as there are, these storms have a funny way of sneaking up on you. Try to keep that in mind if you find yourself gawking at one. DUCK MENTALITY. The most dangerous part of the storm is approaching close but all the other chase vehicles are still sitting there, so you sit there. But they’re possibly sitting there because you’re not moving. If you’re feeling its time to scamper away, trust your lizard brain rather than the flock around you. PASSING Passing can be one of the most nerve wracking things a chaser can do in a storm. Especially passing the sailing and splashing 18 wheelers. If you decide to go for it, keep in mind, strong winds tend to blow things over. If someone is passing you, why not let off the accelerator a bit to help them out? If your ego can handle this, you'll decrease your chances of an accident. HYPE ADDICTION A great way to score 5K or 6K likes is to almost die in a tornado. The boost your channel will get from your stupidity will likely outshine any calculated beauty you capture. The world that worships recklessness wants to see you die. Ask yourself, do you really want to oblige them? For many people it’s better to be annoying than invisible. Just ask any guy blaring music or revving their engine at the gas pump. Happy Trails

Massive crocodiles hunting and leaping into the air. Plus amazing facts & information about the largest reptile on Earth and how to become its dinner. COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023 NOT FOR REBROADCAST To license video contact [email protected] SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank THE SALTWATER CROCODILE (Cocodylus porosus) FACTS & INFORMATION The Saltwater Crocodile is the largest living reptile on the planet. These modern day dinosaurs can grow over 6.5 meters long (23 feet) and weigh over 1,000 kilos (2,200 lbs). They have the most powerful bite of any animal on Earth and are mighty enough to take down buffalo and cattle. Salt water crocodiles are cited as the most intelligent or sophisticated reptile. Besides using body language, they also vocally communicate using sounds, including barking, hissing, growling, chirps or grunts. They can hold their breath for hours underwater where they are ultra sensitive to vibrations. They don’t need to see you to know exactly where you are when you approach the water’s edge. This makes them extra effective ambush hunters in murky salt waters, brackish and fresh waters. CROCODILE ATTACKS ON HUMANS Saltwater crocodiles can live more than 70 years. They are opportunistic feeders that prey on a variety of species including crabs, fish, birds, turtles, pigs, buffalo and even humans. Though crocodiles and their relatives have a negative reputation among people, most species are relatively harmless and would rather avoid people rather than confront them.  Saltwater Crocodiles are known to show aggression towards people, partly a result of its strong territoriality and partly because we are on their menu. Human attacks from all crocodile species worldwide are estimated around a thousand per year according to one source. The Nile crocodile is responsible for the majority of those due to the much more likely odds it will encounter humans in Africa. Saltwater crocodiles range from India, through Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, into the Philippines, Palau, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Northern Australia. Reports of saltwater crocodile attacks are surprisingly low. Calculations I dug up varied from 30 to over a hundred attacks per year for the that species. In Australia, attacks from “saltys” average about 2 per year. Across their vast domain, humans kill thousands of saltwater crocs each year and several countries have hunted them to local extinction. CROCODILE TOURISM IN AUSTRALIA Australia has recognized the value of protecting the crocs where it’s now illegal to hunt them. The recovering populations there, help manage a healthy ecosystem and croc tourism is bringing in money from fascinated adventurers who want to witness them in their natural habitat. Numerous river cruises specializing in teasing wild saltwater crocodiles to leap out of the water are a hit with photographers. CROCOSAURUS COVE Located in Darwin, Crocosaurus Cove offers a unique way to swim with massive captive crocodiles called the “Cage of Death.” Of course you’re behind thick plexiglass that should protect you. It’s gimmicky, amazing and many of their crocodiles are rescues. Leo, one of the star crocs there, was eating too many cattle before being captured in the wild. His life was spared in exchange for captivity. On one occasion, Leo mauled a worker at Crocosaurus Cove when she got too close. She was lucky to escape with her life and limbs after losing a lot of blood. There’s lots of other fascinating animals at this small zoo to see and I found the entire facility educating with heavy emphasis on conservation. CURRENT STATUS Saltwater crocodiles have few natural predators. Still, their skins have historically been highly prized, and they have suffered immensely from hunting, both legal and illegal. Their eggs and meat are also consumed as food. In the past, this species has been threatened with extinction. Recent conservation efforts have allowed them to make an impressive comeback in Australia but the species as a whole is much rarer than in the past. Music scored by Pecos Hank Crocodile Dundee theme performed by Pecos Hank

Time lapse compilation of best mesocyclones and supercells resembling flying saucers, alien crafts and motherships. COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023 NOT FOR REBROADCAST To license video contact [email protected] SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank WHAT IS A MESOCYCLONE? The engine of the strongest and most dangerous thunderstorms and the bringer of the most intense tornadoes on Earth is the mesocyclone. When a thunderstorm develops in an atmosphere with strong changes of wind speed and/or direction with height, the updraft may twist and rotate as a vertical column becoming a mesocyclone. The effects of this mesocyclone on storm clouds can appear otherworldly with wind sculpted structures resembling flying saucers, alien crafts hovering below the storm base or invading motherships casting ominous shadows. The presence of a mesocyclone can enable a thunderstorm to persist for hours as a supercell. Technically, "mesocyclone" is a term used for radar analysis defining storm-scale rotation in convective storms that meets specific magnitude, vertical depth and duration. - Cyclonically rotating vortex in a convective storm - 2-10 km in diameter - Vorticity 10-2 S-1 or greater When Doppler radar detects a mesocyclone exhibiting intensifying rotation, a tornado warning may be issued. Most mesocyclones don’t produce tornadoes. Sometimes they produce small brief tornadoes. Sometimes they summon enormous, long-lived monsters. Mesocyclones are often accompanied by frequent lightning activity that is especially evident at night. On May 25th, this year in New Mexico storm chasers gawked for hours as an almost stationary supercell delivered an out-of-this-world light show. All Cinematography and Music by Pecos Hank

Photogenic tornado compilation from one storm that tracked from Chugwater Wyoming through Scottsbluff Nebraska and beyond on June 23, 2023. To license video contact [email protected] *COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023* *NOT FOR REBROADCAST* As many as 8 tornadoes occurred with this storm, most occurring over open county causing little damage. Two of the tornadoes were significant, rated EF2. The first EF2 occurred near Hawk Springs Wyoming impaling a tree branch into the side of a home, damaging small outbuildings, knocking down utility poles, and hardwood trees. The second EF2 occurred near Scottsbluff, Terrytown and Gering Nebraska prompting a tornado emergency for the area. One home was badly damaged. More info later.. Music by Pecos Hank Schyma

"Supercell" the movie sneak peeks discussion about how the film was made using real tornado and lightning footage with Director Jamie Winterstern.

Monster Baseball sized hailstone smashing my windshield right in front of my camera with tornado approaching. **NOT FOR REBROADCAST** COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023 To license video contact [email protected] On April 19, 2023 a tornado outbreak occurred in Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa. These tornadoes were near the town Strong City and Cottonwood Falls Kansas. more later... SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank

The Little Rock & Wynne Arkansas tornadoes on March 31, 2023. These tornadoes were moving roughly 50 mph leaving behind a wake of destruction. ***NOT FOR REBROADCAST*** COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023 To license video contact [email protected] LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS TORNADO On March 31 a Tornado Emergency was issued for Little Rock Arkansas as an EF3 tornado was tearing through town at 50 mph. In its 34 mile long wake, At least 2,700 structures, houses, apartments, businesses and churches would be damaged or destroyed. With peak wind speeds estimated at 165 mph this long tracking tornado would cause 54 injuries and miraculously only 1 fatality was reported. However, this tornado outbreak was just beginning and another intense storm was racing directly toward the town Wynne Arkansas. WYNNE ARKANSAS TORNADO Southeast of Wynne I observed a thin tornado with a high debris cloud for about 3 minutes before it appeared to dissipate. Then, I believe a second much larger tornado developed further north. Radar velocity appears to validate that these were indeed two separate tornadoes but I'm not 100% positive. The much larger tornado was heading directly toward the town center as I documented it while driving north on Highway 1. This Tornado (currently rated at least EF3) would carved a path through Wynne (Cross County) around 445 pm CDT. Structures were obliterated, and at least four fatalities resulted. Farther downstream, the same tornado wreaked havoc (i.e. homes damaged or destroyed and trees uprooted or snapped) just west of Parkin (Cross County) and north of Earle (Crittenden County). South of Turrell (Crittenden County), The tornado eventually crossed the Mississippi River and dissipated near Burlison, TN after a 73 mile trek. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank

Incredible blue jet and entire thunderstorm caught on video. *NOT FOR REBROADCAST* COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023 To license video contact [email protected] BLUE JET FACTS & INFORMATION: The first blue jets caught on video were during a NASA aircraft mission in 1994. Rarely documented, Most blue jets are accidentally caught on camera by nature lovers photographing the parent lightning storms. Blue jets can initiate as a leader exits the upper extent of the thunderstorm and propagates toward the upper atmosphere. The rarified air and low pressure of the upper atmosphere leads to a visible transformation in the leader as the ionization travels upward. It’s the excitation of molecular nitrogen that delivers their spectacular sapphire glow. The top of the thunderstorm sparking this blue jet was estimated to be roughly 10 miles high and the visible portion of this blue jet was calculated by Paul Smith to be roughly 13 miles tall from storm top to upper visible extent of the jet. Thank you for your continuing consultation and guidance Paul Smith Dr. Walt Lyons Tom Warner SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank

Up close tornado chasing documentary following an array of storm events that occurred in 2022 in chronological order. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] **COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2023** **NOT FOR REBROADCAST** From the red, dusty fields of west Texas to the ocean of green in Montana. From the tropical Florida Keys to the dreamy landscapes in Arizona. In 2022 I drove roughly 30,000 miles documenting storms On anticipated big days, A storm chaser might drive all the way to Iowa and only see some rain. Then turn around and drive all night back to Texas and only see some rain. A storm Chaser might drive all the way to Montana only to get a sun burn. And sometimes a storm chaser isn’t expecting to see anything and they find a monster. In 2022, 1240 confirmed tornadoes have been tallied. I was only able to track down a dozen of those. My third consecutive year with below average scores. Though 2022 wasn’t as epic as 2016 or 2019 for many of us, we’d be foolish to complain. MUSIC: "Angel's Serenade" by Southern Backtones "Slumber Party Adagio" by Southern Backtones "Glamorous Adagio" by Southern Backtones "Won't Pray Adagio" by Southern Backtones "El Reno Blues" by Pecos Hank

Experiment capturing the most powerful lightning strikes simultaneously with the Red Sprites they trigger above the storm. OVER / UNDER EXPERIMENT: Some of the most powerful lightning events can propagate horizontally for 10s of kilometers and connect to the ground with a massive surge of electricity. We call these horizontally extensive ground flashes. Seeing these big daddies blossom underneath storm clouds is a jaw dropping sight but, underneath the storm, you’re still only seeing half the show. If a lightning strike is powerful enough, it can flip the charge at the top of thunderstorms initiating another spectacular light show high above the storm. Red sprites belong to a group of mysterious large scale electrical discharges called Transient Luminous Events, or TLEs. In order to see the spectacular parent lightning discharges in all their glory and the TLEs they initiate above the storm, we’re going to need to be in two places at one time. In this video, I team up with storm chaser Paul Smith to simultaneously document the most powerful lightning strikes and the magnificent TLEs they parent in what we call the Over / Under Experiment. Negative ground flashes are the most common manifestation of cloud-to-ground lightning. But these generally don’t transfer enough charge to spark a TLE. For this experiment to be successful, I’m going to have to locate a rain free vicinity of the storm were the horizontally extensive positive ground flashes are occurring while Paul Smith finds cloud free skies and clear views over the tops of the same distant thunderstorm complex.

Managing and mastering fear, stress and anxiety with former Astronaut Dr. Sandra Magnus and former Navy TOPGUN instructor Admiral Sandy Winnefeld. We fear the unknown, change and of course danger. In this discussion, Dr. Sandra Magnus and Admiral Sandy Winnefeld hammer home how they mastered fear, stress and anxiety in lifelong careers with extreme danger, uncertainty and responsibility. Desensitization through extensive training and preparation has been the simple logic, however it requires a lot of hard work and discipline. If you’re willing to put in the work, Dr. Magnus and Admiral Winnefeld show how any person can conquer fear and anxiety. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL www.patreon.com/pecoshank DR. SANDRA MAGNUS Armed with a PhD in materials science and engineering, Dr. Magnus worked for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company from 1986 to 1991, as a stealth engineer studying the effectiveness of radar signature reduction techniques. Selected to the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1996, she has been launched into space 3 times through 2011. She lived and worked aboard the International Space station accumulating 157 days in space. Magnus has also served as the Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as well as numerous other leadership positions as director, commander and professor. ASDMIRAL JAMES SANDY WINNEFELD began his naval service flying the F-14 Tomcat, and serving as an instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known as TopGun. in 37 years of US Navy service, Admiral Sandy Winnefeld was senior aide to General Colin Powell eventually commanding the USS CLEVELAND and then USS ENTERPRISE. He was the 9th Vice Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as a long distinguished list of leadership as commander, director and professor. Together, Dr. Magnus and Admiral Winnefeld host the podcast “The Adrenaline Zone” https://www.youtube.com/@theadrenalinezonepodcast5701 CREDITS Thank you NASA for providing the incredible and inspiring photography and video for this production. Thank you National Geographic, Dr. Anton Seimon and Dr. Tracy Seimon for providing the MT Everest photography. Thank you Riley Burn at Podigy for recording and providing the audio and video for this discussion. INTRO MUSIC “March of the Serpents” by Pecos Hank OUTRO MUSIC “La Male’diction de la Danse Du Poulet” by Pecos Hank

Ultimate tropical vacation guide to Moorea Island in French Polynesia. From snorkeling from hotels to swimming with whales. This has to be one of the dreamiest places on Earth.

Incredible encounter with a playful humpback whale calf and mother. In this video we search for Humpback whales in French Polynesia off the island of Moorea. These are our incredible experiences! Moorea is Tahiti’s little sister island 15 kilometers or so from Tahiti. Our first night we stayed at a quaint hillside Air B&B, watching humpback whales from the deck. Between July and early November, humpback whales return to the calm warm waters in Polynesia to mate or give birth. For a heart warming 20 minutes we documented a loving mother doting on her playful baby. It seemed the mother was encouraging her calf to nurse, but the curious little whale was more interested in exploring… But not too far from mom’s watchful eyes. During a peaceful afternoon in the ocean, the little family relished each other’s company with gentle nudging, body rubbing and affection. We just had to try swimming in the ocean with humpback whales. It’s said to be one of the most beautiful underwater observations in the world. “Mo’o Rea” Translates to “yellow lizard.” You can see the yellow geckoes all over the island clinging to walls and what not. Swimming near whales is regulated in Moorea and requires some patience. Despite all the waiting and bobbing around, there’s boat loads of anticipation and excitement. If the opportunity arrives, swimmers are cautioned to slip softly into the water, swim far from the boat out into the open abyss and cross your fingers. The law here specifies boats may not approach closer than 100 meters to whales…150 if it’s a mom and calf. Our first two attempts there were no whales in sight yet the thunderous volume of their song shook your chest. It was beautiful and eerie. During our third attempt, storm clouds and a low sun left little light to film under water as our tour guide spotted 2 giants in the depths below. Though It was too dark to capture quality footage, the memory of this incredible experience is still vibrant. MUSIC CREDITS:

TOP 10 up close tornado encounters compilation. Exploring close tornado intercepts and the driving incentives to cross that line in the wind defining close and too close. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact [email protected] More info later...

Exploring the top three most powerful tornadoes ever recorded.and what craziness it takes for a tornado to earn the highest wind intensity rating on Enhanced Fujita scale (EF Scale). SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact [email protected] EF5s destroy well built homes and sweep their concrete foundations clean of debris. Cars are mangled and tossed hundreds, possibly thousands of meters away. But what exactly does a tornado have to do to earn the most powerful EF5 rating?  or an F5 rating? What’s the difference?   In over 20 years of chasing tornadoes I’ve documented at least 8 EF4 tornadoes, but only one EF5. As of the date of this video the last EF5 tornado occurred in Moore Oklahoma on May 20th, 2013.  Over 9 years ago.  So where have all the EF5’s gone?    BRIEF HISTORY of the FUJITA SCALE (F-scale) If a strong tornado strikes an instrument that measures wind speeds, The anemometer will likely be blown to smithereens long before it was able to measure and record how fast the strongest winds were.  But, If we found the crumbled anemometer a mile away,  scientists and engineers can make estimates of what wind velocities might do such a thing.  In 1971 Dr. Ted Fujita developed a method to rate the intensity of tornadoes based on surveys of ground damage.  The Fujita Scale has 6 intensity categories from the lightest damage F0 to the incredible F5. With wind estimates from 261-318 mph (419 - 512 km/h), EF5s are powerful enough to throw cars hundreds, possibly thousands of meters and completely sweep away brick homes. [But the Fujita scale was very limiting with only general descriptions and no account for construction quality. Also, the wind speed estimates was later deemed by meteorologists and engineers as being too high.  For example, a 261 mph wind speed is NOT required to completely destroy a well constructed house and blow away the debris.  This damage occurs at significantly lower wind speeds than previously thought. THE EF SCALE Revision or enhancement of the Fujita Scale was needed. In 2007 operational use of the ENHANCED Fujita scale began in the United states.   The EF scale has a more accurate estimation of damaging wind speeds. and has 28 damage indicators all with respective Degrees of damage. The old scale lists an F5 tornado with winds of 261–318 mph (420–512 km/h),  The new scale lists an EF5 with winds above 200 mph (322 km/h), This is found to be sufficient to cause the damage previously ascribed to the F5 range of wind speeds.  NOAA DAMAGE ASSESMENT TOOLKIT The NOAA damage assessment toolkit has a tremendous amount of information with detailed photos and assessments of damage citing why a tornado received the rating it did. It’s fascinating to explore, and available to the public.  Here's that link... https://apps.dat.noaa.gov/stormdamage/damageviewer/ TOP 3 MOST POWERFUL TORNADOES EVER MEASURED #1: The May 3, 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore Oklahoma F5... This tornado destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, killing 36. and is cited as the highest winds ever measured on earth with mobile Doppler radar velocity measurements of roughly 302 mph.    #2: May 31, 2013 El Reno EF3... In addition to being the widest tornado ever recorded El Reno 2013 is also a contender for the highest winds measured on Earth with similar radar-measured velocities of 302 mph, but these were in orbiting subvortices moving extremely rapidly, whereas the May 3, 1999 Doppler readings were slicing the main vortex where peak velocities weren’t as transient As in the 2013 El Reno tornado. #3: The May 24, 2011 El Reno EF5 with most likely max wind speeds at 295 mph. I actually recorded The moments when University of Oklahoma's RaXpol radar was getting that data.  EF5s and F5s make up only .1% of rated tornadoes in the US. Between 1950 and 2007, 50 tornadoes were officially rated F5 and since February 2007, only nine tornadoes have been officially rated EF5. F5 TORNADOES OUTSIDE THE USA: Outside the US. Canada has had one F5... - June 22, 2007, F5 Elie Manitoba (EC) France has had 2... - Aug 19, 1845 Montville (Rated by, ESSL, TORRO, Grazulis0 - June 24, 1967. Palluel (Rated by, ESSL) GERMANY has had two.. - June 29, 1764 Woldegk (Rated by, ESSL, Genzmer) - Apr 23, 1800 Hainichen (Rated by, ESSL) ITALY has had at least one... - Jul 24, 1930 Treviso, Udine (Rated by, TORRO) And RUSSIA had one. - Jun 9, 1984 Ivano, Lunevo (TORRO) SPECIAL THANKS: To Daniel Shaw for Licensing me the May 20, 2013 Moore Oklahoma EF5 damage video and to Dr. Tracie Seimon, Dr. Anton Seimon and Skip Talbot for helping me research and write this script. RESEARCH ARTICLES: ... coming soon

Experience a large, terrifying tornado up close that occurred near Morton Texas on May 23, 2022 from inside the Bear's cage. This red dust eating tornado meandered over open farmland. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] ***COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2018*** ***NOT FOR REBROADCAST***

Multiple beautiful, extremely photogenic tornadoes documented crazy close on May 4th, 2022 in North Texas. For almost 4 hours and a lone supercell spawned tornadoes and dazzled chasers from Southwest of Paducah to Crowell to near Vernon TX along a snaky 81 mile track. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank To license video contact [email protected] ***COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2018*** ***NOT FOR REBROADCAST*** The horrible road network over big country didn’t prevent chasers from capturing beautiful images as the low precipitation, high based storm offered spectacular views from even miles away. But later that evening as the storm tapped into an even more volatile atmosphere downstream, chasing conditions abruptly became extremely dangerous as tornadoes swallowed wind turbines. The town of Lockett along with several chasers were impacted by a large rain wrapped EF3 tornado. This is my account of this incredible storm. Watching this video, you might be amazed at the wind turbine’s strength and durability while taking direct hits from an EF1 tornado. If you look closely you can even see the blades bending and flexing in the strong winds. Also to prevent damage, wind turbines automatically cut-off when wind speeds exceed 55 or 65 mph depending on the unit.

Tornado charging directly toward the camera. POV view of many tornadoes spawned by a supercell that tracked from Paducah to Vernon Texas on May 4th, 2022. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact Sarah at [email protected]

Tornadoes of 2021 documentary with a behind the scenes look into the storm chasers that dedicate much of their lives pursuing monster storms in Tornado Alley and elsewhere. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact Sarah at [email protected] In 2021, 1376 tornadoes were confirmed Causing over a hundred fatalities, the most tornado related deaths we’ve seen in the US since 2011. Though it turned out to be an above average year in touch downs, A continuing deficit of photogenic tornadoes seemed to inflate the reverence for nebulous, weak and rain-wrapped funnels. For most of the storm chasers, the surplus of incredible storm structures, lightning and atmospheric colors made chasing in 2021 well worth all the challenges. FREAK DECEMBER TORNADO OUTBREAKS of 2021 On the evening of December 10th and dark AM hours of the 11th a deadly tornado outbreak devastated portions of the Ohio and mid Mississippi river valleys. In horrifying darkness multiple strong to violent, long tracking tornadoes destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, some of which were completely leveled or swept from their foundations. QUAD STATE TORNADO? One long lived supercell produced two EF4 tornadoes where Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky borders are in close proximity. Several media outlets prematurely hyped these tornadoes as ONE “quad state tornado," inaccurately claiming the longest tornado ever recorded. The first EF4 from this storm tracked “81 miles (130.7 km) killing seven people. With top wind speeds estimated at 190 mph” (306 km/h) The second tracked 165 miles (266.7 km) killing over 50 people. By sunrise on December 11th, 88 people had lost their lives. *Data preliminary and subject to change DECEMBER 15th Four days later, a long-lived and fast moving, destructive wind storm called a derecho spawned a swarm of tornadoes in the the Upper Midwest. The highest rated were only EF2s and no tornado related fatalities were reported. A freak December finished off 2021 with an additional 200 tornadoes. More than April and June combined. CREDITS more later...

Incredible tornadoes spinning the wrong way! In this video, we’re going to showcase and explain these sneaky, anticyclonic freaks of nature and their common locations within a storm… So that you won’t be fooled. CYCLONIC AND ANTICYCLONIC MEANING: 98 percent or more of the world’s tornadoes rotate the same direction as Earth. When atmospheric motion rotates the same direction as the planet, we refer to the rotation as being cyclonic. Thats counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere but clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Thus, these typical tornadoes are referred to as being cyclonic. But Every now and then a tornado spins the other way. We refer to these deviant tornadoes as anticyclonic. ANTICYCLONIC TORNADOES: Most of the anticyclonic tornadoes I’ve observed were companions of a cyclonic tornado or rotation in a supercell. These rare tornadoes are often not anticipated and can sneak up on observers fixated on the more business end of the storm. Some anticyclonic tornadoes develop as smaller satellites orbiting around a parent tornado. Sometimes they manifest as landspouts in non-supercellular storms. Most of the cases I’ve observed developed in a predictable region of a right-moving supercell. But because of their infrequency, even trained observers may not anticipate these anticyclonic threats and thus may get caught off guard. In most cases the anticyclone threat is small, but not always. Recognizing the cloud patterns in this video may help a spotter anticipate anticyclonic tornado development. SIMLA COLORADO ANTICYCLONIC TORNADOES: On June 5, 2015, Dr Anton Seimon & Dr. Tracie Seimon documented an extremely photogenic family of tornadoes near Simla Colorado, several of which were strongly anticyclonic. A huge thanks goes out to Anton and Tracie for allowing me to showcase their never-before-seen, beautiful captures. STRONGEST ANTICYCLONIC TORNADO: Several anticyclonic F3’s have been documented on the original Fujita scale and on April 4, 1981, shortly after midnight, A violet anticyclonic tornado terrorized West Bend, Wisconsin. It injuring 53 people and ended the lives of three. This rare nightmare would earn an F4 rating. The most powerful anticyclonic tornado ever recorded. Mapping by Dr. Roger Wakimoto, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology (1983) CREDITS: Tornado Video by Hank Schyma & Dr. Anton Seimon Supercell Simulations by Dr. Leigh Orf - University of Wisconsin Vapor-nado technician - Danial Shaw Vapor-nado creators - Nat Schyma & Bay Berger Music & Editing by Hank Schyma Thanks again Joel Ewing for returning the dog to its home.

Dreamy drone and time lapse photography of monsoon lightning storms captured in August 2021 in New Mexico and Arizona. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact Sarah at [email protected] THE NORTH AMERICAN MONSOON We know the deserts of the American southwest and northwestern Mexico as beautiful, mysterious and arid. But around June to mid September, large scale wind shifts can transport moist tropical air here. This is the North American Monsoon. Arizona and New Mexico receive up to half of their annual rainfall during the summer monsoon. Afternoon’s often begin with storms developing over the mountains. These cells can be short lived, existing only 30-40 minutes so the window to capture the lightning can be narrow and challenging. THREE STAGES of THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT In the cell’s developing stage, updrafts can be explosive. This is a great opportunity to capture the first bolts in clear air. In the mature stage, fantastic displays of lightning flicker alongside curtains of rain and in the dissipating stage the storm collapses on itself in a burst of water and wind. A dying storm’s surging outflow boundary will often help initiate another cell updraft and the cycle is born again. Some of these storms venture down into the valleys. A once arid land can make a magical transition to green. Music: "Spanish Caravan" written by the Doors / performed by Pecos Hank "La male'diction de la danse du poulet" Closing music by Pecos Hank

Extremely active red sprite storm accompanied by multiple green ghosts. Over 100 transient luminous events were documented on this magical evening including at least six green ghosts. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact Sarah at [email protected] SUPER SPRITE STORM On May 17, 2021 an extremely unusual storm event was marinating in a very unstable Texas atmosphere. During the day, Jupiter like storm clouds brought an Alien ambiance to Earth, however for me the big show was after sunset. Hello everyone, I wanted to share the highlights of the most incredible sprite storm I’ve ever witnessed to date. Big red sprites with green ghosts, and other weird and neato captures. Also, let’s discuss what sprites really look like to the naked eye. GREEN GHOSTS As many of you know, Paul Smith and I discovered green ghosts in 2019. Green Ghosts are faint Aurora-like glows that seem to accompany more powerful red sprites. Paul estimated that 1 in every 500 sprites in his observations are accompanied by a detectable green ghost. On this night I captured over 100 red sprites and 6 of them were accompanied by detectable green ghosts. Some were barely noticeable but others were the brightest I’ve seen. DANCING SPRITES The most powerful lightning strikes, almost always positive ground flashes, are responsible for triggering sprites. Sometimes several of these big daddies connect to the ground in a very short time causing several sprites to pop above the storm in succession. We call these events dancing sprites. PALM TREE EVENT Another super weird thingie that occurred on this evening is what has been dubbed a palm tree event. Notice how the tendrils of almost all jellyfish sprite streamers branch downward like roots. Only one of the sprites I captured has streamers branching upward resembling a palm tree. CAN YOU SEE RED SPRITES? So do sprites really look like the photos you see? Can you even see them at all? Before ever catching a sprite on camera, I saw one with my naked eye. I had already accumulated numerous sprite hunting failures. Finally one dark moonless night back in 2017 I was staring over a thunderstorm to see if anything was going on and saw a little splash of white light that was unmistakably a sprite. In a crazy madness I tossed up my gear as fast as I could and caught my first sprites on camera… Nice and out of focus. Storm chaser Brenda Brown also describes seeing sprites like this. It seems the photoreceptors in our eyes at night have poorer sensitivity perceiving the dim red light, so the smaller weaker sprites appear white to us. However the big closer sprites are clearly red in person. The cameras I use to capture sprites are highly sensitive to light so the sprites turn out much more vibrant and detailed than what you would see. Also, the positive ground flash parenting a sprite is often much brighter and tends to steal our attention. Just like with tornadoes and lightning, each sprite storm brings its own unique theme and fiery snowflake characteristics. To give you an idea of how special this night was I’ve created a time lapse of all the transient Luminous events and weirdo things I captured that evening. See if you can see the ghosts. With the help of several scientists and other TLE fanatics, Paul Smith and I made a video explaining how sprites form and how we discovered green ghosts. I’ll hook you up with that link. Thanks for watching everyone Hank Schyma Music: by Pecos Hank

What it's like driving inside a dust storm plus out of this world tornadic supercell, weird clouds and more. On May 17th, 2021 a discrete tornadic storm erupted near Lubbock Texas. Dusty orange, dry conditions at sunset and weird cloud formations presented a spectacular atmosphere of alien color more like a scene from Jupiter than Earth. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact Sarah at [email protected] STORM ACCOUNT: Through the early evening, a low precipitation supercell with a twisted updraft slowly grew stronger. As its rotation intensified the storm began inhaling and coughing up copious amounts of orange dust. Strong winds circulating around the storm’s base veiled a developing tornado. In order to see the tornado, we attempted to punch through the dust storm hoping for a clear view on the other side. After observing a funnel cloud fail to touch down, a hovering mothership UFO turned its cross heirs toward Lubbock. Rather than terrorizing the town folk, It dazzled them with an unforgettable show of creepy clouds and color. Later that evening the storm produced incredible red sprites. I will highlight this special event in the next video.

Photography and video tutorial about how to photograph the perfect storm and ruin it. With my help, you can also achieve the worst storm video humanly possible. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL :D https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank Hey NatGeo, & BBC Earth, wanna license some footage? Contact Sarah at [email protected] On May 16, 2021 a perfect storm exploded near Sudan and Littlefield Texas dropping a brief photogenic tornado. This strongly rotating storm slowly drifted through the sunset hours treating photographers to a wondrous sight of color, lightning and breath-taking storm structure. Below I've compiled a TOP 10 list of things you can do to insure your footage is as bad as mine. 1. Be frantically late 2. Be miles and miles away 3. Adjust your camera while driving for shakiest footage possible 4. Zoom in as far as possible to amplify shakiness 5. Wait for a tornado to touch down and then use your wipers and spray to clean off the dead bugs 6. For the biggest dust spots possible, change lenses outside in strong winds as often as possible. 7. Find a mediocre parking spot. 8. Set up as many cameras as fast as you can 9. Try out a drone - DO NOT PRACTICE PRIOR or READ INSTRUCTIONS! 10. ***LEAVE DRONE CAMERA GIMBAL COVER ON*** This messes up your gimbal making it wobble manically and impossible to control in the strong winds. Be sure and watermark your footage so that nobody pirates it!

Incredible photogenic tornadoes!!! One after another, twisting out of an incredible Texas supercell thunderstorm on April 23, 2021. These tornadoes touched down in mostly open prairie and ranch land near the towns of Quanah, Chilicothe, Lockett and Vernon Texas causing only minor damage. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank​​ COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact [email protected] More info later...

Best tornado, lightning and severe storm footage from 2020 in the tour of Tornado Alley highs and lows from March through July. 1075 confirmed tornadoes have been tallied in the US in 2020 including the third widest tornado ever recorded. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank​ COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact [email protected] FEATURED TORNADO EVENTS: April 12 Soso Mississippi EF4 On Easter Sunday a large, extremely dangerous, long tracking tornado was underway in Mississippi. Doppler radar revealed an impressive supercell, well defined hook echo and distinct lofted debris signature. But up close, vague walls of gray, shrouding rain curtains and a veil of tall trees obscured a hell on Earth. Prior to striking Soso Mississippi, the tornado grew to 2.25 miles wide. The THIRD widest tornado ever documented. Along a 68 mile damage path, it debarked and leveled entire forests. Cars and trucks were thrown hundreds of yards, mangled beyond recognition. Many homes and businesses were destroyed, some completely leveled and swept away including some well built brick and concrete structures. With estimated wind speeds up to 190 mph (310 km/h) this tornado earned an EF4 rating. Following closely behind, another large EF3 tornado was in progress. More info later...

Introducing the fastest moving tornado ever recored. In this video we discuss 5 scary fast tornadoes, each one with a forward moving velocity faster than the previous including a mind blowing NEW world record for the fastest tornado ever recorded. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank *** NOT FOR REBROADCAST *** COPYRIGHT PECOSHANK LLC 2020 To license footage contact [email protected] Over the last couple decades, I’ve found myself trying to outrun some fast tornadoes. But what exactly is considered a fast tornado? And how fast can tornadoes move? The majority of tornadoes I encounter track roughly 25-30 mph. For me, anything slower than that, I consider slow and anything faster than 39 mph, I consider a fast tornado. But tornadoes can move much faster than that. Ride along with this scientific mission to uncover how the fastest tornado yet documented was discovered and how we calculated its ground speed. TEAM VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHY: Jennifer Brindley Ubl Hank Schyma Dr. Anton Seimon Dr. Tracie Seimon Skip Talbot ADDITIONAL STORM VIDEO: Simon Brewer Greg Johnson - Tornadohunter.com Doug Kiesling - stormchasingvideo.com Rob Hurkes Daniel Shaw - www.severestorms.com.au Josh Vanden Top ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE CONTRIBUTIONS: Dr. Anton Seimon - Appalachian State University Dr. Leigh Orf - University of Wisconsin University of Oklahoma: Dr. Howard Bluestein Dr Kyle Thiem Dr Jeffrey Snyder Dr Jana Houser American Meteorological Society Figure 2 from bibliographic citation for Bluestein article, (c) 2018 American Meteorological Society and used with the permission of the American Meteorological Society.  NOAA NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit el-reno-survey.net Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology Johns, R. H., D. W. Burgess, C. A. Doswell III, M. S. Gilmore, J. A. Hart, and S. F. Piltz, 2013: The 1925 Tri- State tornado damage path and associated storm system. Electronic J. Severe Storms Meteor., 8 (2), 1–33. STILL PHOTOGRAPHY Jennifer Brindley Ubl Hank Schyma EDITED by Hank Schyma GRAPHICS Dr. Leigh Orf Hank Schyma Dr. Anton Seimon Dr. Anton Seimon Skip Talbot MUSIC “Deep River” Piano performance by Anton Seimon “March of the Serpents” by Pecos Hank “La male'diction de la danse du poulet” by Pecos Hank Background music by Hank Schyma

Lightning storm over Devils Tower / Bear Lodge Wyoming & other dramatic lightning storms over the Northern Great Plains. Plus why the peak is called Devils Tower.

Cute wild animal encounters from around the world. Some wild animals are as sweet as can be and others are sneaky little purse thieves, but they're all fasci...

Goofy behind the scenes vlog inside the May 2020 Storm chasing season and how I chase with as little social interactions as possible during the Covid19 pandemic. Big supercells amped to drop tornadoes resembling tiny saggy nipples has been the May theme. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank CLEAR SLOT or Rear Flank Downdraft clear slot... Often you'll hear storm chasers call out a "clear slot" but many times these features are difficult to make out in their videos. In this video you can see time lapses of clear, classic clear slots. When a Rear Flank Downdraft (RFD) is forced down the backside of the storm it often surges forward and around the mesocyclone. This air often cuts into the storm base and if the air is relatively dryer, it forces out a clear slot or notch into the base. When storm chasers see this, it hints that a tornado could occur soon. Our view is from the south or west looking north or east. Watch how the circulation north of the clear slot appears to intensify as the clear slot cuts into the rain free base. Of course in high precipitation storm modes, these features become more difficult to decipher. ANTICYCLONIC TORNADO... As the RFD clear slot cuts into the base, notice the slight anticyclonic circulation on the viewing side of the clear slot. This is the vicinity were anticyclonic tornadoes are most likely to form. Most tornadoes are cyclonic though. More info later...

Science of how red sprites and blue jets form over thunderstorms. Some of the greatest red sprites ever caught on camera with easy to understand explanations including a new discovery are highlighted in this video. Explore the colorful world of Transient Luminous Events including gigantic jets, elves, halos and more as they are initiated by massive horizontally extensive lightning flashes in thunderstorms far below. COPYRIGHT 2020 PECOS HANK & PAUL SMITH For licensing contact [email protected] Support this channel https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank RED SPRITES and BLUE JETS EXPLAINED On rare nights with clear visibility over powerful distant thunderstorms, you might be able to see and capture red sprites. Sprites are large scale electrical discharges occurring high above thunderstorms in the upper atmosphere. They are massive events, sometimes 50 kilometers tall by 50 kilometers wide. Sprites belong to a mysterious and colorful group of phenomenon called Transient Luminous Events, or TLEs. Other TLE’s include halos, Elves, trolls, secondary jets, Blue starters, Blue jets and the magnificent gigantic jets. But what exactly are these transient luminous Events, and how do they form? In 2019 I teamed up with one of the most successful TLE photographers in the world, Paul Smith. Our objective was to simultaneously document TLEs from different locations to help US understand and CAPTURE them better. We didn’t know what we would find, if anything… But we never expected to DISCOVER a NEW TLE. RED SPRITE DISCOVERY Visual reports of Transient Luminous Events date back several centuries. It wasn’t until 1989 that the first ones were accidentally caught on camera. Years after discovery, they were named sprites for their spirit like nature. BASIC PHYSICS: In my last video we showed how one lightning flash can abruptly change the electric field triggering a second lightning flash in a sort of domino effect. Sprites are also initiated by a large electric field change that occurs during a massive horizontally extensive lightning strike far below. These parent flashes transfer huge amounts of charge and are almost always positive in polarity… Meaning that the earth rapidly gains a net positive charge from the strike. But pools of positive charge near the tops of thunderstorm complexes also change, abruptly gaining negative charge. This suddenly creates a powerful electric field between the tops of thunderstorms and a high concentration of positively charged ions existing 100 kilometers or so up into the lower ionosphere. It’s this new imbalance that can initiate a sprite. BLUE JETS: On occasion, a cloud flash will have one end of the leader exit the upper extent of the thunderstorm and propagate toward the upper atmosphere.  The rarified air and low pressure of the upper atmosphere leads to a visible transformation in the leader as the ionization travels upward.  This is how a blue jet forms, as well as gigantic jets. SECONDARY JETS: Sometimes a large sprite event can trigger a second TLE. We call these secondary jets. Secondary jets become visible near the tops of thunderstorms where Nitrogen excites in the blues or purples and extend upward to altitudes where Nitrogen excites more red. In a photograph of a sprite and secondary jet event, you can see the gradual transitioning from blues to reds as the pressure quickly decreases in altitude. NEW TLE DISCOVERY On May 25, 2019 I was documenting a vibrant sprite storm over Oklahoma and captured something I’ve never seen or heard of. After two large sprite events, a mysterious green afterglow appeared. It seemed as if the sprite had triggered a small Aurora. Early that next morning I called Paul to discuss the strange captures. He was the first to agree it was something new and hypothesized that it was likely oxygen being excited by powerful sprites. Keeping in the theme of sprites, trolls and elves, we are referring to these Green emissions from excited Oxygen in Sprite Tops as GhOSTs. CREDITS: This video was made possible by the hard work and generosity of Paul Smith, Frankie Lucena, Scott Currens and research by lightning scientist Tom Warner. For more in-depth understanding of how lightning works, visit Tom Warners website at ZTresearch.com MUSIC by Hank Schyma, Dan Workman and Christine Wu.

NEW FOOTAGE of the Madill Oklahoma tornado including incredible debris in slow motion and up close shots of things flying through the air. Plus never before seen footage of the birth of this tornado, mesocyclone time lapse, well defined clear slot, entire wide angle view of the storm and tornado in blue skies, eventually wrapped up with a tornado and rainbow. COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 To license tornado footage contact [email protected] SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank CHASE ACCOUNT April 22, 2020 Madill Oklahoma: Three days prior to this tornado event, the Storm Predication Center issued a risk of severe storms in Oklahoma, Texas and vicinity for April 22nd… "initiating near a dryline." The next day, The risk was upgraded with a 10% chance of significant tornadoes EF2 and above. On the morning of April 22nd, the day of the event, the outlined risk of tornadoes was expanded. At 1:09 PM on April 22, cumulus clouds were developing along the dryline and by 1:12 PM a Mesoscale discussion was issued… "anticipating a few tornadoes." At 3:20, a squadron of storms was developing along the dryline and by 4:01pm they were maturing into small supercells, marching eastward. Several of the storms produced tornadoes, but I chased the storm that impacted the town of Madill and by 4:50 PM I was observing a tight rotating updraft approach the town. The tornado touched down on the south side of Madill and earned EF2 status right out the gate as it snapped power poles and flung trees and large branches high into the air. THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL TORNADO to observe as a swirl of dryer air was being ingested into the storm slicing an impressive clear slot around the tornado and providing a rare view up into the engine of the supercell. This "swirl" of air is the Rear Flank Downdraft (RFD) and in most cases has visible precipitation accompanying it that often is wrapped around the tornado like curtains, obscuring it in some manner. The small mesocyclone and low precipitation storm mode tracking near paved routes I’d previously traveled gave me a confidence to dare extremely close videography while keeping a close eye on the large debris perimeter as well as the power lines above me. IN THIS HIGH RESOLUTION VIDEO you can observe strong upward motion shredding trees of leaves giving the tornado a slight green color near the ground. Large sections of trees or medium sized entire trees are clearly visible flying through the air and being slammed back to the ground with missile force. A satellite dish is ripped from the tower and falls at a 45 degree angle or so before being launched horizontal some distance off frame and high detail of power flashes arc into the air as the tornado crosses the intersection. Scientifically, the most valuable shot is probably the wide angle slow motion of the debris once the tornado impacts the warehouses. Unfortunately, this is the only stable video of this event, so triangulating particle motions is not possible. If we were to have another stable perspective, Dr Anton Seimon and his team could have used the data set to study tornadoes. WHY SO CLOSE??? As stated in the video, the rain free highly visible nature of this storm, small compact size and reasonable motion made this an ideal storm to attempt up close video. The paved roads I had previously traveled greatly reduced risk of unknowns such as road construction and poor road conditions, etc. The greatest concern of mine was the power lines near me and throughout the event I was positioning myself upwind of them. This was extremely risky even for the most seasoned and experienced storm chaser and in hindsight I could have gotten just as dramatic video another 50-100 meters back. I was anticipating the tornado to continue to track east northeast but after staking my ground, the tornado took a slight arc east southeast tracking extremely close to me. Though closer than I anticipated, I still felt confident I didn't have to abandon my post. My chase vehicle has one small dent in the side from a missile.

Extreme up close tornado in Madill Oklahoma on April 22, 2020. This tornado damaged town structures and lofted trees into the air before transitioning to a rope phase. Many people observed a rainbow with this tornado. Moments after the tornado struck, the sky was blue and sunny. Unfortunately it was reported that at least one person has lost their life from this twister. COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 NOT FOR REBROADCAST To license tornado footage contact [email protected]

April 12, 2020 a powerful long tracking tornado with EF4 preliminary rating. Despite the impressive radar images, this rain wrapped tornado was extremely difficult to see even at very close proximity. The tornado heavily impacted the town of Soso Mississippi and there are at least 4 fatalities reported so far. A storm complex developing near New Orleans would cross into Southern Mississippi and organize into a powerful long tracking supercell. The town of Bassfield was impacted and the tornado would track near Seminary, Collins, and Laurel before dissipating near Pachuta. (This is preliminary data based on my radar analysis). Unfortunately Soso Mississippi was directly in the path as well. This storm had an impressive radar echo with well defined hook echo, powerful velocity couplet and lofted debris ball signature but in person, it was practically invisible. The tornado was a vague, gray wall of rain hardly distinguishable from the enveloping clouds. If you were in the path of this tornado, I imagine for many there was no visual clues other than slowly increasing intensity of wind and rain and then the devastating force of the core. I managed to stay within roughly 2 miles of the tornado for an eternal ten minutes or so... So close I could hear the distinct low drown powerful waterfall sound, but it was almost impossible to see. In one of my clips I ramped up the contrast to nuclear levels and if you look closely with perhaps some imagination, you can barely make out the edges of the wedge. JAMES UPDATE: We were able to track down James and he is recovering well... "On April 12, 2020 Easter Sunday James Neely lost his family home when an EF-4 tornado struck near Moss Mississippi. He was inside the house when it collapsed but miraculously crawled from the rubble with only minor cuts and bruises. The beautiful old home built by his grandfather in 1918 had stood amidst ancient magnolias, cedars and pecan trees, all of which now lie toppled by the storm. James and his family, unable to afford the increasing price of home insurance had to let their coverage lapse several years ago. The house was still uninsured when the tornado struck. Any gift to help them recover is deeply and sincerely appreciated." For those of us that aren't unemployed or furloughed, you can help James out if you want with a check or even just a letter. Every tiny bit helps. Since he's not the most active social media and internet guy, you can mail him a check to his PO box in Laurel Mississippi and he'll get 100% of it. James Neely P.O. box 4201 Laurel MS 39441. I wish I had taken a moment to film the fireman and the State Trooper (not sheriff) searching for James. To recap, the fireman, without a moment of hesitation, slithered on his belly through a tight crevice into a crumbling house. True heroism and inspiration for humanity would have been captured... Something we see very little of on social networks (not because it doesn't exist in high volumes, but because the algorithms seem to be angled more toward engaging arguments and dividing rather than uplifting and uniting... More on that... This is not the algorithm programmers fault, it's the collective fault of people who click the crap). As the state trooper was still searching for James instead of detouring traffic, the area had filed up with vehicles and people standing around gawking at the damage, some wondering what they could do to help. I dashed back to my vehicle to secure my open windows and expensive cameras laying on my seats. That's when I saw James. I said are you James. In a daze he answered yes. But I needed more confirmation. I asked is that your house? He said "Yes... Took me damn near 20 minutes to crawl out." That convinced me. You could still hear the fireman, state trooper and two woman yelling his name into rubbish and I got to be the one to inform them James was ok. I ran back yelling I found him, I found him. He's OK! You should have seen the look in their eyes. I asked James if I could take him to the hospital. In a completely aware and calm demeanor he looked me in the eye and said "I'm not going to the hospital." How's that for grit?

How does lightning form? Does it strike up or down? Over the decades I’ve seen lightning do some freaky stuff. In this visually stunning video we’re going to explore and explain the weird world of lightning. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank BIRTH OF LIGHTNING in THUNDERSTORMS Thunderstorms have the ability to separate pools of positive and negative charges in and around them, thus creating powerful electric fields. Lightning is born between two oppositely charged regions as a network of electrically conductive channels called leaders materialize and begin to tunnel a path through the poor conductive air in between. Think of leaders as a sort of jumper cable. The leaders branch out in two directions, each with opposite polarities toward both regions in an attempt to neutralize the charge separation. CLOUD FLASHES or INTRACLOUD LIGHTNING Most lightning flashes occur within the storm and are called cloud flashes or intracloud lightning. GROUND FLASH or Cloud-To-Ground Lightning When one end of the bidirectional leader network connects to the ground or object on the ground we call it a ground flash, or cloud-to-ground lightning. CG for short. WHEN STEP LEADERS & UPWARD LEADERS MEET In the most common CGs, a negatively charged step leader approaches the ground. The electric field between the step leader and the ground strengthens to the point that an oppositely charged positive leader (aka upward streamer) begins reaching up bridging the gap between the two. More than one upward leader may initiate and attempt to connect with the downward leader, however, the first to reach a downward propagating step leader will suddenly complete a channel path through the resisting air for the flow of powerful electrical current between the Earth and cloud. Electrons then RAPIDLY accelerate down the channel causing extreme heating and the brightest flash of the event. This is the return stroke of negative CGs. In rare photographs, you can see failed upward connecting leaders that didn’t reach, the downward leader first, and thus terminating into the air. WHAT CAUSES THUNDER? the air around lightning becomes So hot that it explodes as a supersonic shock wave that transitions to an acoustic wave within a few meters. This rapid expansion of air molecules creates sound waves that radiate outward about 1 mile every 5 seconds. The sound we hear is thunder. WHY DOES LIGHTNING FLICKER? Often after a negative CG return stroke, multiple other return strokes follow causing the main channel to flicker. This is called a multistroke CG flash.This repetitive nature is caused by recoil leaders forming on the upper end of the lightning channel in the cloud which is positive polarity. COMMON POSITIVE FLASHES The return stroke of typical positive CGs rarely flicker. Many occur between a positive pool higher in the thunderstorm, and the ground. Because of the greater distance the leaders have to blaze through the resisting air, the return stoke of these positive CGs is often much hotter, brighter and longer in duration. The peak charge in Positive CGs can be 10 times more powerful than a typical negative CG and thus considerably more dangerous. These are generally the most powerful CGs, reaching temperatures up to 30,000 Celsius. That’s roughly 5 times hotter than the surface of our Sun. Positive CGs only account for about 5-10% of all ground flashes worldwide, But In tornado Alley, they are an atypically common sight. I tend to see them just downstream of strong storm updrafts. BOLT FROM THE BLUE Sometimes a bolt of lightning can leap miles away from a storm jolting earthlings with surprise. We call this a Bolt from The Blue. Outdated paradigms suggested these clear air channels leaping out the back of storms were positive in polarity. But the latest research using lightning mapping and high speed cameras have shown most of these startling zaps are indeed negative. If you capture a Bolt from the Blue and it has a lot of branching, chances are it was a negative CG instead of a positive. WHAT IS UPWARD LIGHTNING? Sometimes storms can grow upscale into massive complexes stretching across states. These systems can have horizontally layered charge regions that serve as the conduit for lightning to travel over a 100 kilometers. They transfer HUGE amounts of charge, and cause abrupt changes in the electric field, which can trigger another flash in a sort of domino effect. Upward lightning travels UP from tall objects on the ground into the storm.This is ALSO called Ground-to-cloud lightning. Almost all upward moving flashes are triggered by a nearby lightning flash, either when leader activity or a return stroke occurs close enough to the tall object causing an abrupt change in the electric field. . This video was possible thanks to lightning scientist Tom Warner’s research. For more in-depth information visit his website ZTresearch.com

Thrilling tornado documentary from the 2019 tornado Alley storm chasing season and other storms across the globe. Adventurer Pecos Hank follows weather patterns around the world on a quest for the Endless Storm Season. 2019 was the fourth most active year on record in the United States with 1502 confirmed tornadoes. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO LICENCE FOOTAGE contact [email protected] 2019 TORNADO INFORMATION: In 2019, 1502 tornadoes were tallied in the United states. The fourth most active year on record. With those, there were 42 tornado-related fatalities. May 17th marked the beginning of a historic widespread and prolonged severe weather outbreak. For the first time in the Storm Prediction Center’s history a threat of severe weather was introduced for their entire 8 day outlook (on 14 May 2019). On May 30th the historic tornado streak in the US ended. The previous 13 days all recorded at least 8 tornadoes. In less than 2 weeks, 391 tornadoes were confirmed including 18 EF3s and 2 EF4s. 2019 TORNADO ALLEY SCIENTIFIC FIELD OPERATIONS: Headed by Dr. Anton Seimon, a team of storm chasers including Dr. Tracie Seimon, Skip Talbot, Jennifer Brindley Ulb and Hank Schyma began field operations in Tornado Alley with the objective of gathering near-surface wind field data around tornadoes. On May 28th, the team hit the jackpot near Tipton Kansas. That morning the SPC outlined a moderate risk of severe weather with a 10% significant tornado threat in the northeastern Kansas vicinity. Skip Talbot and Dr. Anton Seimon made a tough call to chase further west in the lesser 5% outlook with intentions of avoiding messy high precipitation storm modes and thick chaser traffic. This decision paid off as the team documented multiple highly visible tornadoes, including an up close encounter with a strengthening tornado. "The data the team collected is currently being processed by Dr. John Allen and his students at Central Michigan University to create a model of 3-dimensional particle motions close to the surface as the tornado intensifies and then inflicts damage to the farmstead.  The results should add new insights on the air motions responsible for the damage patterns observed — something that is not possible to ascertain with even the best mobile Doppler radars." GREEN GHOST / NEW TRANSIENT LUMINOUS EVENT DISCOVERY: On 25 May 2019, Hank Schyma documented a never before cited green afterglow proceeding large red sprite events. In the several months following, TLE photographer Paul Smith would also document numerous others. In collaboration, Hank Schyma and Paul Smith have named them GHOSTs. This acronym in the works stands for Green emissions of(from) excited Oxygen in Sprite streamer Tops. This name also keeps in the theme of other transient luminous events namely sprites, trolls, pixies and ELEVES. A scientific paper is currently in the works and expected to be published soon. Music scored by Pecos Schyma 1. "Theme From The Endless Summer" performed by Pecos Hank 2. "Angel's Serenade" by Southern Backtones 3. "El Reno Blues" by Pecos Hank 4. "Honky Tonk Blood" by Johnny Falstaff 5. "La Malédiction de la Danse du Poulet" ny Pecos Hank 6. "Glamorous Adagio" by Southern Backtones 7. "Something" performed by Spencer Schyma on Ukulele 8. "Won't Pray Adagio" by Southern Backtones 9. "Theme from Crocodile Dundee" performed by Pecos Hank 10. "Bandera" by Southern Backtones

Glorious auroras right outside airplane window and easy explanation how Northern Lights are formed. When storms of solar wind interact with our atmosphere, the result can be the magnificent light show we know as the auroras... The Aurora borealis In the northern hemisphere and the aurora australis In the southern hemisphere. On October 31st 2019 we observed the aurora borealis dance outside our window for about an hour. SUPPORT THIS CHANNE HEREL: https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank HOW NORTHERN LIGHTS FORM Our sun ejects gases and charged particles into space in all directions. This is the solar wind. The harmful solar wind reaches the Earth’s protective magnetosphere in about 2-4 days. Most of the solar wind is deflected away by our magnetosphere, but a small percentage is channeled down lines of force in our magnetic field toward the Earth’s poles. The solar wind then collides and transfers energy to oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth’s atmosphere. The excited oxygen and nitrogen emit particles of light called photons in a glorious display of greens, reds, pinks and whites. Stronger disturbances of the Earth’s magnetosphere caused by the solar winds are called geomagnetic storms. The planetary K-index, is used to characterize the magnitude of geomagnetic storms on a scale 0-9. On this Halloween morning, the Kp index was a 4. To license video contact: [email protected] Music composed by Hank Schyma

Visually stunning, mini documentary of the best tornado footage, lightning strikes, supercells and most beautiful storms I've documented. Not only is Mother Nature’s fury amplified with these explosive storms, So is her beauty. For licensing contact [email protected] SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank MAKING OF THIS VIDEO: I have devoted a large portion of my life to documenting thunderstorms from South Texas to North Dakota, and from California to Florida. The storms notorious in Tornado Alley can be terribly powerful, however the side I'm most interested in is her beauty. This is a collection of my all time most beautiful and greatest moments storm chasing. I have strived to capture steady shots in the worst conditions possible with no shaking, or windshield wipers. Though I've had many great encounters in my portfolio over the last 25 years, this video is mostly the last decade simply due to the increase in camera quality. Many great 1080p HD captures were left out to make room for the 4K storm footage. I hope you enjoy :D STORM INFORMATION: Roughly 75% of the ENTIRE planet’s tornadoes are reported in the United States. Here, unique geography is ultimately responsible for the high frequency of extremely powerful storm cells. Though tornadoes most often make the headlines, all this excessive energy in the atmosphere can result in an freak show of other wonders. Many of the phenomena we are familiar with and others we are still just discovering. Not only is Mother Nature’s fury amplified with these explosive storms, So is her beauty. Storm updrafts most frequently erupt near late afternoon when daytime temperatures reach their highest. RAINBOW INFORMATION Rainbows are caused by the reflection, refraction and dispersion of sunlight in rain droplets. The secondary rainbow is visible when the light that is reflected twice inside raindrops is bright enough for detection. And Because this light is reflected twice, the order of the secondary rainbow’s colors are reversed. WHY STORMS TURN GREEN: The concentrated downdraft of heaviest rain and hail is the core This icy waterfall often has a turquoise hue. In the evening or morning when golden hour sun light mixes in, the storm can turn an eerie green. SUPERCELL INFORMATION: In a wind sheared environment cell updrafts may rotate, becoming a mesocyclone. Mesocyclone’s are the defining character of the rarest and most powerful breed of thunderstorms, the supercell. And it’s these supercells that are responsible for the majority of the worlds strong tornadoes. Thankfully, most of these tornadoes occur over sparsely populated areas causing little damage if any. LIGHTNING INFORMATION: Thunderstorms have the ability to create electric fields by separating pools of positive and negative charges. When oppositely charged regions become strong enough, a flash of lightning temporarily equalizes the difference. Most flashes occur within the storm, but roughly 1 in 5 initiate by a downward moving stepped leader that connects to the ground. This is a cloud-to-ground flash. The more powerful the thunderstorm, the less time needed for the regions to rebuild their energetic charges. UPWARD MOVING LIGHTNING or Ground-to-cloud lightning: On rare occasions lightning initiates from tall objects on the ground and propagates upward into the storm. During extraordinary events, two or three GROUND-TO-CLOUD flashes occur And during extremely rare conditions over a dozen bolts of lightning can leap up into the sky. Near the ceiling of our troposphere, pouch like mammatus clouds hank underneath the storms anvil cloud. High above the anvil cloudds, mysterious large scale discharges burst into color. Scientists call these Transient Luminous Events (TLEs). Music Score by: Dan Workman, Christine Wu & Hank Schyma

Swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish in the world in Mexico. Whale shark tour facts and information. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank Not only are whale sharks the largest of all sharks, they are the largest fish on the planet, yet they feed on some of the smallest creatures in the sea, plankton. Whale sharks gulp up tons of water and sieve out the tiny animals and plants with their gills in a process called filter feeding. Whale sharks can grow larger than a school bus yet they are extremely docile. They grow to 18-32 feet and there are reports of them exceeding 40 feet. Whale sharks prefer warm waters and they populate all tropical seas. WHALE SHARK TOUR There was no guarantee we would find anything, but after an hour of searching we were in the water swimming with the largest fish in the world. Each swimmer was allowed two, five minute swims with the sharks. To us, the ten minutes with these magnificent creatures was well worth the plunge. The tour also includes brief snorkeling in the typical crystal clear waters around the Yucatan. Also on the the tour we spotted dolphins and a couple manta rays. LODGING / MOTEL / RESORT on Isla Mujeres We got a package deal including airfare, 4 nights lodging and all inclusive meals at the Mia Reef resort located on it's own little island bridged to the main island. There we were treated with clean and comfortable rooms with dreamy tropical scenery and the latest German male swimwear fashions. Near the Villas on the northern tip of the island, terns and noddys have taken up a tiny sanctuary. Some people complain about the noise and the smell likely putting pressure on the land owners to eliminate it. So If you’re highly anthropocentric We recommend you stay in Cancun instead. MUSIC: "Lover Her To Death" by Southern Backtones "Monster Show Adagio" by Pecos Hank "Blue Wrath (Gretsch Remix)" - This song was recorded by i Monster. The remix i made hear will be given away on my Patreon.

How to chase tornadoes, storms and lightning. Tutorial about the best locations for storm photography and storm spotter tips relative to cell modes and upscale growth to a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS). Advanced Spotter Training seminar at the College of Dupage in March 2019.

Arizona tornado west of Tucson and other storms, wild animals and mysterious creatures! Experience everything from alien life forms to small town gunslingers among the serene desert beauty in this WILD Arizona adventure. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank ABOUT THIS VIDEO: Arizona often has beautiful storms to photograph from July through mid September or so. During my stay early on an active weather event occurred near Tucson. Enhanced convergence from storm outflows enabled a middle cell to produce a brief landspout tornado. For the rest of my stay, there wasn't much for photogenic weather, so we shifted gears and went looking for wild animals in the desert and sky islands. We observed many small mammals including skunks, jackrabbits, foxes and coyotes. Lots of reptiles and amphibians including six different species of rattlesnakes, a California kingsnake, and long-nosed snake as well as many spadefoots and Colorado River toads. Scorpions, solifugids and vinegaroons also crossed our path as well as hummingbirds and hawks. TOMBSTONE When in southeast Arizona it’s always a good time stopping in the Wild west boom town Tombstone. Not only for the jalapeño burgers at the Crystal Palace, But to walk in the footsteps of Gun slinging legends like Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp and more. We stopped by Boot Hill and at the Bird Cage Theater we went back in time to see Doc Holliday's usual seat at the faro table, the original grande piano that played along side performers and of course the Fiji Mermaid. Hope you guys enjoyed this adventure made possible by my Patrons on Patreon! CREDITS: Ukulele: Spencer Schyma Guitar: Hank Schyma Street band in Tombstone Arizona: Unknown Arthropod fact consultant: Greg Rice

EXTREME LIGHTNING ACTIVITY time lapse video in 4K. Clear skies surrounding the storms provided excellent viewing of embedded supercells and storm structures plus a couple red sprites near McCook Nebraska. FOR LICENSING 4K CONTACT [email protected] SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank MUSIC: "Afternoon" by Dan Workman and Christine Wu

Understanding tornadogenesis using the fastest computers in the world. Tornado footage compared with tornado forming computer simulations at the highest resolution possible with today's hardware. New theories and scientific collaboration with Dr. Leigh Orf. The Blue Waters Super Computer at the University of Illinois is programmed with the laws of physics the best we understand them as human beings. Different atmospheric conditions can be used to initialize the cloud model. Basically you just hit go and see what happens. The model might then grow clouds that turn into storms and perhaps even tornadoes might develop. In this video we showcase the April 27, 2011 atmospheric conditions that were programmed into the model. April 27, 2011 was the super outbreak were multiple EF4 and EF5 tornadoes wreaked havoc on Alabama, Mississippi and surrounding area. Dr. Catherine Finely at the University of North Dakota found a sounding from that day near Jackson Mississippi and this was the data fed into the model. (Note* The sounding displayed in the video is the incorrect sounding) The model then grew a thunderstorm that produces a long track EF5 tornado with similar characteristics to the tornado that tore through Tuscaloosa Alabama. Because these storms exist in a supercomputer, we have access to a tremendous amount of data within and around the storm's environment. We have the ability to drop weightless tracers in different vicinities to see how they move, where they are carried AND follow the temperature, pressure, humidity and wind speeds existing within the parcel. This is an extremely powerful tool to help us understand more clearly why one supercell produces a long track EF5 tornado and why another storm does not. Ultimately, this could help us predict tornadoes more efficiently and reduce the false alarm rate of warnings issued by the National Weather Service. MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS: These cloud models still need a little work to become even more like the real atmosphere. Surface friction is not yet part of the model, and rain is not centrifuged out of tornadoes as would happen in reality. Regardless, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to have any skepticism regarding the validity of these simulations as accurate proxies to Mother Nature. For over 20 years I have specialized in observing storms and documenting them with video and stills to the best of my ability so that I can observe them again and again into the future. I find the similarities between Dr. Orf and team's simulations and Mother Nature astonishing. It's beyond incredible that a storm even develops inside a computer with updrafts and downdrafts, with vorticity, cyclonic and anticyclonic rotations, with tail clouds, mammatus, anvils, overshooting tops, horizontal vortices, a tornado with multiple vortices, helical vortices, vorticity breakdown, etc. And all of this gels with my years of observations. If the visible elements of the supercell are nailed with this much accuracy, surely the internal currents are as accurate representations. Considering all the variables, The fact that a storm grows into a tornado producing supercell instead of a burrito supreme blows my mind. Personally I feel that Dr. Orf's simulations are the most powerful tools we currently have to understand these superstorms and we need more of them. Lots more!

Up close footage of several tornadoes spawned from one storm. Three tornadoes were documented on the ground at once including wild rope tornadoes and a powerful cone tornado striking a farmstead. This Scientific field operations team led by Anton Seimon had to position directly in the path of the most powerful tornado in order to gather the data needed. More info below... COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2019 NOT FOR REBROADCAST To license tornado footage contact [email protected] Support this Channel https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank WATCH SKIP TALBOT's FULL LENGTH VERSION https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hovq9wVfGrQ MORE INFORMATION: On May 28th, 2019, four tornadoes were documented by the team beginning with the Waldo Kansas tornado. Also occurring at the same time was a strange rope tornado elbowing 90 degrees horizontally as well as a sudden third brief spin-up tornado. The forth tornado developing southwest of Tipton Kansas was the highlight of the day and the main focus for the research. For each spring season since 2016, the team that conducted the El Reno Survey has applied findings from that effort in a research program where the aim is to map the near-surface wind field of tornadoes using precisely synchronized high-resolution videography obtained from multiple viewing perspectives. Three vehicles were strategically positioned in front of a developing and strengthening tornado holding position as long as possible. After moving south out of the tornadoes path, the vortex passed safely to our north however strong rear-flank downdraft (RFD) winds being wrapped around the tornado were shaking the vehicles. Team "Woodchuck" occupied by Dr. Anton Seimon and Dr. Tracie Seimon were struck first by the expected RFD as was a heard of cows. The severe RFD then stuck team "Turtle's" vehicle occupied by Skip Talbot and Jennifer Brindley Ulb and soon after team "Tumbleweed" or Hank Schyma. A local in a white pickup raced toward the tornado getting within point blank range. If I had to guess, he was worried about his neighbors and their property directly in the tornado's path. Barns and outbuildings exploded into the air as large debris whirled around the tornado. The scientific team switched to search and assist mode and checked the property. A barn roof lay on the ground in front of it's former walls and tin was scattered about, however the two houses only sustained some broken windows. The white truck and another local honked their horns repeatedly but there was no response. We assumed nobody was home. The most powerful core passed just to the north of the structures. Days later a resident of the house would contact Skip Talbot confirming nobody was home at the time and also to express gratitude for us looking out for them.

Red sprites, secondary jets and newly discovered "green afterglow" events appearing to be triggered by red sprites. A dozen vibrant red sprites were recorded on this evening and only two events had this green afterglow. More technical info below... COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC To license footage contact [email protected] Support this Channel: https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank TLE collaboration and footage also provided by... SCOTT CURRENS https://www.youtube.com/user/violentplainsdotcom/videos?view_as=public PAUL SMITH https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9iKeMA38rOzVU2A3Ji7jVQ CURRENT "GREEN AFTERGLOW" THEORIES Paul Smith, I'm leaning towards it being an interaction with the airglow layer which is lowered due to gravity waves. I know that in heavy thunderstorms , gravity waves form in the airglow layer with deeper peaks and troughs and that the strongest nightglow emissions occur mostly in a relatively thin layer of atmosphere between 85 and 95 kilometers (53 and 60 miles) above the Earth’s surface. Little emission occurs below this layer since there’s a higher concentration of molecules, allowing for dissipation of chemical energy (via collisions rather than light production). Likewise, little emission occurs above that layer because the atmospheric density is so low that there are too few light-emitting reactions to yield an appreciable amount of light. I think that gravity waves perhaps caused deeper troughs pushing this layer of atmosphere associated with airglow down enough to interact with the sprite tops. Then it's a matter of only the most energetic sprites triggered within this trough produce the effect. It would explain why not all bright sprites have this and how not all tips have it in one bright event. Essentially like a tiger elve version of a sprite. Tiger-sprite. My pic of gravity waves in Texas airglow shows similar color. Melissa Allin, P.E. 10-10-19 Hypothesis It is known that lightning strikes split diatomic oxygen into atomic oxygen and with the recombining of some of these O atoms with O2, ozone is created. Theory: The green afterglow at the upper edge of a preceding red sprite could be production of O3 at upper levels of the stratosphere and could be refeeding the ozone. The green afterglow appears to happen when the red sprite is noticeably brighter. The sprite’s red comes from excited nitrogen. Excited O can emit light in 3 wavelengths: green, orange-red, and red. Is the more brilliant red from the addition of atomic oxygen in the red range? Atomic O with H2O can produce hydroxyl radical (OH). OH also emits red and has previously been associated with “red airglow” at altitudes ~85 km. This also could contribute to the brighter red. Theory: Green afterglow captured in videos of red sprites is like green airglow associated with the aurorae but generated via electrical excitation instead of solar radiation. In certain instances of the creation of atomic O and hydroxyl radicals, there is an increase in production of these oxidizers making them visible on HD videography. If correct, what are the parameters that stack to create these abundant events, and can we facilitate their occurrence? Hydroxyl radicals are key in cleansing non-CO2 GHGs from the atmosphere. Their production is suppressed the more CO2 and methane increase in the atmosphere. Questions: Do these events happen over areas where there is a discernable difference in atmospheric composition (i.e. greater amounts of O2 containing molecules, greater amounts of GHGs? certain topography? arid areas that have water vapor incursion due to the supercell?) Austin Feathers, A plasma is typically a hot soup of ions and electrons which are thermalized and STUPID hot. But it's possible for certain conditions (radio frequency heating or extremely rapid electrical discharges, like in a sprite) for only electrons in a plasma to become thermalized, while ions and neutral atoms remain relatively cold. This is a nonthermal plasma or non-equilibrium plasma. Since electrons have an extremely tiny mass, a nonthermal plasma stores little heat energy and has a very high extinction rate. What I think has happened here is a hot region of the sprite (a largely nonthermal plasma) has persisted for a period of time long enough to heat and partially thermalize much heavier ions and neutral atoms in the mesosphere. Ion extinction rates for these heavier species (looks like oxygen ions from the color) are much lower because they store a lot of thermal energy, so the glow persists much longer. Best guess at least! Hank: If this is indeed a new discovery, it would be nice if we could give it a name that is descriptive and in the theme of sprites, elves, and trolls. "Sprite Afterglow" might be best, or perhaps an acronym... GHOST Green Oxygen Sprite Triggered ??? What about the "H" Hue is redundant... Deep thoughts. Sprite Music: by Pecos Hank End Music "La male'diction de la danse du poulet"

Up close and personal tornado footage. Documentation and vlog of a large rain wrapped wedge tornado at close range that transitions into a beautiful long white rope caught on camera near Canadian Texas on May 23, 2019. NOT FOR REBROADCAST COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2019 To license 4K tornado footage contact [email protected] More details later...

Beautiful tornado highlights with spooky tornado siren caught on tape. Short tornado documentary of the classic McCook Nebraska tornadoes from May 17, 2019. COPYRIGHT 2019 PECOS HANK LLC NOT FOR REBROADCAST To license 4K tornado video contact [email protected] Music "Ecstasy of Gold" performed by Pecos Hank on a cruddy $29 guitar in a old hotel in Oklahoma

Elusive Red Sprites caught on camera above thunderstorm on May 7th 2019. Red sprites are a weird lightning like discharge above thunderstorms that can be seen with the naked eye. Copyright Pecos Hank LLC 2019 For licensing contact [email protected] RED SPRITE INFORMATION: Visual reports of Transient Luminous Events (TLE'S) occurring high above thunderstorms date back to the late 1800’s. It wasn’t until 1989 that the first ones were accidentally captured on video. Years after discovery, they were named "sprites" for their spirit like nature. These lightning-like discharges lack the high temperature channels of typical lightning and are considered a cold plasma phenomena. Dark moonless nights above powerful thunderstorms are the best conditions to capture red sprites. ABOUT THIS EVENT: All of these sprites were captured above a large storm complex over North Texas and Oklahoma on May 7th, 2019. A total of 25 sprites caught on camera. This video highlights the more vibrant ones. Special thanks to Paul Smith and Scott Curren. MUSIC: Composed by Hank Schyma Outro music "La male'diction de la danse du poulet" by Pecos Hank

Tornado northeast of Wichita Falls Texas on April 30, 2019 and behind the scenes storm chasing. This tornado occurred over mostly open prairie in the Red River basin. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL: https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC 2019 Tornado video licensing: contact [email protected] Music: "Spanish Caravan" performed by Hank Schyma

Texas tornado caught on camera April 13, 2019 in Lovelady Texas. *NOT FOR REBROADCAST* COPYRIGHT 2019 PECOS HANK LLC To license footage contact [email protected] This tornado was ongoing by 12:24pm about 3.5 miles west of Lovelady Texas. It appeared larger when I first spotted it in the distance through a break in the trees 2 miles south of highway 1280. It was heading my general direction and caught on camera for about 3 minutes before it weakened. It then appeared to decay just after crossing that highway where it laid down several trees. The storm then heading toward Crockett Texas. Many residents were evacuating south on highway 19. An odd choice of escape considering the tornado would have paralleled closely that highway before crossing it, had it still been on the ground. This storm system would go on to drop tornadoes in Alto Texas. This was the second tornado I caught on camera this day. The first was a heavily rain wrapped tornado near Ratcliff Texas around 11:30am. Around the same time, a powerful tornado would pass through the town of Franklin Texas. After the Lovelady storm passed over Crockett Texas, the cells began merging into a bow echo. For two hours I tried to get in front of the line surging approximately 50pmh, but heavy rain, strong wind made it very difficult to drive any faster. It also didn't help that I had to reroute due to numerous large trees completely blocking passage. After the forth or fifth detour, the timely pursuit of the storms moving into Louisiana was impossible. This strong system carried on through the day, evening and night into Dixie Alley where it was continue to sporadically spawn tornadoes.

Tracking close to a large tornado using google maps. Tornado forming and caught on tape with up close footage / tornado documentary. Support this Channel https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank Copyright PecosHank LLC 2019 *NOT FOR REBROADCAST* For licensing contact [email protected] This is Part 1 of a 2 part tornado documentary highlighting the amazing Soloman - Abilene - Chapman Kansas EF4 that occurred on May 25th, 2016. One of the tools I use to get up close tornado footage is Google maps. In this video I’ve superimposed google maps and radar images to show vehicle locations relative to the tornado. This tornado formed at 7:07 PM and was on the ground for approximately 90 minutes. Late that evening I uploaded the leaner cut raw tornado footage to YouTube beginning mid way through the chase. Recently looking back through my files, I realized there is still a lot of great footage of this tornado that’s never before been seen. So here ya go... MUSIC: By Dan Workman and Christine Wu

The most practical SUV for the money featuring Scotty Kilmer. The Best vehicle for storm chasing well under 20K. All wheel drive vs 2 wheel drive. Plus all my camera reviews, and all my computers, screens and rigs. SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank In this video I’m going to show you why this vehicle was the most practical vehicle. My entire system, the model, vehicle and the rigs are based on practicality from an economic perspective as well as efficiency, safety and freedom. If we’re not throwing away money, then we can afford to travel more and see more storms. I’m also going to show you my cameras and computer rigs and the logic behind it all. CAMERAS New BlackVue Cameras were installed at The Dash Cam Store https://www.thedashcamstore.com SONY CAMERAS The Sony A7s2 is my primary video camera with it’s amazing low light sensitivity. The A7r2 is my back up for video and primary camera for stills with its 42.4 MP files. They both shoot internal 4K video, and take great stills, but they’re difficult to focus on clouds. BLACK MAGIC DESIGN CAMERA has a 4K global shutter but terrible low light sensitivity. My iPhone8 usually has radar on it spit with reflectivity and base velocity and It can double as a vlogging camera in action if needed. GOPRO HER0 7 From time to time I use GoPros. I've never been a fan of GoPro quality, however the GoPro Hero 7 has really upped the game. I'm looking forward to experimenting with some time lapse with this GoPro's incredible stabilization. 2015 TOYOTA RAV4 Compact Crossover SUV Why the 2015 Toyota Rav4 is the most practical SUV. I always buy used cars that are 2-3 years old with low miles. This is the best value for the dollar. There is risk buying a used car, however if you buy one from a dealership you can usually attain the Carfax, records and possibly purchase an extended warranty to ease the worry. Mine had no collisions and every oil change was recorded. TOYOTA RELIABILITY My last 2 Toyotas had well over 200K miles on them and despite beating them up daily, they were problem free. The only time they ever went to my mechanic Scotty Kilmer was for maintenance, namely tune ups, brakes, starters and alternators and perhaps a strut or motor mount. In my trade, I depend on reliability and until other car companies can match Toyota's reliability (or until Toyota starts sucking) I'm sticking with them. ALL WHEEL DRIVE VS 2 WHEEL DRIVE Despite driving often on poor roads, I went with 2 wheel drive because it's more gas efficient and less likely to break down. 2 wheel drive is also much cheaper to maintain. In all these years I've only been stuck twice in 2 wheel drive vehicles and on one of those occasions the 4 wheel drive tow truck that came to get me got stuck a mile before reaching me. It took a tractor to get us both out. Avoiding poor roads in a 4 wheel drive and a 2 wheel drive is a good idea all together. MUSIC: "Girl Named Gone" by Southern Backtones "Crossed the Line" by Southern Backtones

World's top most venomous and poisonous fish plus informative explanation of the difference between poison and venom. In three afternoons we were able to document an abundance of sea creatures, exotic wild life around Nyaung Oo Phee Island. Among the plethora of vibrant fish species and alien ocean creatures we saw many of the worlds top most venomous and poisonous animals in the sea including the top three most venomous fish in the world VENOM & POISON: Many people confuse venom and poison or assume they are the same thing. They are both toxic substances. The main distinction is the method of delivery. Poison gets into the body if you touch it, swallow it, or inhale it. A venomous animal has a means of actively injecting their toxin into you, with fangs or stingers, etc. A sea snake is venomous, a scorpion is venomous and the barbs on stingray’s tails are venomous. If you touch the secretion on a tiger salamander and then rub your eye, you’ll be in a world of temporary pain. I learned this the hard way. So, many salamanders are poisonous. The fangs spiders can inject you with venom. Glands on certain toads skin are poisonous. The stinger on this bee is venomous. If you eat an entire pufferfish or a porcupine fish, you will have ingested a potent neurotoxin. And so, these fish are poisonous. Now that you know the main difference between poisonous and venomous , lets get down to the top 3 most venomous fish in the world. #3 - SCORPION FISH Scorpion fish have crazy camouflage as they patiently await to ambush smaller prey swimming by. Their fins are equipped with venomous spines and If you’re clumsy enough to get poked by em, there’s a long list of various pains and symptoms you’ll get to experience. #2 - LIONFISH Lionfish and scorpion fish are closely related, but lionfish are much more flamboyant. If you get stung by one, like the scorpion fish, there’s a long list of various pains and symptoms… But worst! JELLYFISH and ANENOMIES ??? If you touch a jellyfish, you may get a sudden painful sting. So it’s poisonous right? Wrong! Under a microscope you’ll see that a jellyfish tentacle is covered with nematocysts, tiny spring loaded harpoons explosive to the touch. Anemones also have nematocysts and like jellyfish, use them to paralyze prey or defend themselves. But some fish like clown fish are immune to these booby traps. #1 STONEFISH Stonefish are practically invisible sitting on the the sea bottom, rocks and sand. If you step on a stonefish, It’s serious. Symptoms are similar to that of the scorpion fish and the lion fish, but way, way worse and possibly even fatal. CORAL REEF SAFETY & RESPECT Every coral reef worldwide has its share of venomous and poisonous creatures that deserve your respect. Even if you don’t know what to look for, the odds of getting tagged by any of these gems defending themselves is extremely slim. VICTORIA CLIFF RESPORT on Nyaung Oo Phee Island in Myanmar www.nyaungoopheeresort.com VIDEO BY: Hank & Nat Schyma And by Ben & Bee from LifeOutLoud http://www.lifeoutloudofficial.com

Documentary about Tornado Alley weather in 2018. The best of tornadoes, landspout tornadoes, lightning and spectacular storms caught on camera from South Texas to South Dakota including behind the scenes wildlife & wackiness. ***NOT FOR REBROADCAST*** COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED For licensing video contact [email protected] 2018 Tornado Statistics: It seemed the theme for 2018 was gnarly, tornado warned storms, reluctant to drop tornadoes. It was a less active year with 991 confirmed tornadoes reported in the US. That's more than 200 less than the annual average of around 1250. With only 10 reported deaths, 2018 also had the lowest number of tornado-related fatalities on record in the United States. This is the lowest amount since records began in 1875. 2018 also reported an absence of incredibly violent tornadoes. This is the first year since records began in 1950 that a F/ EF4 or F/ EF5 tornado was not rated anywhere in the U.S. *One EF4 was rated in Canada on August 3rd near Alonsa Manitoba. Despite a lackluster year for tornado aficionados, there was no shortage of beautiful storm structures and epic lightning. In fact, 2018 is my best year ever for lightning captures since beginning around 1995. One of the highlights of the year was in the AM hours of June 25th. I followed an MCS across Kansas and captured several clusters of multiple leaders leaping up from wind turbines into the clouds. Also know as upward-moving lightning or ground-to-cloud lightning, these upward moving clusters numbered from 6 to 14 leaders upward moving leaders at a time. The discharges appear simultaneous on high speed video with a frame rate of 240 / second, however higher speed video might eventually reveal separations in these clustered discharges. Storm Facts & Information: POSITIVE & NEGATIVE LIGHTNING How can you tell the difference between positive and negative lightning? Positive lightning typically originates higher in the storm and flash durations tend to exist longer than less powerful negative strikes. Negative lightning flashes tend to be quicker and with multiple flickers or strokes. This is a good basis for distinguishing the two, however not fool proof. LANDSPOUT TORNADOES Is a landspout a tornado? What is the difference? Yes, landspouts are tornadoes. Landspouts are like waterspouts but form over land. These tornadoes do not develop from supercell mesocyclones, rather low level vorticity colocated under a stretching storm updraft. They tend to be weaker (on the EF0 to EF1 range) but can still pack all the beauty. Storm Video, photography and editing by Pecos Hank LLC. Copyright 2019 Additional licensed video of the June 28th Capitol MT tornadoes by Evan Ludes Additional licensed video of the May 1st Kansas tornado by Blake Brown MUSIC CREDITS: "Angle's Serenade" by Southern Backtones "Won't Pray Adagio" by Southern Backtones "El Reno Blues" by Pecos Hank "Monster Show (instrumental)" by Pecos Hank "March of the Serpents" by Pecos Hank "Slumber Party Adagio" by Southern Backtones Glamorous Adagio" by Southern Backtones *Music Score / guitar noodling by Pecos Hank

Thunderstorm time lapse and spectacular phenomenon with facts and information of where to witness these fascinating sights. Upward lightning, mammatus, sprites, gustnadoes and of course, tornadoes. Copyright Pecos Hank, LLC. 2018 To licence storm video contact [email protected] QLCS INFORMATION: A Quasi-Linear Convective System (QLCS), also known as a squall line can harbor strong straight-line winds, heavy precipitation, hail, A LOTTA lightning and possibly tornadoes… For me, squall lines often provide spectacular storm scenery and other weird phenomenon. This video highlights an array of fascinating weather along with storm relative locations of where you’re most likely to witness these beautiful sights. SHELF CLOUDS: Shelf clouds often form over the leading edge of linear thunderstorm outflow. Being overtaken by a shelf cloud can seem like being swallowed by a colossal whale. Inside the “Whale’s Mouth,” clouds of eerie turbulence loom overhead. QLCS TORNADOES Squall lines sometimes stretch 100s of miles. This storm mode generally is not prolific at producing tornadoes as strong, cold outflow winds undercut the updraft and surge ahead of the storm as a gust front. Along the gust front is a good place to look for dust lofting eddies called gustnadoes. Transient tornadoes can suddenly develop in enhanced cyclonic convergence anywhere the QLCS is able to take in inflow near the surface. Sometimes in line kinks, embedded supercells can develop and may produce stronger rain wrapped tornadoes. Another place to look for tornadoes is in new cellular development at the tail end of the line were warm moist inflow is unimpeded by storm outflow. QLCS LIGHTNING The frequent lightning can provide opportunities for beautiful photography and video. Positioning behind the squall often provides a clear view of mammatus clouds, especially around sunset. In the increasing Darkness, more and more lightning activity is revealed. In the trailing stratiform region of a QLCS is an excellent place to catch the most erratic of lightning discharges. The most prized visuals of these flashes to me is ground-to-cloud lightning or upward-moving lightning. QLCS SPRITES and JETS From tens of miles away, look closely for dim, red spurts of light above the QLCS. These strange electrical discharges are called Sprites. Light sensitive cameras really make sprites pop against the backdrop of stars on a dark night. To see more sprites, check out Paul Smith's youtube channel... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9iKeMA38rOzVU2A3Ji7jVQ CREDITS: Additional red sprite video courtesy Paul Smith The music is a remix of "Pillbox"... A song I wrote and published with my old band Southern Backtones.

Weird tornado hot spot in Eastern Colorado & why tornadoes seem to magically occur here. Tips, facts and information about Colorado tornadoes. To license video contact [email protected] Support this channel on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank Most people are more likely to associate Colorado with tall Rocky mountains… rather than tornadoes. Between 1952 and 2010, Weld County Colorado reported more tornadoes than any other county in the States. *Note: Weld Co. is 2-3 times larger than most counties. LEE CYCLOGENESIS Midlevel westerly winds crossing high terrain subsides and warms when it comes down the leeward side of mountains. This often leads to the formation of a cyclone in a process called Lee Cyclogenesis. The taller the mountains, the stronger the cyclone tends to be. Colorado has the highest mean elevation in the US and thus the lee cyclone response is often the strongest there. *NOTE: MT Whitney in California is the highest peak in the US. A Lee Cyclone often sets the stage for stormy weather. UPSLOPE REGIME In several other fascinating ways the topography of Colorado can enhance thunderstorm and tornado development. Thunderstorms tend to get an earlier start in Colorado as moisture rich air runs into mountains and is forced up. Once upslope storms develop, they tend to take their time organizing into supercells… If they do at all. In the right environment, these storms can organize into supercells as mean as any. DENVER CYCLONE & DCVZ Smaller scale terrain features like the Palmer Ridge also help the Rockies channel winds into localized swirls and zones of convergence. When a “Denver Cyclone” and or a Denver Convergence Vorticity Zone (DCVZ) forms during unstable conditions, the chance of a tornado increases significantly. But generally these are weaker non-mesocyclonic tornadoes more commonly known as landspouts. Landspouts lean toward the weaker side of the EF scale, Once you understand Lee cyclogenesis, the upslope regime and many of the mesoscale features that can enhance lift, convergence and vorticity you’ll understand these Colorado tornadoes aren't magic…. Just physics. CREDITS: Videography by Hank Schyma Carpenter Wyoming tornado footage courtesy of Blake Brown photography https://blakebrownphotogra.wixsite.com/mysite Simla Colorado Tornado Video by Blake Knapp with Weather Adventures http://weatheradventures.net Music scored by Hank Schyma "Tumbling Tumbleweed" performed by Hank Schyma "Honky Tonk Blood" by Johnny Falstaff "Crossed the Line" Southern Backtones Thank you to all my Patrons on Patreon.com for funding the production of this video!

Intense lightning storm with close bolts striking trees and scorching the ground all around me. Frequent cloud-to-ground lightning activity occurred for several hours with this slow moving supercell allowing me to capture several amazing close lightning strikes on camera in slow motion. For licensing video contact [email protected] COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2018 * * * NOT FOR REBROADCAST * * * TO SUPPORT THESE ADVENTURES, PLEASE VISIT https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank After an evening of amazing close lightning strike captures, I set out to find and observe the locations of several of the close lightning strikes, namely a tree and the ground close by. Along the way we encounter several unexpected animals and other adventures. LIGHTNING HITTING TREE The tree that was hit by lightning had several chunks of bark blown off. This happens because the super-hot lightning instantly vaporizes the moisture in the tree the channel is in contact with. The expanding air blows the bark off and also causes several cracks down two main trunks of the tree. If you look at the video in slow motion, it appears the lightning channel jumps from one thick trunks to another. Tree observations confirm this as two separate main branches or trunks sustained cracks down them. The tree also caught on fire at the site of leader connection. It appeared that particular branch might have already been dead and dried out... Maybe not. LOOKING FOR A FULGURITE / "Petrified Lightning" Since I knew the precise location of a possible ground strike, I tried to find a fulgurite. A fulgurite is sometimes referred to as "petrified lightning." When the superheated lightning strikes the earth, it can fuse the sand and other substratum into glassy tubes or bulks. The higher the silicon content, the more glassy the fulgurite would be I'd imagine. Unfortunately, the particular ground strike I was trying to locate hit a piece of machinery directly behind the tree. No fulgurites were found. STOCK TARANTULA WASP VIDEO: Courtesy of Robyn Huges and Greg Rice GREG RICE has an amazing youtube channel specializing in tarantulas and I highly recommend subscribing to it... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5sJ2jEDbNXpIG1E37_9CLA MUSIC: Composed by Pecos Hank

Rare, close "clear air" lightning striking tree caught on camera in 4K and in slow motion... And then the tree catches on fire. To license video contact [email protected] ***COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2018*** ***NOT FOR REBROADCAST*** It was one of those storms where close cloud-to-ground lightning was striking all around me in the rain free clear air. Luckily I was able to capture several amazing strikes on two seperate cameras. One camera is a 4K video camera with a global shutter and the other is a slow motion camera. The second lightning bolt hit the ground right behind the tree as it was still burning. This is only a fraction of the amazing close lightning strikes caught on camera on this day. My next video about this spectacular event will go into more detail. MUSIC: "Lanugo" by Southern Backtones

See Arches National Park in only two days. Hotel tips, scenic route suggestions plus popular and unpopular must-see sights. We spent our labor day weekend exploring the incredibly strange and beautiful landscapes of Arches National Park. The Park is secluded in Eastern Utah and gets it’s name from its over 2000 natural occurring sandstone Arches. To get there, we flew into Denver and rented a car. I wouldn't be discouraged about the 5 hour commute from Denver to Arches National Park. The Rocky mountain drive along the Colorado River is a breathtaking adventure all in its own. We splurged a little and rented a convertible Ford Mustang for $80 a day. Entering Arches is like landing on another planet with strange geologic formations straight out of looney tunes or the Flintstones. Many formations got their names by resembling something like Queen Nefertiti also called 'Unjoined Rock’ or the Three Gossips. Also are the Towel of Babel, Landscape Arch, Double Arch and Delicate Arch to name a few. For whatever reasons, many people start leaving around sunset, but we recommend selecting a favorite location to not only watch the magic hour colors change, but to also kick back and stare at the multitude of stars. After dark we had Double Arch all to ourselves. Cheap Hotels in neighboring Moab are not cheap. You can spend $200 a night for a Motel 6 assuming you made a reservation. Or, you can do like we did and drive 1.5 hours back to Grand Junction Colorado. We got a Motel 6 there for 60 bucks a night and the drive ROCKS! The next morning on the way back to Arches, we took a couple extra hours to explore the spectacular scenery along highway 128 from Grand Junction to Moab. We highly recommend you do this too, if you have the time to spare. We pulled over at several scenic sites including Fisher Rock and another place that looked just like Monument Valley. Inside Arches National Park, parking is provided close to many of the sights and surprisingly we didn’t have to hike far before we were all alone. We were there during an extra hot heat spell in early September on Labor Day weekend. Perhaps that’s why there were so few people. Hiking during mid day was a little taxing and we found ourselves clinging to what shade we could find and burning through water like... like.. like people who are really thirsty. But after peak heating, the atmosphere cooled quickly. The bright moonlight enabled us to feel comfortable hiking well after dark. ***BONUS ROUND*** CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK Canyonlands National Park is located right across from Arches. To see as much as possible with the little time we had, we drove the Grand View Point Road, stopping at several jaw dropping overlooks. Some main attractions were Shafer Canyon Overlook, Mesa Arch, Upheaval Dome and Green River Overlook. Most of the overlooks we stopped at had few people, if any… Then again, it was a hundred degrees. The highlight for us at Canyonlands National Park was the 1 mile hike to Grand View Point Overlook where we took in the panoramic evening scenery. Though you can see for miles and miles in all directions, there wasn't another soul in sight. Three days is hardly enough to explore these extraordinary landscapes, but it is enough time to have an unforgettable, long weekend vacation. If you have never been to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, We strongly suggest you put them at the top of your list of places to visit. MUSIC: Guitar by Hank Schyma Ukulele by Spenser Schyma

Applying the HRRR weather model to storm chasing. How I used the HRRR to forecast several tornado events. Lecture at the 2018 Ohio University Meteorological Symposium. While trying to forecast tornadoes, there’s a ton of data, computer models, imagery and atmosphere layers to analyze. After you choose a target area, you can check several weather models to see if and how precipitation might occur in the region you think is most favorable. One of the computer models that I use to see precipitation forecasts is the HRRR (“HER”). The HRRR It’s a high resolution model that I use to help time storm initiation, predict cell motions and decipher what kind of storms might occur. But how accurate is the HRRR? In this lecture, I show how I used the HRRR to forecast several tornado events. Purchase Pecos Hank storm prints... https://pecoshank.com/storm-photography/ Support This Channel... https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank GLOSSARY Cap - see "Temperature Inversion" CG - Cloud - to - Ground lightning Cu Field- Abbreviation for Cumulus field. Indicating instability beginning and possible storm development. EML (Elevated Mixed Layer) - In the United states, a layer of hot dry air originating from the desert southwest and overspreading the Plains to the East and further. This layer in the atmosphere is often associated with a temperature inversion or "cap." GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) - Simply put, "images of clouds from space" Initiation - Initial thunderstorm development MCS - Mesoscale Convective System. Big gnarly storm complex or cluster. Usually tracking across a region. Temperature Inversion - A layer of warmer air that can inhibit thunderstorm development or lock in energy and set the stage for explosive thunderstorm development. A temperature inversion in the lower atmosphere is often called a "cap."

Unbelievable rare form of upward-moving lightning caught on camera. Numerous simultaneous clusters of lightning striking upward from wind turbine fields. For licensing video contact [email protected] *COPYRIGHT PECOS HANK 2018* ALL RIGHT RESERVED - NOT FOR REBROADCAST UPWARD-MOVING LIGHTNING FACTS Perhaps the most visually spectacular of all lightning is upward-moving lightning. Upward-moving lightning or ground-to-cloud lightning is the rarest of strikes and leaps upward occasionally from mountains, most most occurrences occur from tall man made structures such as skyscrapers or radio towers. On more rare occasions, two and even three upward moving lightning strikes reach for the sky together. JUNE 25TH, 2018 On this extremely strange evening something new and bizarre was occurring. Multiple discharges of lightning simultaneously striking upward. But these strikes appeared to be different from typical upward-moving lightning. In several clusters caught on camera, between four and fourteen discharges simultaneously occurred after being triggered by another flash. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? Wind energy is sweeping across the Plains and as it turns out these fields of towering turbines are sparking more power than planned. Blades composed of materials that can accumulate charge as the spin through the air can extend over a 100 meters tall. This makes them prime targets for lightning strikes. Using data from the National Lightning Detection Agency (NLDN), and sensors installed inside the turbines, a few scientists crunching numbers have calculated that something unique was occurring. These videos prove their calculations were correct. By congregating groups of turbines together, It appears we’ve summoned a new form of lightning into our world. I think we may be able to differentiate these clusters from the typical well documented ground-to-cloud discharges in that cluster discharges appears to have a comparatively low peak current, And of course the crazy number of discharges occurring in a cluster. Also, the closer proximity of all the simultaneous discharges For now, In my notes, I’m calling them Simultaneous Upward Moving Clusters. (or Simultaneous ground-to-cloud Clusters)

The most dangerous thing about storm chasing is not the tornadoes. It's not the lightning, wind, hail or floods. In this vlog I'll discuss the overlooked danger.

Two tornadoes occurring at once recorded yesterday in northeast Colorado (5-28-18). On several occasions, 2 and even 3 tornadoes were on the ground. To license 4K tornado footage contact [email protected] Outbreak of landspout tornadoes in Colorado yesterday... more info soon.

Simple answers to... How do you see a tornado on radar and how do you know if a tornado is coming toward you? When the cross section of precipitation makes a hook shape, or a hook echo, we can infer strong rotation and possibly a tornado.  Precipitation is revealed in the "reflectivity" mode on radar apps. REFLECTIVITY MODE In Reflectivity mode, some of the beam emitted from radar is reflected back to the radar by rain, snow or hail and detected. That’s why we call it an echo. The greatest reflectivity comes from hail stones displayed in pinks and purples and the smallest the more tiny hydrometeors like light rain and drizzle in yellow or green. VELOCITY MODE Not all tornadoes form a hook echo o radar. That's were "Velocity" mode comes in. Velocity mode is like X-ray vision. It’s a POWERFUL tool for detecting circulations within a storm. Red indicates wind moving away from the radar, and green toward the radar.   A relatively small concentrated area of inbound and outbound stronger velocities coming together indicates strong rotation and possibly a tornado. Together, Reflectivity and Velocity are powerful tools for detecting tornadoes. HEADS UP! Tornadoes often change direction and the scan you are viewing could be several minutes old. Also factor in, the circulations depicted on radar can be several kilometers aloft. And the tornadoes position at the surface can be displaced as it bends diagonally through the storm. Many radar apps like Radarscope have a storm tracking or cell motions option. You can also get a good idea of what direction the storm is going by playing the animation loop. LIGHTNING DATA Some radar apps also offer lightning data. Most of the time lightning data is a good tool for tracking lightning and predicting storm intensity.   I assumed they are all lightning data is detecting cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, but to be honest, there are many times when I’m positioned in a sea of would-be lightning strikes according to the data, and I’ve observed no CG’s near my area.  So perhaps they were false signals or large intra-cloud discharges were detected? I’m currently looking into this mystery. TORNADO 2018 On May 1st, I witnessed my first tornado of 2018 near Salina Kansas. Watch how I use radar to track the tornado. All footage copyright Pecos Hank 2018 Outro music "Crossed the Line" by Southern Backtones

Fireflies fill the wilderness with blinking lights while lightning flashes in the background. As this magical evening progresses, the fireflies outlast and outshine. Support this channel… To license 4K firefly video contact [email protected] Most of us agree lightning is one of nature’s most mesmerizing light shows. In June I’m usually trying to track down the most magnificent storms and every now and then, I’ll stumble across one of Mother Nature’s other fascinating light shows. Fireflies On this magical evening in Kansas the camera set up to capture the storm, was getting photobombed by the bright little bugs. More and more my attention was turning away from the flashing in the clouds and into the flashing in the trees. Well Into the AM hours, as the thunderstorm was winding down, the beaming little bugs were just amping up. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” performed by Hank Schyma on a 1939 Gibson L7… Which is also the year the song was debuted in The Wizard of Oz

https://www.patreon.com/pecoshank In March of last year my revenue from YouTube began to decline drastically. Many other content creators also experienced this. This is my strategy and potential solutions to make up lost revenue in today's changing YouTube climate.

Why do clouds turn green before a tornado occurs? Are these green clouds directly linked to tornadoes forming? Lets find out… Hidden inside visible sunlight is the rainbow of colors all mixed up. If an object reflects back, or scatters all that light, that object appears to us, white as well. If an object absorbs all the light, and scatters none back, it appears black to us. That’s the main reason why my black car gets hotter than the white car parked next to me. If an object absorbs only some of the colors in the spectrum and scatters back others, it appears to our eye, the colors scattered back. So a red apple absorbs blues and greens and scatters back red. Bodies of clear water, absorb reds, and yellows first, and scatter back mostly blue. Some of the biggest thunderstorms can generate areas of concentrated heavy rain and hail that look like waterfalls. Storm chasers call this the core. Sometimes storm clouds part giving you a glimpse into the core aloft. If you’re underneath the storm base, around midday, the core is often blueish or a gorgeous turquoise. But in the late afternoon and evening when most storm activity occurs, angled golden and reddish sunset light might mix with the blue precipitation core and the net effect is a greenish color. Yellow and blue makes green! The sky is blue because the gas molecules mostly nitrogen and oxygen scatter the blue wave lengths all over the place while the warmer wavelengths tend to pass through. That's why the sunset turns red. As the sun's altitude becomes lower, it shines through more and more atmosphere. All the blue is scattered first and it's mostly only the warmer visible wavelengths that reach our eye. Another way a storm can add a yellowish filter to the blue core is by kicking up a lot of dust. The more powerful the storm, the more wind, and often, the more dust flying through the air. Looking through this yellowish air into the blue core can also give a net greenish effect to a viewer. So, what does it mean when the clouds are green? The green color in storms doesn’t guarantee a tornado, but it usually means there’s a powerful thunderstorm with heavy rain and hail. And powerful thunderstorms that produce tornadoes often produce heavy rain and hail. So, it wouldn't hurt to have a plan if you see a storm cloud turn green. Why are Tornadoes green? Tornadoes come on all the shades of grey, sometimes almost bright white, and other times dark black. This is all relative to the viewer and the current lightning situation. If a tornado is well lit, it appears brighter, If it is silhouetted against a brighter sky, it appears dark. Sometimes setting sunlight can shine on a tornado giving it an orange or yellow tint. But tornadoes are generally not green. Sometimes the clouds behind a tornado are green. All storm footage by Hank Schyma copyright 2018 To license green storm cloud footage, contact [email protected]

Ultimate Thailand islands tour with unbelievable snorkeling, secluded beach paradise and jungle trekking. The Surin Islands are a little out of the way compared to the more popular island tours near Phuket, but the extra few hours is well worth it... times a million! See for yourself! We got hooked up with "Suntan Tour," A small tour guide that took care of everything. Never once did we feel uncomfortable. Ahlee, owner and tour guide showed us the time of our lives. In all, words fail me. You just have to watch the video. We rented comfortable tents right on the water at the Mu Koh Surin National Park. I noticed they are building a resort there, so by the time you read this, the resort might be up and running with more luxurious accommodations if that's your thing... But for us, camping in Thailand right on the beach was the way to go and extremely cheap. Near the campsite is a restaurant that provides good food breakfast lunch and dinner. If you hear something wrestling outside your tent at night, don't worry, it's probably just a 7 foot long monitor lizard looking for a snack. You don't need a tour guide to snorkel, as you can swim out directly from the National Park beach. That is if you don't mind being alone with a million fish. I've snorkeled in Hawaii, Florida, Cozumel Mexico and Koh Rok Thailand. Those places do not compare to the Surin Island Snorkeling. There are trails that go around the island for jungle trekking. We went in December and pretty much walked around barefoot. No mosquitos bothered us and unfortunately we couldn't find any snakes. You'll hear and see the macaques (monkeys) doing their thing as well as assortment of other wildlife. We were very fortunate enough to visit the Moken Village. The Moken are a tribe of semi-nomadic sea hunters and gatherers. Many Moken are born, live and die at sea, but this band has permanently settled here in the Surin Islands. Studies have been conducted suggesting that Moken children have superior underwater visual and focus. Aside from ancestor worship, the Moken have no religion. If you ever wondered what kids do when they don’t have TV, smartphones and video games, They climb trees and wonder in fields. They observe nature and play together like there’s no tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if the words "complain" and "whine" and absent from the Mokin language. They are the happiest people I've ever seen. Super special extra Thanks goes out to Ahlee from SunTan Tours for making our trip the best ever! Be sure and check out Bee and Ben's youtube channel "Life Out Loud" https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbrNz2EV7Ec60eDcq1_sopg Video by Bee, Ben, Nat and Hank. Music: composed by Hank Schyma Song: "Monster Show Adagio" by Pecos Hank Ukulele: by Spencer Schyma

A season in Tornado Alley capturing tornado videos, lightning, supercells and the occasional horny toad. I witnessed 14 tornadoes, saw a lot of beautiful storm structure and extraordinary lightning. For licensing 4k storm video contact [email protected] In 2017, roughly 1400 tornadoes touched down in the United States. 14 of those tornadoes were deadly and only 3 of those tornadoes were in Tornado Alley. The tornado season came early this year and by January 23, there were 20 tornado related fatalities... Already more than the previous years totals. Though it was active year, many storm chasers considered 2017 a mediocre year in regards to photogenic tornado activity. Many tornado outbreaks occurred at night and were displaced outside Tornado Alley making them difficult to chase. January 16 Houston TX tornadoes. Early in the morning a couple weak tornadoes traversed Houston Texas during morning rush hour causing EF0 damage. March 26 Ada Oklahoma funnel clouds. Several funnel clouds loomed over Ada Oklahoma. A couple caused brief spin ups of dust. March 28 Texas tornadoes. A couple small tornadoes occurred near Abilene Texas with a photogenic cone topping off the event. Large hail and strong wind accompanied dramatic lightning ripping across the sky. April 29, Canton Texas tornadoes. Training supercells riding up a stalled boundary would drop tornadoes one after another in the Eustice and Canton Texas vicinity. The main events were a large EF4 tracking just west of Canton and a large EF3 tracking just east of Canton and striking the community of Fruitvale Texas. May 9, Cochran County Texas brief tornado. 1 possible tornado and one confirmed brief rope tornado occurred after sunset. May 16 McClean Texas and Elk City Oklahoma tornadoes The first tube touched down and decayed near McClean Texas and another EF2 would strike Elk City Oklahoma May 18, Chester Oklahoma tornadoes. On a high risk day, a cyclical supercell would drop a few tornadoes near Chester Oklahoma. Music: "Angel's Serenade" by Southern Backtones "Won't Pray Adagio" by Southern Backtones "La Malediction de la Danse du Poulet" by Pecos Hank "Slumber Party Adagio" by Southern Backtones All Video Copyright Hank Schyma 2017

Incredible lightning activity! This storm had so much lightning, it appeared constantly lit. For licensing contact [email protected] At first this storm seemed like the typical storm complex that develops in Nebraska in June. Shooting time-lapse photography on the north side of the storm gave me clear view of the multi celled updrafts. With each passing minute, more and more lightning activity became visible. It soon become evident Mother Nature was cooking up something unusual. Throughout the video you'll notice little green lights glowing. These are fireflies and they were also unusually abundant this year. Music: Untitled guitar by Hank Schyma All Video Copyright Hank Schyma 2017

How to take beautiful pictures of lightning and the best cameras for lightning photography and video. Camera settings and tips... To license video contact [email protected] TRIPOD Use a tripod so that you can take long exposures without motion blur. The heavier the tripod, the better. Instead of pushing the shutter button on your camera body, use a cable release. That way you won’t risk moving the camera with your big clumsy finger. FOCUS TIP Set your camera on manual focus and focus on infinity. CAREFUL! Many camera lenses focus beyond infinity so I always have to nudge my focus back a hair. Focus on a distant light to make sure you’re in perfect focus. BEST CAMERA SETTINGS ISO Start with your ISO set at 100. APERTURE / F-stop Start off in the middle around F8. If lightning is striking far away, and shows up too dim, open your f-stop more to f5.6 - f2 until all the branches are nice and bright. If you have too much light, close your f-stop to f11 - f22. If your f-stop is open all the way and the lighting branches still are not showing up well, then bump up your ISO to 200, 300, 400 etc. EXPOSURE When it’s finally dark enough, start taking long exposures… 1 second - 10 seconds or more depending on how much ambient light there is. My favorite time to shoot lightning is at sunset. Because of all the existing light, you can only leave your shutter open a second or two. Once it’s pitch black, you can leave your shutter open for 10, 20, 30 seconds or more. BEST CAMERAS FOR LIGHTNING PHOTOGRAPHY The best cameras for lightning photography are the ones with manual settings options. Most digital DSLR cameras or mirrorless cameras have these options. Nikon, Cannon, Sony, Fuji, etc. all work great. HOW TO TAKE PICTURES OF LIGHTNING WITH A PHONE The best way to take photos of lightning with a phone camera is to just shoot video and then take a screen grab of a good frame. You might get lucky trying to take a photo with burst mode or by simply taking a normal photo, but the cards are stacked against you. ROLLING SHUTTER vs GLOBAL SHUTTER Most video cameras nowadays are equipped with a rolling shutter. that means the frames you are capturing are recorded through a scanning process that rolls down the sensor. Though this process occurs really fast, lightning is much faster. The result is often annoying blocky rectangles called partial exposures. Most negative lightning strikes I capture on video are ruined with partial exposures. Positive lightning channels and anvil crawler lightning tend to exist longer, thus are captured some-what better by rolling shutters. While shooting video of lightning with a rolling shutter, I usually set the shutter speed at 30, the frame rate at 30 and cross my fingers. Another option is to invest in a camera with a global shutter. A global shutter scans a snapshot of the entire scene all at once. So, no partial exposures. The catch is you'll likely spend thousands of dollars at least on a good HD or 4K camera and the global shutter technology is not one for low light sensitivity. Music: "Won't Pray Adagio" by Southern Backtones guitar score by Hank Schyma "Ode to Joy" performed by Hank Schyma *** FREE Pecos Hank 2018 calendar poster file *** You can shrink it down and print it on your home printer, or have a shop print the full 24x16. You can also use it as your desktop background. I’d love to know what country or state this poster is hanging up in so let me know in the comments. Merry Christmas from Texas! Download link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ns8hp7ln8bdvzw9/2018%20Pecos%20Hank%20Storm%20Calendar%2016x24.jpg?dl=0

Scientists place instruments inside a tornado to learn why one supercell produces tornadoes and another does not. Atmospheric Scientist Dr. Leigh Orf takes a different approach by growing storms that produce EF5 tornadoes in a supercomputer. To license tornado videos contact [email protected] Rare EF5 tornadoes produce wind speeds estimated over 200 mph. Many people ignore tornado warnings because of too many false alarms. Others don’t respond because they don’t see a tornado. The National Weather Service has the difficult task of trying to warn the public. But because we still don’t understand why one supercell produces a tornado and why another does not the NWS warns the majority of supercells. To reduce the “cried wolf effect” scientists are trying to figure out why one supercell produces tornadoes and why another does not. Every Spring, scientists attempt to collect the data needed by deploying instruments inside a tornado and by scanning them with mobile radar as close as possible. Atmospheric scientist Dr. Leigh Orf is taking a different approach by successfully growing superstorms that produce EF5 tornadoes in a supercomputer. Using the Blue Waters supercomputer at the University of Illinois, Dr. Orf is able to simulate supercells at the highest resolution possible with today's hardware. This breakthrough technology has brought an alien anatomy to light. We now have the tools to see through the skin of the storm into an organized system of currents and what the supercomputer is telling us is that many of our previous theories were wrong. But, is this superstorm growing and living inside a computer a true representation of nature? One of the ways to help validate these incredible simulations is to compare them with actual storm footage. All Storm Video Copyright Hank Schyma 2017 Storm simulations provided by Dr. Leigh Orf Music by: Hank Schyma, Dan Workman and Christine Wu.

Best snorkeling from the shore in Cozumel Mexico. After spending $40 on snorkel boat tours, A local told me that a place called Playa Corona was much better. You could snorkel from the beach and it was free. That was once true. After hurricane Wilma, the coral reef near the shore is gone there as well as the nearby Sky Reef. I’m not sure if the wave action crushed the reef to a pulp or if Wilma just buried it with sand. Probably both. The deeper reefs away from the shore are still intact and thriving well. You can take several snorkeling tours that will guide you. The best snorkeling form the shore we found was at El Presidente Resort and Spa. For three nights we stayed right on the crystal clear turquoise waters and lounged in the many palapas, bungalows, pools and hot tubs. Ocean sunset dinners were spectacular and The food was so fresh it was practically crawling off your plate. We ended up snorkeling from the beach there the entire rest of our vacation exploring a couple small coral outcroppings and the sunken barge thingie. You can rent snorkel gear at El Presidente and The staff was extremely friendly. All underwater video was shot by a GoPro Hero Black 5 Guitar music and "Sleep Walk" performed by Pecos Hank Schyma

NEW Top 10 countdown of up close lightning strikes, loud mega bolts, spectacular anvil crawlers and more all caught on camera. for licensing contact [email protected] Number 10 was in East Texas. Close cloud to ground lightning bolts were crashing all around me, but this one was front and center. Number 9 occurred this year in West Texas where horizontal lightning was slashing across the sky for miles. Sometimes lightning occurs with one abrupt flash. Other times several return strokes make it flicker. Number eight was captured near Paducah Texas. When you average 40,000 miles per year chasing storms between South Texas and North Dakota, it’s a treat capturing lightning from your home patio. Number seven was captured over the Williams tower in Houston Texas Number 6 struck the Earth near Perryton Texas. This close strike was captured so clearly, you can see it scorching the earth. This is the best video I’ve witnessed of the decaying lightning channel’s luminosity breaking up into smoldering segments. We call this phenomenon bead lightning or chain lightning. Over the years, I’ve lost count how many storms I’ve staked out from this overlook in Houston. Early one morning in 2015, persistence finally paid off with a close crystal clear crash of lightning striking a tree. Number 4 and Number 3 occurred on an Oklahoma evening of anvil crawler lightning heaven. Anvil crawler lightning can be chaotic, but there’s something extra special about witnessing the symmetric, electric blossoms filling the sky with fire. Number two happened in the AM hours in the sleepy town of Holiday TX. lightning caught on camera striking a house twice. The pulsing blue glow are power flashes, or exploding transformers. The strike was so brief, my camera one at 30 fps hardly caught it. But Camera two set at 250 frames per second captured lighting striking the house. Number one takes us back to that crazy evening of anvil crawler lightning in Oklahoma. From the top of a small mountain, pointing the camera straight up, I was able to capture the birth of an anvil crawler directly overhead at 2000 frames per second. This relative close proximity to the camera revealed a phenomenon I’ve never seen captured in such detail… The increased luminosity of the leader tips appearing like blue headlights searching along dark highways. All Video Copyright Hank Schyma 2017 Tag music: Crossed the Line" by Southern Backtones

Supercell and tornado compilation plus best storm time lapse footage in 4K. For licensing contact [email protected] There are different breeds of thunderstorms. Each with their own characteristics. There are single celled storms. Often weak and short lived. Multi celled storms, sporadic and unorganized and squalls, organizing into dramatic lines that can stretch hundreds of miles. But the mother of all thunderstorms is the supercell. Supercells are the least common mode of storms and their defining character is a deep, persistently rotating updraft called a mesocyclone. Supercells are often referred to as rotating thunderstorms. This rotating nature enables them to generate Torrential rainfall and severe winds, intense and continuous lightning activity, and enormous hail. It’s the supercell that is responsible for producing the majority of the worlds violent tornadoes. Supercells can occur all over the world but in one location, they turn up with alarming frequency… Tornado Alley in the United States. Fewer than 30% of supercells produce tornadoes and scientists are still trying to understand why one supercell produces violent tornadoes and another does not. Supercells come in 3 different classifications: The Low Precipitation supercell or LP, The Classic supercell and the high precipitation supercell or HP, where heavy rainfall shroud much of the internal storm structure. They often form as one mode and transition to another. Once a supercell is on the roll, it can dominate the atmosphere persisting for hours and hours. Sometimes the atmosphere generates mixed modes. Storms with characteristics of other storm types. Squalls with supercells imbedded in their lines, or hybrid cells with both squall and supercell structures. No two supercells are exactly the same. With their explosive energy and wind sheer sculpted beauty, being In their presence can be captivating or terrifying… or both. They are a dream scenario for nature photographers and time lapse photography truly captures their beauty. The mesocyclone twists the supercell into dramatic sky-scapes. Perhaps a storm that resembles stacked plates or one with tiers like upside-down wedding cake, or the alien invading mothership. With the most powerful supercells, time lapse photography isn't necessary to capture their intense churning. The clouds moves so fast, the storm doesn’t appear to be from this world. Music: Composed by Hank Schyma & Dan Workman

Wild Iguana whipping GoPro with its tail and other iguana body language. Green iguanas and spiny tailed iguanas hanging out around the beach in Cozumel Mexico. Iguanas haven’t learned to speak Spanish or English yet, But they do speak good body language. head bobbing is one of several forms of communication. The brownish iguanas in this video are black spiny tailed iguanas (Ctenosaura similis) (Cteno - saura = Comb lizard) and they’ve got it pretty damn rough waiting around By the pool, By the beach, on the sidewalks for food to plop in front of their face. The king daddy here was a magnificent green Iguana. He had the best view in the resort and didn't want to share it with anyone. The first line of defense for an iguana is to run away, but this lizard way was too macho to up and run at the first sign of trouble. He stood his ground, threatening to lash us with his his tail if we got any closer. And when we got closer he let us know he wasn't bluffing. With home run accuracy, the iguana whipped the camera again and again. Juvenile iguanas are more insectivores, and adults are primarily herbivorous, eating flowers, leaves, and fruit with the occasional smaller animals, eggs and insects. In many areas of Mexico and Central America, iguanas are called the chicken of the trees due to their tasty meat, but here at this resort in Cozumel, they kick back with the tourists and enjoy the turquoise sea. Spanish guitar music by Pecos Hank End song "Crossed the Line" by Southern Backtones

Tesla coil lightning discharges striking a Faraday cage inches from the camera in UHD 4K! University of Kansas HawkWorks team demonstrates their 8 foot tall music playing Tesla coil. TESLA COIL - Brief History In the 1890’s, Inventor Nikola Tesla unveiled his Tesla Coil, a machine designed to wirelessly transmit electricity. It completely revolutionized the way electricity was understood and used. Today, a variation of Tesla’s experiments is used primarily as a spectacular demonstration of lightning-like discharges bursting into the air. This particular device is a as a Dual Resonant Solid State Tesla Coil (DRSSTC) and has the potential to reach 1.2 million volts. TESLA COIL INJURY If you were struck by this Tesla coil and the current flowed through your body missing your vital organs, you would likely only suffer serious burns. If the current traveled through your heart, you could suffer cardiac arrest. FARADAY CAGE The continuous covering of conductive mesh conducts current around the outside of the enclosed Faraday cage and none passes through the interior. You can even safely touch the thin mesh on the inside. In the same manor, your car may act like a Faraday cage and protect you from a lightning strike. HOW A TESLA COIL MAKES MUSIC The loud sound you hear results directly from the passage of the spark through the air. The superheated air creates compression waves we perceive as sound, just like miniature thunder. By modulating the spark output, you can control the pitch of the sound, and when you can control pitch, you can make music! So that’s why this device was dubbed a singing Tesla coil, but I think Zeusaphone or Thoramin is way cooler. The music played by this singing Tesla cool in the video are... "Thunderstruck" by ACDC "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns and Roses "Eruption" by Van Halen For licensing Tesla Coil 4k video contact [email protected]

Solar eclipse planning, photography and video vlog. The diamond ring, brief shadow bands and the 360 sunset all captures in 4K. We had to adjust our location due to cloud risk forecast the day before the eclipse. After having to sleep in the car due to shock economics in Wyoming, we scored! Just prior to totality, faint shadow bands appeared on the gravel road below. More eclipse info later...

A never ending nightmare as several tornadoes threaten Canton Texas one after another. The third and largest tornado ripped down a transmission tower and was the scariest tornado I've ever witnessed. For licensing video contact [email protected] April 29, 2017 A stationary boundary positioned over the town of Canton Texas would serve as a track for tornadoes to train down one after another. High precipitation supercells with low cloud bases, tracking swiftly over forrest terrain created a worst case scenario for locals and storm chasers. TORNADO 1: The first tornado I witnessed was small and rain wrapped causing only EF0 damage to trees and barns east of Canton. After this weak tornado dissipated a large tornado was developing upstream and racing toward town. TORNADO 2: The second tornado I witnessed was heavily shrouded and badly damaged houses right behind me. It would eventually strengthen to one of the most powerful tornadoes of 2017, leveling a two story brick home and sweeping much of the foundation clean of debris. Two people would lose their lives before this EF4 finally dissipated. Meanwhile, another powerful tornado was developing near Eustace Texas only a few miles from where the last tornado developed. TORNADO 3: The third tornado I witnessed was a brief rope satellite south of Canton on highway 19. It was difficult to see and not shown in this video, however I will likely include it in my "Tornadoes of 2017" video. TORNADO 4: The forth tornado I witnessed was the main event in this video. While attempting to find a closer clearing to view this tornado, I miscalculated it's ground speed. This was a needless gamble on my part placing me too close to a fast moving, rapidly intensifying wedge and directly in its path. the tornado would track up highway 19 toward Canton and after crossing the road it would tear down a transmission tower. It would expand to over a mile wide as it swallowed the Rustic Barn, a family event venue. 20 people including a couple babies would seek shelter inside a bathroom. Everyone would survive. The tornado eventually crossed interstate 20 killing 2 people and striking a Dodge dealership tossing cars up to a half a mile. The small community of Fruitvale was also in the damage path. That's were I helped assist some victims. TORNADO 5: ...Was a brief suction tornado in Fruitvale TX tracking close to the previous wedge tornado's damage. FRUITVALE TEXAS TORNADO RELIEF (UPDATE June 19th 2018) Mustang and Harley raffle has ended. Vicki and Jim are still trying to rebuild their life. You can help them out here... https://www.youcaring.com/jimandvickiferguson-813007 Music by: Hank Schyma, Dan Workman and Christine Wu.

While driving through a majestic lightning storm, a large tornado approaches their 1952 Ford. Will they survive? New Pecos Hank music video "Drive Under the Moon" Starring Bay Berger and Robert MacCready with Jo Bird, Dean Catania, Todd Sommer and Hank Schyma Directed by Hank Schyma Executive Producer: Shaun Brennan / Splice Records LLC Director of Photography: Richard Lacy Gaffer: Zach Lacy Key Grip: Nate Cooper Makeup / Stylist: Heather Williams Grips: Natchaya Schyma, Ian LaFavers, Quinn LaFavers 1952 Ford provided by Chris LaFavers Grip truck provided by Raul Casarus Vintage toys provided by Judy Masliyah / My Flaming Heart Yummy pizza provided by Shawn LaFavers Filmed at 215 Grove Studios in Houston Texas All storm footage copyright Hank Schyma 2017 "Drive Under the Moon" written by Hank Schyma is available for download and streaming online everywhere.

Strange storm clouds that look like bubbles, cotton balls or pouches are called mammatus clouds and create the most beautiful sunsets. Mammatus clouds are named after female udders or mammary. The icy pockets most often form under the anvil of thunderstorms and indicate conditions in the area were and might still be favorable for severe weather. Powerful thunderstorms in Tornado Alley generated mammatus clouds last week in Nebraska and Kansas and treated photographers to a beautiful spectacle. Not for rebroadcast. All storm footage copyright Hank Schyma 2017. For licensing 4k storm footage contact [email protected] Music: Goblin Attack (Extended) by Two Star Symphony.

Amazing lightning filling the sky and caught on camera in slow motion. This extremely unique storm event generated hundreds of anvil crawler lightning discharges unlike any storm I've ever witnessed. NOT FOR REBROADCAST. Copyright Hank Schyma 2017. To license video contact [email protected] ABOUT THIS LIGHTNING STORM Specific conditions made this storm extremely special. Anvil Crawler lighting, also know as spider lightning is not uncommon, However because they occurs at such high altitudes, there’s usually low level clouds and rain hiding them from view. It takes special cloud and rain free conditions near a powerful thunderstorm to reveal them to you. ANVIL CRAWLER FACTS Anvil crawler lightning behaves different then typically observed cloud to ground lightning strikes. They propagate slower and horizontally. In a typical lightning strike, leaders move too fast for the human eye to detect. But in anvil crawler lightning, you can actually see the leaders searching for opposite charged regions of the cloud to connect to. Slow motion video helps reveal that anvil crawlers are comprised of two main events. First, leaders typically growing and branching out horizontally followed by return strokes, the flickering solid line discharges. Some anvil crawlers are conjoined with a cloud to ground lightning strike and others remain completely intra-cloud. One particular capture from this evening is extra special! From the top of a small mountain pointing the camera straight up I recorded the birth of an anvil crawler. This rare close proximity to the camera, slow motion documentation brought to light a phenomenon I’ve never witnessed in such detail. The increased luminosity of the leader tips appearing like blue headlights searching along dark windy highways. ANVIL CLOUD FACTS? When a thunderstorm explodes in our troposphere, it can only rise so far before hitting a ceiling. We call this the tropopause. The updraft then spreads outward like smoke under a table. From a distance, the storm takes on the appearance of an anvil. So we call the spreading flat top of a cumulonimbus an anvil cloud. From above, Anvil clouds can flare out covering entire states. Underneath, the are often garnished with mammatus clouds and set the stage for spectacular sunsets. It’s here where Anvil crawler lightning does what the name implies. MUSIC: "Like Spinning Plates" written by some of the dudes in Radiohead. "Prelude in C# Minor" by Rachmaninov Performed by Pecos Hank TAG MUSIC: "Angel's Serenade" by Southern Backtones

Three tornadoes touched down and several funnels danced in the sky near Seiling and Chester Oklahoma on May 18, 2017. For licensing 4K tornado video contact [email protected] EVENT: A large funnel cloud appeared south of Seiling Oklahoma around 4:12pm. I can't confirm a touchdown but this was likely a tornado before I spotted it. The first tornado I could confirm occurred around 4:30pm just west of Chester Oklahoma. The tornado appeared powerful at first and was likely the strongest tornado produced by this supercell thunderstorm. It didn't maintain it's strength very long but was on the ground awhile. Perhaps around 10 to 15 minutes. The tornado roped out in dramatic fashion bending and writhing as it crossed highway 281. A brief weak tornado occurred shortly after while another stronger cone tornado formed to it's west. This tornado tracked North along highway 281 for perhaps 5 minutes or so. I'll enter more precise details later. I doubt there were any injuries with these tornadoes. This footage is not for rebroadcast copyright Pecos Hank 2017. To license footage contact [email protected]

Large powerful tornado near Elk City Oklahoma and a tall stovepipe near McClean Texas caught on video on May 16, 2017. licensing contact [email protected] More info soon...

This was the worse of five tornadoes impacting Canton Texas and vicinity. Copyright Hank Schyma 2017. For licensing 4K tornado footage contact [email protected] At least two significant tornadoes impacted Canton Texas and vicinity, this being the second significant. In all, I witnessed five tornadoes on this day. This tornado tracked up highway 19 and passed just east of town. Northeast of Canton near Grand Saline I ran across the wrath of this beast. Several homes had high end EF2 to EF3 damage and several cars had been tossed. Along with several other locals, I searched the cars for people and found none. It didn't occur to me to check a pile of rubble as I had no idea it was once a house. There a woman with minor injuries to her head and her husband with neck or back injuries rode out the tornado under a mattress. I was able to assist the woman to a hospital as we counted out blessings. More later... Video Copyright Hank Schyma 2017 and not for rebroadcast. To license contact [email protected]

Close lightning strikes hit the same house twice only moments apart in Holliday Texas on Friday morning April 21, 2017. To license footage contact [email protected] The first lightning strike was relatively long lived and "beaded out." When the lightning channel cools, its luminosity sometimes breaks up into segments or a beaded appearance. This is called bead lightning or chain lightning. This first strike also caused a transformer to explode. This power flash is the blue glow. The second lightning strike occurred several seconds later and hit a tree in the front yard. This strike was brief. Both of these lightning strikes were very close, less than 60 yards away.

Incredible lightning strikes in slow motion including chaotic anvil crawlers plus thunderstorm time lapse. An isolated electric storm puts on a beautiful show in North Texas. To license HD and UHD 4K video contact [email protected] Several lighting strikes captured striking the ground at 240 frames per second plus several massive anvil crawler discharges also in slow motion. When lightning occurs, you can hear static on an AM radio frequency. Sometimes during the day I'll turn on the AM radio to hear how much lightning is in a particular storm. This can reveal the unseen lightning activity within a storm in close proximity. Song: "Sinful Refrain" by Pecos Hank. Available online everywhere.

The birth of three tornadoes up close in UHD 4K and destructive hail breaking windshield. These tornadoes touched down on March 28, 2017 from near Abilene to Anson Texas. For licensing HD or 4K tornado video contact [email protected] The first rope tornado touched down just southwest of Abilene Texas and was very brief. After that circulation occluded, another base organized and another tornado formed up close to my vehicle southeast of Anson Texas. This tornado was also brief with sudden needle like suction vortices appearing and vanishing. The third and most impressive tornado of the day formed shortly after and was on the ground for several minutes no injuries or fatalities were caused by these tornadoes. The storm then moved into a messy high precipitation, outflow mode. Large golf ball to tennis ball size hail destroyed my windshield and pounded large dents into the sheet metal of my car. Later in the video you'll see an ominous tornado looking cloud lowering over Munday Texas after dark. This was just a wall cloud that did not produce any violent winds at the surface. Tragedy struck the storm chasing community this evening when storm chaser's Kelley Williamson and Randy Yarnall's vehicle struck Corbin Jaeger's vehicle, also a storm chaser. All three men were pronounced dead on the scene.

Storm season preparation tips, cameras and gear. Different cameras I use videoing and photographing storms, tornadoes and lightning. Depending on what the storm is doing will determine whether I grab a Sony or a Nikon. MY CAMERA GEAR: I get a lot of comments from people asking what camera I use… Well, I use about five of them depending on what the storm is doing. Below are descriptions and information about Nikon and Sony cameras. Everything you see on this channel through 2015 was shot with Nikons namely a D7100, D7000, D300, D200 and a few film bodies namely the nikon FM, FE and FE2. In 2016 my primary video camera was the Sony a7s ii. This camera is incredible with amazing low light sensitivity and internal 4K video. However there are several cons to using this camera for storm chasing. We'll get to that... NIKON D7100 and NIKON D7000 These two affordable cameras do their jobs well. High quality high resolution stills and great HD video. One thing I particularly like about these cameras is they do pretty well capturing lightning video for a camera with a rolling shutter. They especially excel shooting RAW stills that I animate into storm time lapses. NIKON D300 & D200 This camera is pretty much outdated and I hardly use it. I leave a 80-200mm 2.8 lens on it for shooting tornadoes miles away. I would not recommend this camera to anyone as Nikon has several options that are more up to date. Wanna buy mine? :) THE SONY a7s ii This camera seemed like the answer to all of my problems. Internal 4K and incredible lowlight sensitivity were the primary reasons I purchased this beast. In the long run, the Sony a7s ii was two steps forward and one step back. The rolling shutter on this camera creates the worst jello I've seen and it's almost impossible to capture lightning on video that is not ruined with rolling shutter partial exposures. In the hundreds of lightning strikes I shot with the sony a7s2, only a 2 or three are salvageable. Another issue with the Sony a7s ii is the overheating. While chasing tornadoes there are a lot of things you need to worry about so adding to the list is not ideal. I have to constantly monitor this camera's temperature so that I can swap it out prior to it shutting off. Sooner or later I will likely get hosed and miss some epic video because the camera overheated and turned itself off. The Sony A7s ii is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to FOCUS Any time you zoom in or out with the Sony 24-240 lens, the depth of field changes. So forget about tight focusing and zooming wide. I've never even heard of lenses that do this so my first few storm chases of 2016 were soft. Thankfully nothing amazing happened on those chases like the events that happened later in the season. Also, the camera is overall heard to focus. The little grainy LCD screen will pop in a tight window for tight focusing and this is extremely helpful, however this option does not work while you are recording. So anytime I want to zoom in or out, I have to stop recording, check focus an then start recording again. Peaking options make it a little easier. Overall, the Sony a7s ii is an incredible camera. Sony has pulled off miracles that are affordable. If you can navigate around these issues, the camera produces amazing results. I'm starting to get a rhythm of dealing with these cons and when the camera overheats after around 30 minutes of use, I switch to my nikons for awhile.

Incredible tornadoes, lightning, supercell storms and salamanders during the 2016 storm season in UHD 4K. In over two decades of storm chasing, I never dreamed I’d ever see a year like this. For licensing contact [email protected] April 15, 2016 - Eva Oklahoma Tornado My first and only tornado of April manifest itself as a misty carousel of suction vortices. Though producing well below average tornadoes for the month, April well over compensated with spectacular lightning storms. May 7, 2016 - Eckley and Wray Colorado tornadoes Three gorgeous tornadoes touched down and were highly visible from miles away. May 9, 2016 - Katie / Wynnwood & Sulphur Oklahoma tornadoes 34 tornadoes were reported, including one of the two strongest rated tornadoes of the year. The Katie / Wynnewood EF4 was responsible for one death, and the destruction of several homes. Along with extensive ground scouring and severe tree damage, some vehicles were thrown and mangled beyond recognition. The second tornado from this storm grew to over a mile wide and touched down near Sulphur Oklahoma. Unanchored homes, mobile homes and outbuildings were leveled or completely swept away. A large metal storage garage would be swept away and the vehicles inside it thrown up to 280 yards. (over 250 meters) A young man who was taking shelter in his home's most interior room had his entire house around him violently demolished. Only the two walls and toilet he was clinging to would remain. He would walk away without a scratch. May 16, 2016 - Felt Oklahoma Tornadoes I witnessed two tornadoes on this day. One emerged from a wall of rain and roped out. The other tornado was a nub funnel cloud and brief spin up. May 21, 2016 - Leoti Kansas Tornadoes and Supercell Early forecasts on May 21st suggested tornadoes were unlikely however three small tornadoes would touch down, but the show stopper was the incredible mesocyclone structure and continuous garage of cloud to ground lightning strikes. May 22, 2016 - Canadian River Valley Tornadoes A few tornadoes touched down near the Canadian River valley, however I was late on the scene and only caught the end of the last tornado. May 23, 2016 - Turkey Texas tornado After the sun set, a large wedge tornado was revealed with occasional lightning strikes and power flashes. For the second day in a row, i missed the show by only moments. May 24, 2016 - Dodge City Tornado Outbreak A dozen incredibly photogenic tornadoes moved slowly over good road networks. Though some damage occurred to several homes, there were zero fatalities reported. The audio of the tornado sirens in this video was bot eerie and beautiful. Two different tornado sirens harmonized through the streets as tornadoes just passed to the west, missing the more populated areas. May 25, 2016 - Abilene / Chapman Tornado This EF4 was the other highest rated tornado of 2016. It completely swept away a split-level home and bent railroad tracks horizontally. Numerous vehicles including a Freightliner truck and a combine harvester were tossed and mangled beyond recognition. Despite being on the ground for 90 minutes, No fatalities were reported. Music Composed and performed by Pecos Hank Schyma and Dan Workman.

Tornado causes multiple power flashes and minor damage in Houston Texas on January 16, 2017 at 7:30 AM. A Pecos Hank Vlog including Bowie Elvis Fest, wild snakes, clown fish and what not. Link to "Wild Snakes" Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChr1HgRCfcbW4njeZhZzHfQ To make a camera obscura, make sure the room is as dark as possible and it's bright outside. The sunnier the better. Music Available online Everywhere: "La Malediction de la danse du poulet" (Curse of the Chicken Dance) By Pecos Hank "El Reno Blues" By Pecos Hank "Help a Good Guy Go Bad" By Pecos Hank "Drive Under the Moon" By Pecos Hank

Wild reticulated python caught road cruising. Reticulated pythons are the longest snake in the world growing well over 20 feet / 6 meters. for licensing stock snake footage contact [email protected] More info... Reticulated Pythons or "Retics" are native to Southeast Asia and can grow well over 20 feet / 6 meters earning it the title, the longest snake in the world.  Though extremely unlikely, large reticulated pythons can kill a person and several plausible reports of human consumption exist. PYTHON BITE Retics have a reputation for being grouchy and quick to bite. I think they’re precious and just need a little more sweet talking. Still, I wouldn't recommend one for a pet. They get out of control big! I used to breed smaller Indian pythons and when a friend could no longer provide the amount of space to adequately house their 8 foot retic, I agreed to take over the burden. Eventually the snake grew to 16 feet long, and she never once tried to bite me… Unless it was feeding time. Pythons have about a hundred long sharp teeth designed for grabbing. There are four rows on the top and two rows on the bottom. If you get bitten by a large specimen, there will be blood. Usually after a defensive bite the snake lets go but sometimes if the victim jerks and panics the snake cannot get its teeth out of your flesh and the wounds tear and may cause a lot of swelling. I watched this happen to my sister once when my 6 foot burmese python bit her hand. Generally whenever I get bitten by a python, I don't flinch and the snake easily lets go. Sometimes in captivity, pythons get what I call "food crazy." The instant you walk into the room with food, the snake gets possessed and strikes at anything that moves. This is usually the result of neglect. The snake gets conditioned to associate the cage opening for feeding only. All it takes is non-aggressive body language and patience and you can sweet talk just about any snake out of defensive biting. Once a python feels reassured you're not a threat, you’ll see their gentle, curious side. PYTHONS CHANGING COLOR Many people don't know that many snakes can change color and relics are one of the best at it. It's not as dramatic as a chameleons color change, but in hours a retics olive and grey can turn to vibrant gold and light blueish-grey. In direct sunlight a rainbow of iridescence appears on healthy Reticulated pythons. Emerald greens, fluorescent purples and blues sparkle on golden scales.

Examples of tornadoes rated EF-0 to EF-5 and the damage they cause. For licensing contact [email protected] After a destructive tornado occurs, the NWS surveys the damage to estimate the tornado's wind speeds. The tornadoes are then rated by their intensity using the EF scale or Enhanced Fujita scale from the weakest EF0's to the rare incredibly powerful EF5's. In this video we'll observe examples of each as well as the damage each rated tornado can cause. EF-O TORNADO: Not all tornadoes have the strength to cause severe destruction, in fact about 75% of tornadoes in the USA are relatively weak falling in the EF0 to EF1 range. A tornado rated EF0 has wind speeds estimated between 65 to 85 mph. They can cause light roof damage including damage to gutters or siding, break branches off trees and push over shallow rooted trees. EF-1 TORNADO: EF1 rated tornadoes are stronger with estimated wind speeds from 86 - 110 mph. They cause moderate damage such as roofs severely stripped, exterior doors ripped off and broken windows. Cars are moved and Mobile homes are badly damaged or overturned. EF-2 TORNADO: EF2's cause considerable damage with estimated wind speeds between 111 and 135 mph. Roofs are torn off well-constructed houses, mobile homes are completely destroyed, large trees snapped and cars are lifted off the ground. EF-3 TORNADO: EF3's have estimated wind speeds from 136 to 165 mph. They cause severe damage to well constructed houses and large buildings. Trains are overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars are tossed and structures with weak foundations are blown away some distance. EF-4 TORNADO: Tornadoes with wind speeds estimated from 166 to 200 mph cause devastating damage and are rated EF4s. Well constructed houses are completely leveled. Structures with weak foundations are blown away. Cars are thrown. EF-5 TORNADO: EF5's have estimated wind speeds over 200 mph. The damage from these monsters is incredible! Often at the impact site, there's nothing to see because nothing is left. Strong framed houses are lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances to disintegrate. Automobile sized missiles fly through the air farther than 100 meters. Even steel reinforced concrete structures are badly damaged.

Top 10 best tornado video countdown. Tornadoes manifest themselves in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some are a wondrous bright white, others are dark horrific, monsters. Most are harmless grazing over rural farmland, others are worst case scenarios. I've been chasing tornadoes since 1999 and these are my top ten best tornado videos. For licensing HD or 4K tornado footage contact [email protected] Tornado Sound: The roar of a tornado sounds different depending on it's size, how close you are and what the tornado is striking. Ones I've heard over open fields often sound like powerful waterfalls. The bigger the tornado, the louder and deeper the rumble. Ones moving through trees get louder and can sound more like a jet engine. In town, where there are lots of homes and buildings an approaching tornado might sound like a freight train with the clickity-clack noises of airborne missiles and heavy debris slamming into your neighbors homes. #10 on this countdown was an extremely close, stationary tornado twirling 50 yards in front of my vehicle. #9 The El Reno Oklahoma on May 31, 2013 was the widest tornado ever recorded. Mobile doppler recorded 295 mph winds just above the surface as this tornado grew to a record breaking 2.6 miles wide. The tornado occurred over mostly rural farm. Because the most powerful winds did not strike any anchored structures, this tornado only received an EF3 rating. #8 was a beautiful, white, shape-shifting EF4 tornado descending from a tight, high base near Alpena South Dakota on June 18, 2014. #7 and # 6 belong to the Pilger Nebraska twin tornadoes that touched down on June 16, 2014. Two tornadoes on the ground at the same time isn't common, however two almost identical powerful EF4's in close proximity is extremely rare. # 5 occurred in Cedar County Nebraska on June 17, 2014. This violent tornado occurred over mostly open farm land and received a underrated EF3. #4 touched down just south of Dodge City Kansas as two mesocyclones buckled into each other like gears. This storm was a long lived cyclic supercell responsible for dropping a dozen or more tornadoes on May 24, 2016. For most of this tornadoes life, it shared the stage with another nearby tornado and at one point three tornadoes were on the ground at the same time. #3 was a long lived, extremely violent tornado touching down near Chapman Kansas or Abilene Kansas on May 25, 2016. For ninety minutes this finely tuned machine was on the ground. Unbelievably, this breath taking EF4 did not claim any lives. #2... If ever a thing haunts your dreams, It might resemble the remorseless Katie-Wynnewood Oklahoma tornado of May 9, 2016. In seconds this EF4 ripped entire roof off its walls and tossed its fragments a hundred meters into the air. The rest of the house demolished. Trees hovers above the ground while roof trusses and 2x4's whirl around the tornado like feathers and a man looses his life. #1 takes us back south of Dodge City to that unprecedented day, May 24th, 2016. At least a dozen tornadoes touched down, but the first one was the ultimate beautiful tornado. For approximately 30 minutes this slow moving, perfect beauty presented the tornado of a lifetime up close! Well lit excellent conditions, with good roads provided a dream come true scenario for even the most dedicated veteran chasers. Music by Pecos Hank & Southern Backtones "Little Ghost" Southern Backtones "Lanugo" Southern Backtones

Several species of spectacular butterflies flying and courting in full HD slow motion at the Cockrell Butterfly Museum in Houston. For licensing contact [email protected] The Houston Museum of Natural Science and the spectacular Cockrell Butterfly Museum is home to dozens of incredible butterflies of all sizes and vibrant colors. This Slow motion HD video captures their beauty as they gallop through the air in 240 to 480 frames per second. Music: Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia (aka Moonlight Sonata) Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Performed by Pecos Hank on the vibes piano.

Incredible destructive tornado caught on 4K video with an entire flying roof, hovering trees, whirling 2x4's, clear loud sound of a tornado and leveled houses in extreme detail. This is the story of the May 9th, 2016 Katie-Wynnewood & Sulphur Oklahoma tornadoes. For licensing contact [email protected] In less than one hour a cumulus cluster would explode into a powerful supercell producing tornadoes with enough power to suck the roof off a house and toss its fragments a hundred meters. The Katie - Wynnewood Oklahoma Tornado The first tornado passed inside a mile to my south ripping up trees and striking a house. The tornado sound was a loud gushing waterfall sound and clearly audible. The house didn't sustain a direct hit, yet the entire roof was sucked off its walls and lifted into the tornado, then ripped apart as the bulk of the matter was tossed an estimated 100 meters. The rest of the house was demolished earning this tornado an EF4 rating. A tree hovered above the ground, roof trusses and 8 foot long 2x4's were whirling around the tornado like feathers. Only one fatality was reported with this tornado. The Sulphur Oklahoma Tornado: Not long after the first tornado dissipated, a second was born. This one a mile wide beast! It would cause major damage to many homes leaving only interior walls standing. A few unanchored homes, mobile homes and outbuildings would be completely leveled or swept away. A large metal storage garage would be swept away and the vehicles INSIDE it thrown up to 280 yards. (over 250 meters) RaXPol mobile radar recorded winds over 200 MPH over an open field, indicating that this tornado was likely capable of producing EF5 damage. A young man would take shelter in his home's most interior room while his entire house around him was violently demolished. Only the two walls and toilet he is clinging to would remain. He will walk away without a scratch. Tornado Preparation: In the event of a tornado warning, get to the lowest level of a sturdy structure and put as many walls between you and the outside chaos as possible... a bathroom or a closet... whatever is in the center of the home away from windows. There are no guarantees when it comes to tornado safety, but in most cases, this advice works! If you live on the top floor of a small apartment and don't really have a center room, strike up a friendly conversation with your neighbors on the lowest level and discuss a shelter scenario plan with them. THE FORECAST: Three days prior to May 9, 2016 the Storm Prediction caught wind of the potential for tornadoes in Eastern Oklahoma and on the morning of May 9, hatched a 10% chance of tornadoes later upgraded with a chance of significant or powerful tornadoes EF2 and above. At 2:30PM a tornado watch was issued and at 3:09PM an isolated cluster of cumulus clouds were evident on satellite imagery with precipitation revealed on radar. Around 3:39 the NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning and by 4:08 a tornado warning was issued while a tornado was already in progress. Right out of the gate this storm was producing. Music by Hank Schyma & Southern Backtones

4K UHD Time Lapse of the most beautiful storms from the 2016 storm season. Incredible supercell structure, explosive storm updrafts, rotating mesocyclones and unbelievably beautiful lightning storms. For licensing 4K storm footage contact [email protected]

Hanging with friendly wild animals and rescuing them from danger. Raccoons, turtles, ducks, snakes, spiders, scorpions, catfish and many, many others. Fascinating wild animals are always sitting in the road and I take advantage of the opportunity to admire them and then escort them out of harms way. Crowded big city life can sometimes be overwhelming so when I found this ornate box turtle trying to commit suicide on the interstate I decided to take her into the country in hopes to rekindle her flare for life. After an afternoon of animal watching, Our little box turtle went charging into her new wilderness life with a belly full of pineapple. Our next wild animal friendship was made in a trash can rescue. After a raccoon outsmarted some park rangers by sneaking into a trash bin, he couldn't get out. We rescued the raccoon and he ran into the woods with a belly full of yummies. TIGER SALAMANDER POISON A fat tiger salamander practically passed out on the highway after gorging himself on insects and frogs brought by recent rains. If you handle a tiger salamander, don't make the same mistake I did and rub your eyes. Rinse your hands afterward and you'll spare yourself a lot of pain. Tiger salamanders have a slimy poison the can secrete when feeling threatened. I've handled hundreds of tiger salamanders and only once did one defend itself in this manner against me. After rubbing my ears, a strong burning followed. After flushing my eyes with cold water, the pain finally subsided after about 5 hours. No harm to my vision occurred. GEESE AND CATFISH Everyone loves cereal and Canadian geese are no exception. When the catfish caught wind we were having oatmeal squares, they came and crashed the party. I'm starting to hypothesize that it was oatmeal squares that jump started evolution by enticing fish to crawl up on land. TURKEY FAMILY STORY: One Colorado evening I parked on the side of the road to take photos of peculiar turkey family. Usually wild Turkeys BOLT at the sight of people but this Tom, his 3 hens and dozen chicks kept hanging around in the road starring at me... They seemed confused and I was worried for their safety. There was a tall game fence running the length of the road and I eventually realized, I was blocking the one entrance through it. After I moved my car, the family bolted through the gate I was parked in front of... and vanished into the wilderness. SWEET SNAKES After a lifetime of chatting with wild snakes I've learned how to sweet talk them outa defensive biting... most of em anyway. Only once in a blue moon do I come across one that's immune to my charms. In this video is Central Plains milk snake, Trans-Pecos rat snake, blotched water snakes and a couple western diamondback rattlesnakes. CREEPY BUGS / CREEPY ANIMALS I've always thought it was strange... that the animals deemed the creepiest are often the most friendly and tolerable to being handled. Try handling a wild furry bunny rabbit or a cute wild raccoon like I'm handling this wild tarantula and giant desert hairy scorpion. You people that are afraid of spiders, scorpions snakes and what not don't know the sweetness you're missing. ANIMAL RELATED FATALITIES IN USA I suppose it makes complete logical sense that some people have a terrible fear of something that has the potential to kill them, Right? I mean Check out how many Americans die each year from... - scorpions - less than 1 - snakes less than 6 - spiders less than 7 - Cows less than 21 - Dogs less than 30 - or Cars & Motorcycles - more than 35,000 Better keep an eye on your car to make sure your neighbor isn't chopping it up with his shovel. Even though it's extremely unlikely that you'll die in the USA from snake envenomation, you should never handle them unless you're a pro.

4K video of some of the best supercell storm structure of the year, several tornadoes, Intense cloud to ground lightning and beautiful mammatus clouds produced by this beautiful thunderstorm near Leoti Kansas on May 21, 2016. For licensing 4K video contact [email protected] Early in the period on this day forecasts suggested a mainly multicellular event with a small chance of supercells and for a couple hours during the late afternoon, small cells struggled to develop. At 6:35 the struggling cells congealed into a messy multicell storm cluster with two organized rotating updrafts and like most of these scenarios, the tail end updraft strengthened and dominated. After a couple tornadoes an ITENSE barrage of cloud to ground lightning strikes ensued. During waves of peak activity, lightning was striking the ground about every 2 to 3 seconds. At one point it appeared there was a large powerful tornado developing but upon closer inspection you'll see that the thick gray mass touching the ground was a burst of rain falling through the mesocyclone rather than a column surging upward. Still, rotating winds sculpted this rain shaft into a wedge shape suggesting that what we were witnessing might have been a tornado by definition, but rather a nebulous weak one. And then the headliner took the stage! Unreal scyfy structure and a beautiful greenish hue presented an epic wind sculpted masterpiece. The supercell motion was almost stationary and the hovering mesocyclone resembled an alien mothership UFO. During this time another brief tornado touched down. I remember chatting with a Western Kansas farmer one May afternoon and warned him there was a storm heading his way capable of producing tornadoes. He responded I'll take ten of em... The odds of a tornado striking one's home is extremely small even in Western Kansas. A much more rational threat to a farmer is drought. Blue skies yield a dark cloud of worry over farmers for a drought induced crop failure can economically ruin a hard working family. Locals near Leoti Kansas got their rain and as the sun set, they were treated to a magic hour encore of color followed by a psychedelic lightning show. In all, 3 small brief tornadoes were witnessed and no destruction. Music by Pecos Hank Subscribe tag song: "Angel's Serenade" by Southern Backtones

All new epic close lightning strikes in slow motion high definition up to 2000 fps / 64x's slower with anvil crawler lightning and the birth of several bolts as step leaders slowly march toward the ground. For licensing contact [email protected] This best of lightning video compilation was all shot in the Spring storm season of 2016. Several slow motion frame rates were used from 250-500 frames per second (fps) in full HD to 2000 fps. In order to increase chances of catching close lightning strikes on camera a wide angle lens (18mm) was used. The closest strikes are inside 100 feet however the wide angle lens makes them appear slightly farther away. The slow motion video really capture the chaotic nature of lightning. The flickering branches and step leaders occur in milliseconds but when slowed down to 2000 fps their secrets are revealed. My favorite and closest lightning strike occurs toward the right side of the frame. An extremely close lightning bolt crashed into the ground spewing fire and as the lightning channel begins to cool it breaks up into glowing balls of fire. This is the rarest and best example of bead lightning or chain lightning I've ever seen! When the charge difference between the thunderstorm and the ground are strong enough, a step leader begins to blindly branch toward the ground or in some cases seen here curve back up into the storm. This is the insulating capacity of the air breaking down as the negative charge starts moving downward. The instant this dim branching step leader makes contact with the ground (or upward streamer), a massive electrostatic discharge we know as lightning occurs. Watch the 2000 fps section of this video and you can see this millisecond phenomenon happening. The step leader has paved the way for successive return strokes to occur and several other discharges can occur through the channel. We see this as a flickering channel. In all the negative lightning observed in this video, there were on average 4-5 strokes, however strikes had up to 20 strokes evident in the isolated thunderstorm in this video in the blue sky. MUSIC: "Angel's Serenade" by Southern Backtones

Traveling Thailand's secluded beaches and most beautiful scenery while avoiding the party crowds and popular tourism. Comfortable and affordable resorts and bungalows with wildlife heaven! This is our quest for the perfect dream vacation in Thailand. We had two weeks to spend traveling Thailand. She was seeking crystal clear waters, and beautiful resorts on secluded beaches. I was there to rough it in the jungles and see the wildlife... The elephants, monkeys, lizards and snakes! We were both there for the food, to spend as little money as possible and to avoid the party crowds at all costs. KHAO SOK: Our first stop was Khao Sok National Park. We boated with a small tour to the isolated floating bungalows. The beauty of Khao Sok is unlike anything I've ever seen... Like something out of the movie Avatar. Incredible white limestone cliffs dripping with stalactites into fresh blue green water. You can choose between several different bungalow styles ranging from primitive to modern. We chose modern only because it was the high season and we found a great deal with the Smiley Bungalows. The bungalows are extremely relaxing with a comfortable mattress and electricity. There were no mosquitoes and the staff was awesome! KOH LANTA: At the southern tip of the island is La Laanta Hideaway resort. Cozy climate controlled bungalows with running water, clean restrooms, room service and a swimming pool 30 feet from the secluded beach. I personally loved the Tokay Geckos clinging to the outside walls. Departing from La Laanta are several other island tours. We choose the one that had the least tourists and best snorkeling, Koh Rok. KOH ROK Empty beach paradise and crystal clear water. In shallow corral reefs uncountable species of colorful fish, clown fish, parrot fish, puffers, damsels, you name it. The highlight was an 8 foot long green moray eel. If you like snorkeling, you'll love Koh Rok. RIVER COTTAGES: Next we abandoned the finer luxuries to bask in the basics. The River Cottages near Khao Sok was my favorite place we traveled. Keep in mind I'm a reptile and wildlife freak and this place had them. I had to really scour the surrounding area though to find them. Good food, no mosquitoes and a great staff while we were there in December. PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: Next we traveled to a secluded beach resort at the Sunshine Paradise Resort. We arrived late so checked into a cheap $15 room that was better than any $60 room in the US, then the next morning checked into a $45 room that was better than any $200 room back home. Not to mention it was on a private beach. The nearby temple is great place to set aside your irrational fears and live in the now. High above a peaceful ocean are several scenic overlooks of fairy tale backdrops. KAI YAI: Just outside Khao Yai National Park we found an elephant ride tour where you trek through jungle trails and streams. At one point the elephant tamer hopped off and let my wife and I ride the elephant by ourselves. After the trail ride you feed the elephants cucumbers. This was a magical experience for a Texan. Just a few hours drive from Bangkok is Kai Yai National Park. Scenery, waterfalls, wildlife and monkeys were the highlights of our afternoon. Thailand travel suggestions: Coming from America we were advised to get several vaccinations and to not drink the Thai water. My wife, mother and I did not get any vaccinations and I drank the water freely as well as ate the street food on a daily basis. I never got sick but i did get a little queezy after drinking half the ocean through my nose due to a snorkel mask issue.

Twin tornadoes heading into the Dodge City Kansas area while tornado warning sirens blare on May 24, 2016. This is Part 3 in a three part series documenting this extraordinary tornado outbreak. Over a dozen tornadoes including 2 EF3's and one EF2 touched down near Dodge City. No fatalities occurred and two victims with critical injuries were eventually released from the hospital. To license tornado video in 4K contact [email protected] The average tornado victim doesn't follow radar apps and forecast tools all day, rather they are going about their daily business when tornado warnings are issued. Most people seek shelter and then information but some take to the streets disoriented, desperate to check on loved ones and property. Others take to the streets to assist, spot and report, while others try to catch their glimpse of the rare phenomenon occurring. Near tornadoes, drivers eyes are often drawn to the sky in search of danger rather than focusing on traffic. This makes chasing tornadoes through populated areas extra dangerous! MASS STORM CHASER CONVERGENCE SET-UP! The last two weeks of May attract more storm chasers to the Plains then any other time to coincide with the annual mean peak tornado frequency. Sight seers from all over the world flock to storms here (and spend a lot of money) hoping to witness a tornado spectacle. On May 24th, the Storm Prediction Center hatched a 10% chance of tornadoes with the possibility for significant tornadoes in a relatively small bullseye in southwest Kansas. Just after 5 PM this day, an isolated storm exploded inside this bullseye and soon after went tornado warned. Hoards of sight seers and storm chasers new exactly where to be. A slow moving cyclic supercell spawned a dozen highly visible tornadoes attracting more and more people by the second. Passers by, sight seers, locals, storm chasers and all their grandmas were pointing cameras at the awesome spectacle. I'd like to point out that twice during this chase I ran into traffic. The first jam was created on a backroad as a local Sheriff was blocking hungry storm chasers from getting their close ups in order to maintain order and rely information. The second bought with traffic was heading north on highway 283 into Dodge City. Hundreds of storm watchers had all pulled their vehicles well off the road but two truck drivers in semis were slowly creeping along watching the tornadoes while driving instead of pulling over. Once I passed them, the streets were clear. At 6:30 PM a tornado emergency was declared for Dodge City area. Just west of Dodge City, power was knocked out as tornadoes snapped trees and damaged power lines. A tractor trailer was overturned blocking a highway and several homes and structures were destroyed. A home in Ensign was destroyed and a victim with critical injuries had to be extracted. Officials confirmed 9 structures damaged in the EF3 that came w/in a few miles of hitting Dodge. Several homes and buildings were destroyed in the Dodge City area, although Dodge City was spared. A large propane tank was leaking gas and a stock trailer was blown nearly 3 miles according to local reports. An oil take was also blown over. Crews immediately begin searching homes. The orchestra of tornado sirens heard in this video is the actual sound of Dodge City's multiple tornado sirens harmonizing. Music scored by Pecos Hank. All video footage by Pecos Hank. 3 cameras documented this event in this video. One 4K camera and two HD cameras. The subscribe tag song at the very end is "Angel's Serenade" by Southern Backtones.

Epic tornado outbreak video in 4K with several twins and even triplets touching down near Dodge City Kansas on May 24, 2016. To license video contact [email protected] On May 24th, 2016 a phenomenal tornado was born south of Dodge City Kansas and morphed through many dramatic shapes. But this tornado was only the first born of a family of a dozen tornadoes. Slow moving incredible tornadoes, often two and even three on the ground at the same time were battling for dominance as they tracked closer and closer to Dodge City. Several homes were damaged earning a couple tornadoes EF3 ratings, however most of the tornadoes tracked just west of the heavier populated areas of Dodge City. No fatalities were reported, however two critical injuries were. A tornado family is a series of tornadoes spawned by the same supercell thunderstorm" CYCLONIC STORM ROTATION EXPLANATION: Storm rotations that spin counter-clockwise in the Northern hemisphere are said to be cyclonic. This motion is due to the earth's rotation setting up a force called the Coriolis force that pulls the winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. So when a low pressure starts to form north of the equator, the surface winds will flow inward trying to fill in the low and will be deflected to the right and a counter-clockwise rotation will be initiated. The opposite, a deflection to the left and a clockwise rotation, will occur south of the equator. Sometimes mesoscale features can force rotations going "the other way." These are said to be anticyclonic and are less common. So a tornado spinning clockwise in the Northern hemisphere is an anticyclonic tornado. CYCLIC SUPERCELL EXPLANATION: The first tornado of this family was choked to death by a newly formed competing rotating updraft on the east side of the storm. This new rotation is feeding off of unimpeded warm unstable air to the southeast while choking its sister with its cold downdraft. When this phenomenon occurs, we label the storm as a cyclic supercell. A cyclic supercell may cycle like this several times, with a new circulation forming and choking off the older downstream circulation. But this cyclic supercell had a surprise... The newborn rotation appeared to split into two mesocyclones. At first I thought the Eastern rotation was anticyclonic due to the clockwise rotation but upon closer inspection you can see the wall cloud underneath it is spinning counter-clockwise or cyclonic. This leads me to believe that the anticyclonic rotation or clockwise rotation is RFD curl being fed back into the updraft of the western rotation. This is the first time I've observed an RFD curl in such a symmetric, close proximity to a tornado. A result of these splitting rotations was three tornadoes on the ground at once. SYSTEM WEATHER CONDITIONS: Extreme instability was in place east and southeast of a low centered over the western Kansas / eastern Colorado border. Near a dry line and outflow boundary triple point, strong heating, ML CAPE from 2500-3000 j/kg, dew points near 70 degrees F and very steep mid-level lapse rates set the stage for splitting supercells with significant tornadoes.

Unbelievable swirling clouds appear to be fertilized by a tornado. This violent, long track tornado packed EF3 tornado force winds over open Kansas country southwest of Dodge City on May 24, 2016. The incredible twister took on many dramatic shapes during its 32 minute life span and destroyed a home near Ensign Kansas. For licensing 4K footage contact [email protected] At 5:09 PM, GOES revealed an exploding thunderstorm initiating near Minneola Kansas. By 5:21, NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning for this storm and by 5:24 a tornado warning. At about 5:53 the tornado touched down and tracked over mostly open farm land as it grew into a photogenic monster stove pipe with a max path width of approximately 300 yards / 274 meters. As the path of the tornado curved to the northwest toward Ensign, the tornado began to reveal its strength spewing dirt and crops high into the atmosphere and toward the end of it's life, hit a structure verifying EF3 force winds. You can see debris from this structure whirling around the tornado. After 32 minutes on the ground, the tornado roped out at 6:25PM. Two people were critically injured from this tornado outbreak but no fatalities have been reported. This was only the first tornado of 12 that I witnessed during this unprecedented tornado producing cyclic supercell. Several clutches of twin tornadoes and at one occasion 3 tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously under the storm. You can see these tornadoes in Part 2 of this youtube series. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Extreme instability was in place east and southeast of a low centered over the Western Kansas and Colorado border. Near a dry line and outflow boundary triple point, strong heating, ML CAPE from 2500-3000 j/kg, dew points near 70 degrees F and very steep mid-level lapse rates set the stage for splitting supercells with significant tornadoes.

Intense, long-track, EF4 tornado between Bennington and Chapman Kansas on May 25, 2016 was on the ground for 90 minutes. I managed several close encounters with this sun lit tornado during it's life including one that was a little too close for comfort. Watch tornado video in 4K. for licensing contact [email protected] Earlier this afternoon strong instability under a stout cap set the stage for a couple isolated supercell thunderstorms somewhere in Central Kansas and by 5:30pm a storm was initiating near Salina Kansas. By 5:48 the National Weather service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for this explosive thunderstorm and at 6:30 I witnessed a long white funnel cloud under a low precipitation base. The storm took a breather for the next 45 minutes or so before suddenly dropping a large cone tornado South of Bennington Kansas in a relatively unpopulated area along the Solomon River. The tornado grew violent immediately and maintained incredible wind speeds for up to 90 minutes. I was able to position close to this monster for a good portion of it's life and witnessed hellish scenes. Sunsetting light splashing into a debris cloud of whirling plants, dust and structure objects reached a half mile away from the powerhouse condensation funnel in all directions while turbulence waves of crops rocked like an angry sea. This tornado received an EF4 rating by the NWS. Storm Chaser Brandon Clement also witnessed the tornado and afterward, walked the damage path to document the damage. He reported the worse vehicle damage he's ever witnessed with full sized HD pickups reduced to mangled frames and pieces spread for miles. "A Freightliner semi was reduced to frame and wheels. 50k pound tractors were pushed across the ground, 30k pound bulldozer was rolled, railroad tracks were bent and moved. Large trees were uprooted, thrown and some found laying out in the middle of pastures hundreds of yards away." Brandon also reported that this tornado was rated EF4 because it didn't hit any well built structures with anchor bolts. If this tornado had there is no doubt in his or my mind this tornado would have received an EF5. The EF rating scale is a based on damage so if a tornado with winds over 200 mph (EF5 speeds) doesn't hit any structures, then it doesn't receive that rating. Regardless of the rating, 25 homes were damaged or destroyed and remarkably no lives were lost.

Violent mile wide tornado witnessed up close. This is the second tornado I intercepted May 9, 2016 near Sulphur Oklahoma. Available in 4K. For licensing contact [email protected] I've witnessed Numerous EF4's and one EF5 not including the downgraded El Reno 2013 tornado. I can't ever recall seeing mesocyclone motion this extreme. It looked like the end of the world scene in a movie. If this tornado hit a structure dead on it will likely get an EF5 rating, however this tornado traveled mostly through unpopulated area... Thanks heavens! I'm not sure if this tornado had any fatalities, however one structure I witnessed was leveled minus the chimney. Large hail up to eggs were noted with this storm. More info soon... UPDATE: No fatalities were reported with this tornado, only a few injuries. This storm impacted relatively few structures and only earned an EF3 rating as it curved a mile wide path through open country. The dramatic Katie-Wynnewood Oklahoma tornado prior to this one unfortunately killed a man in his home. This tornado tore the roof clean off the house before flinging it a hundred feet in the air into pieces. You can see that video in slow motion here... TORNADO TEARS APART HOUSE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glAKoJzlqPM

Deadly EF4 tornado tears roof off a house with classic tornado sound. This violent tornado was on the ground near Wynnewood Oklahoma on May 9, 2016. To license HD or 4K UHD tornado video contact [email protected] To watch tornado tear apart house and toss roof in slow motion click link... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acgduoio7-I SPC CLAIRVOYANCE: The Storm Prediction Center nailed this forecast calling for possible significant tornadoes in Southern Oklahoma and along the Red River in North Texas this afternoon. Storms were predicted to initiate "on the I35 corridor" and under a blue sky, a tornado watch was issued over the dry line. At 3PM a lone blip cumulus tower appeared on GOES satellite imagery right on target and by 3:38 had already matured into a severe warned storm over I35. At around 4pm a non-tornado warned storm dropped a tornado. In less than an hour this storm transitioned from a puffy white cloud into an explosive tornadic supercell! A tornado warning was issued shortly after by 4:07pm but a man was killed in his home. DIFFICULT CHASE TERRAIN: Windy roads, hills and thick forests East of I35 make it very difficult to see and follow storms especially when they're cruising at over 50 knots as the crow flies. I was expecting fast cell motion and took advantage of an overlook to video the tornado. The cell motion was relatively slow at first. For about 10 minutes this dramatic tornado was ripping apart trees a quarter mile away from my perch. When the tornado crossed Indian Meridian Road, house and structure debris began to fly. You can see a house roof being lifted completely off the house before being tossed at a 40 degree angle into the air and obliterated a hundred feet off the ground and a large tree hovering above the ground for several seconds. THE AFTERBURNER: After the first tornado roped out, the storm cell hit the accelerator and began to process it's finale. Poor road networks forced me to do a highly dangerous chase maneuver called a hook slice where you drive through a blinding rear flank downdraft to view the beast. The motion of the mesocyclone was ridiculously fast in an End-of-the-world scene. Luckily this tornado traveled through mostly open country and earned a preliminary EF3 rating by the NWS. Unfortunately two people were killed in this tornado outbreak on May 9, 2016 but I was expecting way more carnage. Below is a link to the second mile wide tornado video... END OF THE WORLD TORNADO (Up Close) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZEKh7jeASo

These several tornadoes carouselling in a strange dance are actually one tornado. Suction vortices inside suction vortices made for a bizarre spectacle on April 15, 2016 near Ava Oklahoma or Elkhart Kansas. for licensing contact [email protected] 2018 CALENDAR https://www.dropbox.com/s/ns8hp7ln8bdvzw9/2018%20Pecos%20Hank%20Storm%20Calendar%2016x24.jpg?dl=0

Deep in an east Texas swamp a 300 pound creature ambushes in large alligator from underneath. What swamp creature could bully an 8 foot alligator? For licensing contact [email protected] The alligator snapping turtle is one of the heaviest fresh water turtles in the world. Bolt cutter shaped jaws mounted on a boulder of a skull suggest you need to keep your hands and fingers at a distance. This alligator snapping turtle is estimated to be about 150 years old and around 300 lbs. Raphael as the locals call him has been head honcho here below the restaurant since the 1980's and was probably likely sharing the planet with Charles Darwin, Ulysses S Grant and Billy the kid. Alligator snapping turtles almost never come out of the water and are extremely shy. If you see a snapper, the odds are its the Common Snapping turtle, a much much smaller animal.

Tornado video about deviant tornadoes, unpredictable traps, and the BARRAGE of deadly hazards awaiting storm chasers. Capturing extreme video of tornadoes up close comes at the ultimate risk! For licensing contact [email protected] The first tornado highlighted in this video is a deviant tornado tracking backwards. After tailing the parent supercell northeast for an hour, It was surprising to see it's tornado tracking the opposite direction, southwest. Tornadoes can be deceptive and unpredictable. They intensify, grow, morph and deviate any direction and at close range there is almost no time to react, adjust and escape when the unexpected occurs. I've witnessed tornadoes turn hard right, bank left, do U-turns, suddenly accelerate and go in reverse. Besides evading erratic twists, storm chasers have to anticipate unforeseeable escape route entrapment. Maps may give you confidence that a maintained road will carry you to safety, but they fail to inform when a stalled 100 coach train is blocking your retreat, or when the bridge is out. Maps don't show fallen trees, flooded roads, or eroded pot holes. Out here county roads often change from a sturdy gravel base to slippery mud impossible to drive on and often the maps are flat out wrong. Other hazards storm chasers need to consider are hail, lightning, RFD's, downbursts, and inflow jets but many chasers agree the most dangerous aspect of chasing are the many hours of commuting. TORNADO FATALITIES in USA last 25 years (1991 - 2015) In the last 25 years, Kansas has had only 57 tornado related fatalities. Texas has had only 93 deaths. Mississippi 112, Arkansas 121, Oklahoma 131, Tennessee has had 175 tornado related deaths, Missouri has had 243 and Alabama leads this stat with 380... Almost triple the tornado deaths of Oklahoma. MUSIC: "They'll Never Come Between Our Love" by Southern Backtones "Prelude in C-sharp minor" written by Sergei Rachmaninoff / performed by Hank Schyma "March of the Serpents" by Pecos Hank Other scores by Hank Schyma and Dan Workman

Music video of Pecos Hank and band performing at the Continental Club. Music and lyrics by Pecos Hank. "La Malediction de la Dance du Poulet" or "Curse of the Chicken Dance" is the second song on the new Pecos Hank record, El Reno Blues. This song was inspired by Epiphany Proudfoot from the Faustian 1987 horror mystery film "Angel Heart" starring Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, and Lisa Bonet. FRENCH LYRICS..........................ENGLISH TRANSLATION: Le cœur de la forêt......................The heart of the forest. résonne dans le marais...............Echoes in the swamp. la belle jeune fille voit..................The young beautiful girl sees le poulet de la danse...................The Chicken of the Dance Le cœur de la forêt.......................The heart of the forest. résonne dans le marais................Echoes in the swamp. et le poulet voit.............................And the chicken sees Le rasoir de la danse....................The razor of the dance elle n'a jamais vu...........................She never saw la déception...................................The deception la malédiction................................The Curse de la danse du poulet)..................Of the chicken dance cercle dans le sang .......................Circle in the blood charmes de l'étoile filante .............Charms of a falling star la mort coule rouge........................The death pours red sur la belle jeune fille......................On the beautiful young girl cercle dans le sang ........................Circle in the blood charmes de l'étoile filante ..............Charms of a falling star et le diable trouve............................and the devil finds la reine des damnés.........................The queen of the damned The girl so lost in love Was blinded by his charms A dark unworldly lust Slithered in her heart Too touch his Earthly hand She howled an ancient chant cercle dans le sang .....................Circle in the blood charmes de l'étoile filante ...........Charms of a falling star Musicians: Jo Bird on viola Todd Sommer on Drums Dean Catania on upright bass Hank Schyma on guitar and vocals with special appearances by Craig Kinsey, John Evans, Chris Goodwin and Glen Danzig.

Unreal lightning from supercell thunderstorms in Tornado Alley! Supercells are known most for their ability to produce violent tornadoes and beautiful cloud structures. This time lapse video highlights the frequent lightning that often accompanies them. Here are my best lightning storm time lapses shot over the last 2 years from South Texas to South Dakota. Storm video available in 4K. To license footage contact [email protected] Music: "Glamorous Adagio" by Southern Backtones

A glow-in-the-dark tornado explodes a gas tank as it reaches EF3 status. One of four tornadoes intercepted in a rare November tornado outbreak in Texas. Also, witnessing an EF5 in 2011 and the widest tornado ever recorded in 2013 will give you the El Reno Blues. National Geographic's new show "Inside the Mega Twister" and The Weather Channel's "Strangest Weather on Earth" series PLUS The Last Witch Hunter starring Vin Diesel, Michael Caine, and Elijah Wood all have one thing in common... Storm footage from Pecos Hank. On November 16th, I witnessed four tornadoes, two of which earned EF3 ratings as they terrorized Pampa and Miami Texas at night! As you can imagine tornadoes at night are extra dangerous and extra creepy, especially when the tornadoes are cruising at 50 mph over an area with little or no escape routes. There were no city lights, no moon light, just deadly tornadoes somewhere in that blackness. Occasional lightning, power flashes and gas explosions were all you had to visually track these monsters. These tornadoes occurred mostly over open country causing very little damage and zero fatalities. The lightning enabled me to snag some beautiful photos during this November outbreak and an exploding gas tank made a tornado glow in the dark just long enough for me to snap a picture. In the Weather Channel series "Strangest Weather on Earth" i'm discussing my Spider lightning captures, The Day of the Pilger Twin Tornadoes, and branchless lightning. My lightning captures are also in the new movie "The Last Witch Hunter." The special effects are off the charts and I'm super stoked to have been the storm consultant on this film. El Reno Oklahoma has been a significant town in my life. In 2011 I witnessed my first EF5 there. This 3/4 mile wide rain wrapped tornado leveled houses, tossed cars hundreds of yards and killed 9 people. One house had the garage ripped away but left the car sitting there..Two people, several dogs, a kitten and a duck all rode out the storm in one house and survived. Two years later I witnessed the widest tornado ever recorded near that same spot. This El Reno tornado grew to 2.6 miles wide (4.2 km) and would kill 8 people including four storm chasers. It would also injure 151 people. National Geographic has a new show Airing in December that dissects this well documented tornado. I'm honored that my footage is included in this televised case study. So keep a look out for "Inside the Mega Twister" On NatGeo! Free Pecos Hank Download off the record "El Reno Blues" Free Drive Under the Moon Download on CDbaby http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/pecoshank Or try this dropbox link at the bottom of my website page... http://www.pecoshank.com/new-record/

Strange lightning footage compilation with all sorts of bizarre lightning manifestations including bead lightning, ribbon lightning, streamers, anvil crawlers and more. For licensing contact [email protected] Lightning strikes from storm clouds down to the ground. It also strikes up into storms and also out into thin air. Sometimes isolated sparks shoot up out of the ground. Lightning Channels sometimes sail in strong wind and take bizarre, unlikely paths through the sky. This video is about the weird behavior of strange lightning. UPWARD-MOVING LIGHTNING Most of us have seen epic lightning bolts branching from the cloud down to the ground, But have you ever seen lightning bolts branching up? Upward-moving lightning or ground-to-cloud lightning often has a strange smooth and fluid channel. This type of lightning was extremely rare prior to the industrial revolution and is said to have only occurred from mountain peaks. Tall, man-made structures help trigger this discharge and increasing skyscrapers and radio antennas are making this brilliant phenomenon more common. INTRACLOUD LIGHTNING Most lightning discharges occur only in the clouds never striking the earth. This is called intracloud lightning. But sometimes it leaps out into the naked air, and so this phenomenon is called cloud-to-air lightning During a lightning storm It's a good idea not to be the tallest thing standing around. But that doesn't mean you're safe if you're the shortest. Lightning seems to have a physics defying mind of it's own and often takes unlikely, erratic paths before striking a random target. UPWARD STREAMERS Milliseconds before a typical lightning strike, a stepped leader advances from the cloud to the ground. Before reaching the ground a charged ionic channel called an upward streamer reaches up to meet the leader. When they connect a massive electrostatic discharge flashes. During some strikes, multiple upward streamers spark up and only one makes a connection. In rare photographs you can see these lonely upward streamers failing to make a connection. BEAD LIGHTNING After a strike, the main lightning channel begins to cool and sometimes decays into glowing fragments slow enough for the human eye to detect. This string of dots is called bead lightning or chain lightning. RIBBON LIGHTNING: Sometimes lightning photographs have parallel successive flashes or strokes off-set from each other. This is called Ribbon Lightning and occurs when strong winds actually blow the flashing channel through the camera frame. Here's some video of lightning actually sailing in strong wind. LIGHTNING STROKES or FLICKERS We've all seen lightning flicker, but we generally don't see all the flashes or strokes because they happen too fast for the eye to see. Some lightning strikes are said to flash up to 30 times. When you slow video down you can detect more of the flashes, but this video was shot at 30 frames per second and lightning can hide several stokes inside one of those frames. 480 frames per second will give a more accurate stoke count, but again it is possible to have several strokes inside one of those frames. The best way to get an accurate stroke count is with one still frame. Open your shutter on a dark night and pan your camera back and forth. If lightning strikes during a pan, you'll have recorded and separated the strokes. Notice the primary flash is the only one with branches. BALL LIGHTNING Perhaps the strangest manifestation of lightning is Ball Lightning which is said to be a floating luminous ball that can pass through walls. Despite the trillions of selfies shot every second around the globe, There is no solid photographic proof of ball lightning. In fact it's entire existence is based solely off of reported public sightings. I scoured the internet and was only able to find one plausible photograph of ball lightning. Music: "They'll Never Come Between Our Love" by Southern Backtones "Won't Pray Adagio" by Southern Backtones

Tornado documentary featuring several outbreaks in May 2015. More tornadoes touchdown in May than in any other month. This May in the US, tornadoes were reported on 28 days out of the month. Along side the tornadoes was gorgeous lightning, torrential flooding, and powerful straight line winds all cast out of mega storms on a daily basis. If you live anywhere near Tornado Alley you pay extra attention to the weather in May. If you're a storm chaser, you chase! In 2015 i witnessed 20 tornadoes in May. This documentary features those tornadoes as well as behind the scenes peeks of what it's like for a chaser living on the road during this maelstrom of a month. Licensing contact [email protected] MAY 6, 2015 OKLAHOMA TORNADO OUTBREAK May 6th began with multiple funnel clouds slithering in the sky and I was able to capture five tornado touchdowns on video. The main event was a 1.3 mile wide EF3 heading towards Oklahoma City Metro. This tornado effected Bridge Creek destroying several houses. Just prior to entering a more heavily populated area the large tornado suddenly vanished but several other smaller tornadoes would touchdown, some in Oklahoma City including another EF3 tornado later that night. In all, 65 tornadoes were reported throughout Tornado Alley on May 6th. Astonishingly there were no fatalities. MAY 7, 2015 NORTH TEXAS TORNADO The first funnel cloud footage in this video was recorded around 5:38 near Bryson Texas. The main event tornado would touchdown west of Denton Texas and track northeast to near Sanger Texas. This tornado would cause minimal damage earning an EF1 rating. On several occasions the condensation funnel lifted off the ground and dropped again giving the impression that there were many tornadoes however one tornado cyclone was present and weak EF0 winds were noted under the base the entire track from wedge tornado to its rope phase. MAY 8, 2015 THROCKMORTON TEXAS A storm went tornado warned west of Guthrie Texas around 3:43 PM. 20 minutes later I would intercept the outflow dominant supercell and remain with it throughout several uneventful hours. Around 6:40PM the high precipitation supercell storm would interact with a smaller storm and threaten the town of Throckmorton Texas with a tornado warning. A fat hook echo and radar couplet suggested a tornado was on the ground and a large bulge of condensation lowered to the ground where a tornado would have developed, however i had a pretty good view of these features and could not confirm it was an actual tornado. MAY 9, 2015 KANSAS After blue skies all day, my target area finally started producing thunderstorms to my north at sunset. Tornado warnings were issued and when I arrived at the scene a long beautiful tornado was already in progress. Wet, soupy back roads prevented me from making any real ground on this tornado. This would be the theme of the evening until I finally got stuck in the mud. Tornadoes were dropping everywhere it seemed from at least two alternating mesocyclones under this supercell and within one hour I was able to discern 7 separate tornado touchdowns. The next couple hours lacked the lightning and roads to make clear observations but there was a tornado tracking on and off for many miles. Every now and then I'd see a tornado but because of the poor visibility I'm lumping them all into one. At least 8 solid tornadoes were intercepted on a night that Dick McGowan would call a tornado-palooza. Several other tornadoes touched down throughout the Plains and 1 fatality was reported in Texas. MAY 10, IOWA Another day of multiple tornadoes. The first of the 3 tornadoes I witnessed would tear the roof off a school with 100 people sheltering inside. No injuries or fatalities were reported with these tornadoes. This outbreak would stretch down south into Arkansas were 2 tornado related deaths would occur and another 2 fatalities in Texas. SUMMARY In the five day tornado outbreak between May 6 and May 10, 2015 I was able to witness and confirm 17 tornadoes and several large funnel clouds that might have been tornadoes. None of the tornadoes I witnessed would kill anybody and I only witnessed 1 house with Ef2 damage. This made for a very fun and light-hearted chase week hence the goofiness in this video. Thanks for watching! Hank

Incredibly colorful supercell time lapse with a white rope tornado, brilliant double rainbow and intense lightning activity as this storm journeys through the magic hour lighting. To license footage contact [email protected] ..... This video is composed of over 5000 still images animated to create a time lapse. Several events of isolated thunderstorm activity are used to tell the story of a single thunderstorm and associated phenomenon. All storms were photographed between April 1st and July 1st of 2015 in tornado Alley except the rope tornado footage from 5-17-13. The music "Pillbox" was composed by Pecos Hank Schyma and originally recorded by Southern Backtones and can be purchased online everywhere. The narration is by the multi-talented Bee Xoomsai. Contact her at BeeXoomsai.com - Blue skies soar over an increasingly unstable atmosphere as tornado watch is issued. - An isolated thunderstorm rises high into the atmosphere and precipitation begins to fall. - Sheets of rain reflect, refract and disperse sunlight into the visible color spectrum. - Cloud-to-ground lightning activity increases as the storm begins to rotate. - A tornado warning is issued. Source: Radar indicated rotation. - The mesocyclone lowers from the base of the storm. - A confirmed tornado has been reported. - The explosive updrafts flatten into the ceiling of the troposphere. - At sunset, the isolated thunderstorm creates a dance of light and color. - Decreasing sunlight reveals more and more lightning activity. - Bursts of cloud-to-air lightning reach out into the naked sky - Downstream, mammatus clouds sail underneath the storms anvil. - A full moon emerges from behind the storm clouds - Icy cirrus cloud crystals refract moonlight into a lunar halo. All storm Footage Copyright Hank Schyma 2015 To license 4K storm footage or HD, contact [email protected]

The bull snake hissing, rattling it's tail, striking, and all it's charms in this video of treasures found and released all over the Great Plains. Click link below to go to the WILD SNAKES channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChr1HgRCfcbW4njeZhZzHfQ The bull snake (pituophis catenifer sayi) is a common snake ranging from Southern Canada east of the Rockies, down through the great plains into northern mexico. Most of the adults I find are about 4 or 5 feet long and Some people claim they've seen 8 footers. These guys have a lot of personality and if they feel threatened, put on quite the show. They have the ability to hiss extra loud. They stand up with spring loaded S shaped curves, flatten their heads into a triangles (like many non-venomous snakes do) and vibrate their tails in the weeds. Ignorant people often mistake them for rattlesnakes, chop their heads off and then complain about rodent problems. Despite the dramatic charade, bull snakes usually don't bite... even when they do strike, it's a half-hearted bluff. They often miss you on purpose or just give you a good bonk with their stoat nose. Like most creatures on this planet, the last thing a bull snake wants to do, is throw its face at a creature 50 times its size.

Incredible mile wide tornado causes EF3 damage near Oklahoma City and incredible close footage of a stationary tornado near New Castle. for licensing contact [email protected] MAY 6, 2015 TORNADO OUTBREAK STORY: At 1:25 PM a tornado watch was issued and by 2:50 PM, a small isolated thunderstorm was already producing several funnel clouds 60 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. Powerful positive lightning activity was increasing near a classic merry-go-round base and a tight tornado briefly twisted to the ground. The storm was intensifying and the broader picture revealed a loaded gun scenario with Oklahoma City in its cross heirs. RFD SURGE : SUPERCELL GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER The tornado cyclone circumference was expanding and funnels were writhing inside its curtains like a cage full of snakes The RFD or Rear Flank Downdraft is a key mechanism in the formation of tornadoes in supercells and may include intense wind, rain and hail surging from the backside of the storm. When storm chasers see strong wind and rain recirculating back into a developing tornado, they know it means trouble. In this video a classic scenario of a powerful rear flank downdraft obscures an intensifying tornado in seconds. Unfortunately many people drive through RFD walls of rain only to meet their demise on the other side. Strong RFD's can blow out windows and overturn vehicles. Large tornadoes can and often do change direction so driving through a powerful, blinding Rear flank Downdraft is a highly dangerous gamble even for veteran storm chasers. MILE WIDE EF3 A mile wide tornado causing EF3 damage struck Bridge Creek Oklahoma, a small suburb less than 15 miles from heavily populated Norman. Another unrated tornado developed near New Castle Oklahoma and remained stationary for several minutes before quickly dissipating, then the parent storm moved into Norman. The police were shut down streets and interstates while the city prepared for the worst. NORMAN TRAFFIC A confirmed EF1 tornado damaged west Norman. This storm would drop a couple more weak tornadoes in the Oklahoma City Metro area before transitioning into a high precipitation mess causing flooding. The Bridge Creek EF3 tornado tracked over 10 miles before stalling prior to entering a heavily populated area. Oklahoma City Metro dodged another bullet and could exhale in relief... but not for long... A new tornadic supercell would fire to the southwest and train over the previous storms path. It would enter Oklahoma City after dark and drop a destructive EF3 tornado injuring 12 people.

Extensive footage of giant hail stones and hail storm facts plus the largest hail stone ever officially recorded recreated. Damaging softball sized hail, sideways flying bullet hail and complete summer white outs are a few highlights in this stock hail footage video. For licensing contact [email protected] HAIL FACTS & Interesting information... 1. Hail injures about 24 people per year in the USA 2. The last hail related death occurred in Texas in 2000 after a man got struck in the head and later died of head trauma. 3. On average, hail causes almost a billion dollars of damage to crops each year in the USA 4. Hail storms killed 246 people in India on April 30, 1888 5. The largest hail stone officially measured landed in Vivian South Dakota, July 23rd, 2010... It was eight inches in diameter and weighed almost two pounds. Hail stones crash through windows, they shred trees and crops, pummel live stock, damage roofs, wreak havoc on cars, and everything underneath its wrath. Hail can turn a scorching Summer ground into a winter wonderland in minutes. Sometimes softballs just fall from the sky. Other times strong winds hurl hail stones sideways like bullets. If you're caught away from shelter during a severe hail storm, you've got a problem. If you're a storm chaser, Hail is your nemesis. FORMATION A Hail stone forms as a tiny super cooled water droplet journeys up above the freezing level in some of the most beautiful and dramatic thunderstorms. In an environment conducive of a severe hail storm, this rising air, or updraft is often exploding into lowered freezing levels.This is the factory where hail is made. When the super cooled droplet freezes, the process releases heat which keeps the stones exterior in a sticky liquid phase. As the little stone journeys up and down and through the cloud it captures more snow and water on the surface... Molecules near the inner layer freezes, and the hail stones grows another layer. Hailstones can also grow by colliding and conglomerating with others... One of the reasons they come in such myriad of odd shapes. Upward winds sustain ice pebbles and the longer they hang around up there, the larger they tend to get. Updraft winds rising at say 40 mph, are easily strong enough to sustain hail the size of dimes or quarters... But some intense updrafts blow up over 100 mph. This is where things really start to get freaky. Eventually, the weight of the hail stone overcomes the updraft winds and it falls to Earth, often appearing as bright white curtains. Isolated thunderstorms with hail downdrafts set the stage for the most vibrant rainbows. If the storm matures into a high precipitation monster, the thick hail core often has a breath-taking turquoise glow. And because these storms often occur in the late afternoon through evening when angled yellow sunlight blasts into the hail core, the yellow and blue make green... And that's why people associate green storm clouds with tornadoes. Strong inflow winds that inhale dust can also add a yellowish filter over the blue core. STORM CHASERS and HAIL: The thought of getting trapped under an intense tornadic hail storm can be frightening, but not nearly as terrifying as the thought of having to sit out a day or two replacing glass while your buddies are out bagging photogenic tornadoes. Often the same powerful updrafts that create giant hail, drop tornadoes. These storms are called supercells. These storms do everything they can to detour storm chasers... They cover the road in ice so you cant drive fast... then they cover the roads in wet slippery leaves so you cant drive fast. If that doesn't work, they drop buckets of hail to reduce the air temperature to the dew point causing hail fog... And of course if that doesn't slow you down, they break your windows. Most chasers just avoid the hail cores often revealed on radar with a pink or purple spot. Other chasers would rather sacrifice portions of their view with metal hail guards and shields to block the icy shrapnel. Others have the luxury of thick super heavy duty glass to shoot through.

Incredible lightning bombards the earth as it marches over Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Waves of cloud-to-ground lightning striking in the time lapse video. Available in 4K. Contact [email protected] for licensing. Music: "March of the Serpents" Composed by Pecos Hank featuring Jo Bird on Viola and Todd Sommer on Timpani.

Here's my June update with sneak peek storm footage, animal friends, and a great excuse for slacking. The bulk of the tornado season is over and I'm chomping at the bit to edit all the footage. Hoping to have a new upload every week so stop by and poke around a bit.

Several supercell thunderstorms in Central Texas on April 26, 2015 dropped enormous hail and tornadoes. For licensing contact [email protected] More info... The first tornado producing storm in this video was intercepted near Rising Star and Comanche Texas. A dusty spin-up rose from the dust under a nebulous funnel cloud and lasted about a minute. The second tornado was more powerful and passed about 1/4 behind my car... A little too close for comfort. After, the storm began a weakening trend and I eventually left it for storm number two approaching Stephenville Texas. This storm exhibited strong rotation over the city and the NWS issued a tornado warning, however no reports of a tornado touchdown were reported. After an hour or so, this storm began to weaken and I left it for storm number three near Dublin Texas. A corkscrew updraft gave this storm spectacular structure while warnings of baseball sized hail were issued.

3 tornadoes including one huge wedge tornado were witnessed near Plains Kansas this evening after dark. for licensing contact [email protected] The first tornado was a brief rope tornado southwest of Plains KS. The second was a large wedge just north of town. The tornado dropped north of Plains on the north side of highway 160. Rain wrapped around the tornado obscuring it from view and eventually cleared revealing an elephant trunk rope out. Base velocity revealed an impressive couplet as the tornado moved northeast towards Dodge City. Thick fog set in be we continued to chase hoping that the inflow notch would be clear... It was. The unpaved road grid was too muddy to drive on so we waited for the tornado couplet to cross highway 23 a couple miles to our north. Just prior to crossing the couplet dissipated and it appears the tornado did as well. A couple scans later revealed a new circulation on the east side of 23. Here we were able to get a few glimpses of the third tornado, a large conish elephant trunk. RFD surged in shortly after hiding the tornado. Our chase was over.

At least two tornadoes touched down in Iowa today and tracked across Lake City to Rockwell City to Manson. for licensing contact [email protected]

A beautiful storm drops a freaky nebulous tornado, a mass exodus of turtles fleeing a golf course, and the clear audio of an epic F2. Ride along and smell the smells with Pecos Hank during tornado season 2015. April 16th a cluster of storms occurred in North Texas. One of the dominant supercells dropped a weak tornado just north of Jericho Texas. The following day was when the momentous F2 occurred up close and personal.

Behind the scenes adventures that encompass storm chases. Follow along Pecos Hank on the quest for his 100th tornado! On April 8th 2015, two confirmed tornadoes were intercepted southwest of Medicine Lodge, Kansas. The parent supercell was crossing an area with no roads and the only way for me to get a glimpse of a possible tornado was to park near or in its path. The first tornado was pretty large and perhaps powerful, but brief. The second tornado was a distant cone bowl. At first I could not confirm rotation on the ground, however pictures from veteran chaser Gene Moore confirms this is a second tornado. Numbers 90 and 91 for me. A humongous common snapping turtle was crossing the road in front of a speeding caravan of storm chasers. I used my car as a shield to detour the cars from crushing this turtle and perhaps from the turtle crushing parts of their cars. A bite from a snapping turtle can cause serious pain and damage to hands and digits. They have a long meaty tail that you can safely lift them by to move them off the road, however it is possible to harm the snapper by lifting it this way. I usually clamp on to the back of turtles carapace with my other hand when lifting so that all of turtles weight isn't pulling on its tail or spine. Done right, you can prevent the turtles powerful claws and feet from prying you loose. Other events in this video was a Texas long nosed snake being watched by a barn owl, vivid frequent lightning and flash flooding. Just another day on the road :D

This tornado intercepting Toyota Camry might look like an ordinary car but it's secret modifications make it the most ultimate storm chasing vehicle ever made. I've intercepted multiple tornadoes in the reliable automobile The Tornado intercepting Toyota Camry gets 32 highway mpg. It has an extremely spacious trunk and randomly deployed it's hubcaps into oncoming traffic. I've been chasing storms in this Toyota since 2012 and have complete confidence in it's ability to flick pink marker caps into electric power line towers. The Toyota Camry comes equipped with pliant, economical high-strength sheet metal to protect me from the elements of nature and has an extremely spacious trunk able to contain everything you need to sustain life on the road for several months.

Classic supercell and tornado time lapse video and photography from May 22, 2007 Kansas. Two supercells side by side, the larger southern mesocyclone and a smaller northeastern mesocyclone which would go on to produce a small tornado. For licensing contact [email protected]

A Wheat shark, alligator chase and chigger attack are a few kooky moments captured in this This top 10 countdown video about the bizarre, funny and weird experiences you can't forecast in tornado alley.

Outrunning a dangerous "derecho" caught on camera in York Nebraska on June 3, 2014. A derecho (from Spanish "straight") is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line wind storm that is associated with a land-based, fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms. Derechos can produce widespread hurricane force winds and are sometimes accompanied by tornadoes, large destructive hail and heavy rainfall. To license footage contact [email protected] Meteorological Discussion: Severe thunderstorms with strong downward wind bursts over a sustained period of time cut through the Midwest on June 3, 2014. The extent, length and severity of straight-line (nontornadic) wind reports indicate a "derecho." Straight-line wind gusts exceeding 74 mph were reported in Nebraska in areas including Rock, Washington, Valley, Garden and Gage Counties. Such gusts were also reported in Iowa and some wind gusts were reported to exceed 90 mph. Hail exceeding two inches in diameter was reported in Custer, Antelope, Madison, Stanton, Dodge, Washington, Blaine, Platte, Scott’s Bluff, Morrill, Saunders and Saline Counties in Nebraska. In nearby Iowa, two inch or larger hail was reported in Decatur, Taylor, Ringgold and Page Counties according to SPC reports. Isolated hail reports exceeding four inches were found in Washington, Scott’s Bluff and Morrill Counties in Nebraska. Tornadoes of unconfirmed intensity were reported in Rock, Valley, Greeley, Thomas, Howard and Custer Counties in Nebraska. Tornadoes were also reported in Pottawattamie County in Iowa according to the SPC. Impacts: Reports of downed trees and power lines are widespread, together with light to moderate structural damage as a result of straight-line wind gusts. One truck was reported flipped in Greeley County, Nebraska. A two foot diameter live Maple was reported downed during the storm. There are widespread reports of damage due to downed trees. Hail caused light to moderate structural damage with considerable crop and auto damage according to SPC reports. In Council Bluffs, Iowa, at least 25 vehicles with hail damage were reported along I-29. At least a dozen injuries were reported as a result of hail. Omaha, Nebraska was subject to flooding due to excessive rainfall, according to reports. Police had to use boats to rescue stranded motorists in the area.The National Weather Service indicated that the heaviest damage was located near the Nebraska-Kansas border in Nemaha County, where at least one home was destroyed and others were damaged.

Short documentary of tornadoes touching down during the 2014 storm season. A chronological tour from the Louisville Mississippi tornado to the Pilger Nebraska twin tornadoes. With up close footage of the Coleridge Nebraska tornadoes, the angelic Alpena South Dakota tornado and much more. For licensing contact [email protected] Storm descriptions and Music credits below... 2014 CHRONOLOGICAL STORM EVENT HIGHLIGHTS: On average the United States reports roughly 1260 tornado touchdowns per year. 2011 reported 1691 tornadoes resulting in 553 fatalities... The deadliest year we've had since 1925 which saw 794. Then, 2012 broke records lows with only 939 tornadoes and 70 fatalities nationwide. 2013 broke that record low with 908 reports and only 55 fatalities. And then there's 2014... Less than 900 tornadoes were reported in 2014 and only 47 fatalities. Over the roughly 50,000 miles traveled I was able to intercept 21 tornadoes (possibly 22), destroy only 4 windshields, ZERO speeding tickets and no food poisoning (knock on wood). The extremely photogenic storms and the low death toll makes this the greatest storm season I've ever documented. APRIL 1: Lone supercell south of Throckmorton Texas tracking towards Woodson Texas producing a funnel cloud and outstanding cloud-to-cloud lightning. APRIL 23: An elevated severe storm struggles to become surface based east of Wellington TX. APRIL 28: An army of HP supercells marching 45+ mph through Mississippi... The strongest and deadliest tornado of the day struck Louisville Mississippi killing 10 people and causing substantial EF4 damage. While trying to assist victims in the destruction, another brief thin tornado dropped from a training supercell about 45 minutes later. I was away from my camera and didnt record it. MAY 7: Time lapse of a supercell skirting the Red River and heading toward Waurika Oklahoma. MAY 10: Time lapse of a brief weak tornado and a beautiful supercell near Latham Kansas. MAY 11: The difficult to see EF3 that grazed Cordova Nebraska and hit Beaver Crossing Nebraska damaging virtually ever building in town. MAY 26: A gustnado near Ackerly Texas. JUNE 7: A brief cone tornado south of Tucumcari New Mexico. JUNE 16: Twin tornadoes in Pilger Nebraska. The first tornado or Western twin struck Pilger dead on killing 1 person. The Eastern twin would later kill another. Both tornadoes reached EF4 strength. After vanishing into the rain for a minute or 2, a long snaky rope emerged. Some chasers argue that this is a different tornado, however I feel it is most likely the rope phase of the Western Twin. Damage path survey analysis also suggest this is 1 continuous tornado. The rope behaved like a satellite and was sling-shotted around a new developing tornado that would eventually skirt Wakefield Nebraska with EF4 strength before dissipating into the rain. Two weak tornadoes were intercepted East of Wakefield before the storm died in Iowa. JUNE 17: Cedar County Nebraska tornado outbreak. The first tornado of the evening was a brilliant cone with a bending snaky rope-out. The second tornado was a weak brief rope and the third tornado was the main event in this tornado family near Coleridge Nebraska. Reaching EF3 status but most likely packing strong EF4 winds, this tornado tracked mostly through open terrain. It did however destroy several farmhouses killing livestock, debarked trees and scoured crops to the bare soil. The storms slow cell motion caused torrential flooding, but no fatalities. At dusk the first satellite tornado dropped Northwest of the parent tornado (Not seen here) and eventually the main tornado died, but another large multi-vortex wedge would form at nightfall. To the parents Southwest, a brief satellite would threaten Laurel Nebraska and then another long-lived satellite-ish tornado would form to the east and track to the north-northeast (I think). This is the long funnel silhouetted in the lightning flashes. A final large tornado (#8) would develop later that night before I bailed on the blackness under the base to shoot lightning. The lightning from this storm is hands-down the most frequent and amazing display I've ever seen. JUNE 18: The third straight tornado outbreak in a row... 25 reports mostly occurring in South Dakota. Again, 2 tornadoes would touch down simultaneously but the main event was the white shape-shifting EF4 seen here near Alpena South Dakota. Two tornadoes were intercepted this day. Music credits: 1. "Something She Said" by Two Star Symphony 2. " Starlight" by Dan Workman and Christine Wu 3. "Darkest Night" by Dan Workman and Christine Wu 4. "Glamorous Adagio" by Southern Backtones 5. "Feast" by Two Star Symphony 6. "Lanugo" by Southern Backtones 7. "Won't Pray Adagio" by Southern Backtones

From spider lightning to bolts shooting out of tornadoes. Here are my best lightning strikes caught on camera over the last 20 years. For licensing contact [email protected] More info and facts: #10 Was caught in 2014 on a Kansas interstate. In slo-mo you can see the distant discharge triggering the closer strike. #9 was bagged under a tornadic supercell near Lincoln Nebraska. What makes this bolt so striking was it's bizarre looping path. #8 Occurred on May 31, 2013 near El Reno Oklahoma. This historic and horrifying day saw the birth of the world's largest tornado at 2.6 miles wide... And the fact that there's a bolt of lightning shooting out of it's massive infant side makes this strike worthy of this list. #7 was summoned over Devils Tower in Wyoming in June of 2013. Anvil Crawler lightning also called "Spider Lightning" due to the way it scampers across the sky is one of nature's most dramatic displays. I've photographed hundreds of anvil crawler webs, but only once lurking over a paralyzed 1956 Mercury Monterrey. That's why this lightning strike is #6. # 5, 4 & 3 all come from one intense evening. In June of 2010, a violent storm in North Texas was bombarding the Earth with constant bolts of negative and positive lightning... When the strikes are slowed down you can really see individual flashes that make the lightning flicker. It's an incredible super long mega bolt and it's 14 separate flashes that scores number 5 on my favorites. *****CORRECTION: Positive flashes are usually composed of a single stroke, whereas about 80% of negative flashes contain two or more strokes (e.g., Rakov et al. (1994). Multiple-stroke positive flashes do occur but they are relatively rare. Heidler et al. (1998), from electric field measurements in 1995–97 in Germany, found that out of a total of 36 positive flashes, 32 contained one stroke and 4 contained two strokes. On the other hand, Lyons et al. (1998b), using NLDN data for 14 selected summer months from 1991 to 1995, reported on 1002 positive flashes (about 0.04% of a total of 2.7 million positive flashes) composed of more than 10 strokes. However, in the author’s view, it is likely that some of these multiple-stroke events are actually misidentified cloud discharges.***** Positive lightning is the most deadly of the bolts. They can leap from the tops of thunderstorms out to the ground up to 10 miles away. To complete this stealthy journey they can generate a billion volts... PLUS When these Daddies fire, they can heat the air to over 54,000 degrees F (30,000 C). That's over 5 times hotter than the surface of the Sun which is about 10,000 F. Because of their tendency to leap away from rain and low storm clouds, positive lightning is extra photogenic. #2 was a crazy perfectly framed anvil crawler discharge crashing to Earth between Brady and Fredricksburg TX in 2013. #1 was caught on camera on June 16th, 2014 in Northeast Nebraska. 2 tornadoes are on the ground as lightning strikes.

Incredible EF4 tornado morphing through many different shapes while carving an 11.7 mile long damage path through South Dakota during it's 30 minute+ life span. For licensing contact [email protected] Complete Story... ....This tornado first touched down around 8PM morphing from a cone to a brilliant multiple vortex tornado. At one point there were two tornadoes on the ground... A cone-ish elephant trunk and a brief rope making this the third day in a row I witnessed two tornadoes on the ground at the same time. ....Attempting to intercept this tornado at high speeds on dirt roads with a bad front end alignment yielded shaking video for the first 10 or so minutes (not seen here). The tornado reached EF2 status northwest of Woonsocket South Dakota and eventually became an EF4 South of Alpena as it destroyed a farmstead. The two people taking refuge in the basement at the time only suffered minor scratches cuts and bruises. The tornado dissipated Northwest of Alpena. ....Many other tornadoes touched down this day and the small town of Wessington Springs SD took a direct hit. A reported 20 minute warning time allowed residents to seek cover. No fatalities occurred. Music "Darkest Night" by Dan Workman & Christine Wu. Guitar ambiance by Pecos Hank Schyma

Stuck in path of tornado warned supercell. After witnessing multiple powerful tornadoes including the EF-4 Pilger Twins, I intercepted this storm further to the west. For licensing contact [email protected] A dirt road appeared to be a short-cut across the path of this tornado producing supercell. When the road ended in open prairie (contrary to the map) there was no escape from the core. A couple trees offered a little protection from hail, but the roads had turned into a slippery joke. After sliding backwards downhill and sideways into the soft shoulder my car was stuck in an area with no cell phone reception and no population. A couple hours later, the Wheeler County Sheriff sent a man with a four wheel drive to tow me out, but he got stuck, had to walk back to who knows where and get a tractor... Eventually I made it out to chase back, to back to back days of epic tornadoes with horrible alignment issues.

The Pilger Twin EF-4 tornadoes, The Wayne County line satellite and birth of the Wakefield EF-4 tornado. Full story w/ radar and commentary. To license HD tornado video contact [email protected] THE EVENT: June 16, 2014 Early this afternoon the Storm Prediction Center was monitoring a volatile atmosphere over Nebraska. By 2:34 PM satellite imagery revealed a lone thunderstorm developing in Boone, Platte and Madison counties and By 4PM a large damaging tornado was being reported near the town of Stanton. Base velocity started revealing a second area of powerful rotation within the storm. The Stanton tornado would earn an EF-4 rating before dissipating Near highway 57 and 275. When I arrived at the scene, another tornado had developed southwest of Pilger, NE and strengthened to EF-4 status while striking the small town killing 2 people and critically injuring around 20 others. During this time a 2nd tornado was developing to the southeast. This tornado would become the eastern twin and would also strengthen to an EF-4. The tornado that struck Pilger (the western twin) weakened shortly after crossing highway 275 and the condensation funnel completely lifted for several minutes while dust continued to whirl on the ground. At this time the Eastern twin was growing wider. Condensation funnels started to drop from the western mesocyclone and twins were again on the ground growing in size and closer together. The eastern twin was arcing to the north while the western twin tracked more northeast. Their damage paths would eventually cross about 5 miles northeast of Pilger or 5 miles northwest of Wisner. From my perspective the twin tornadoes vanished behind a rainy mass and another mesocyclone would develop just to the east and drop the soon to be Wakefield EF-4 tornado. Curtains of rain cleared in the rainy mass revealing a thick tube that would crawl easterly along or near the Wayne County line. This tornado became the rope satellite that would slingshot around the southern flank of the developing Wakefield tornado. The Wakefield tornado tracked almost due north and dissipated to the east of Wakefiled. After the Wakefield tornado moved into the rain and dissipated, a new mesocyclone developed to the east or southeast continuing the double helix mesocyclone development pattern of the day. The storm was now thinning and displaying a long twisted updraft. This updraft would threaten with several bowl funnel clouds with weak rotation confirmed on the ground on two seperate occasions by storm chaser Aaron Rigsby before dropping the finally brief weak Hubbard "scuddy" tornado. This storm weakened drastically as it crossed into Iowa near Sioux City. more later...

Eight tornadoes, epic supercell and constant lightning from the Cedar County Nebraska storm on June 17th, 2014. For licensing contact [email protected] At least 8 separate tornadoes touched down from this isolated supercell. The first was a cone that roped out, the second was a brief rope minutes later and the third was long-lived and began as a multi-vortex tornado. On several occasions a thick RFD engulfed and obscured the tornado, then the rain cleared enough to see a tornado was still there. These could have been separate tornadoes however the more likely scenario is that it was the same one. The constant lightning produced by this storm was odd in that it was made up of many, many small cloud-to-cloud discharges rather than the usual large discharges and anvil crawlers that more often accompany the supercells I witness. After dark, the consistency of the upper updraft and anvil was fuzzy or foggy giving the soft glow to the small frequent discharges. Music by Southern Backtones... "Lanugo" "Bandera" "Pillbox"

A field glowing with fireflies captured in time lapse video and "Something" by the Beatles on Ukulele performed by Spencer Schyma. Fireflies use their bioluminescent glow to attract their beetle mates, to communicate, to defend territory and in some species, to mimic and attract other fireflies for food. On this still twilight night in June, fireflies lit up the meadow like Christmas. In one of the clips you can see a bummed out raccoon at the top of a tree impatiently waiting for me to leave the area so he could climb down and cause his evening mischief. To license video contact [email protected]

Eight tornadoes were intercepted between Hartington, Coleridge and Laurel, Nebraska on June 17th, 2014. (two seen here) To license tornado video contact [email protected]. Around 7PM the plug was pulled on the atmosphere and a thunderstorm exploded over Hartington Nebraska. By 7:40 the storm was rotating and soon after dropped it's first tornado, a large cone that lasted about 5 minutes before roping out. A second brief ropy tornado touched down and then a third, wide conical, multiple vortex tornado morphed into a violent beast. This was the main event, long lived tornado that began near Coleridge Nebraska. The sound of the tornado is audible in this video and resembles a powerful waterfall to me. The storm cell motion was Southeast at around 10-15 mph. TORNADO LIST: 1. Cone to rope between Hartington and Coleridge 2. Brief rope 3. Coleridge long lived roaring monster 4. Brief cone satellite North of Laurel 5. New parent circulation: First a cone, then lifted to a hovering blob with suction vortices and eventually dropping into another long lived almost stationary wedge tornado near Laurel Nebraska. 6. Western flank brief night satellite 7. Eastern flank relatively long lived elephant trunk to cone satellite near Laurel 8. Rain wrapped wedge. Part two of this event will be uploaded soon with more detail, radar and explanations. Two days after this tornado outbreak I traced the Coleridge tornadoes path. Several of the homes viewed in this video were badly damaged, others only mildly damaged... some of that footage is dove-tailed into this video. At one point three tornadoes were on the ground. One parent monster tornado (#5) and two relatively powerful satellite tornadoes that were illuminated by the lightning flashes. The storm hardly moved causing local flooding and the lightning generated from this engine was unlike anything I've ever witnessed. All this was well documented and will be available soon. To my current knowledge there were no fatalities from these tornadoes.

Two large tornadoes touching down simultaneously. For licensing contact [email protected] Many tornadoes were observed under one storm with two separate rotating updrafts. At one point the smaller twin tornado eclipsed the larger tornado as a beaded positive flash lightning bolt emerged out of the side of the larger tornado.

May 11th 2014. Beaver Crossing Nebraska. A large supercell spawning multiple tornadoes including this 1.3 mile wide EF-3. For licensing contact [email protected] You often hear stories about storm clouds turning green before a tornado touches down. The explanation is the same type of thunderstorms responsible for the majority of violent tornadoes also may produce copious amounts of hail. These thick hail downdrafts or hail cores often have a blueish turquoise glow. Makes sense doesn't it that an icy waterfall would be blue? These mega storms or supercells also occur mostly in the late afternoon and early evening when scattered yellowish sunlight blasts into the hail core... and so the yellow and blue make green. More often than not, these greenish supercell bases do not produce tornadoes so to associate green clouds as heralding a tornado is incorrect. In my experiences, these tornado producing storms also may have a green hue because they are ingesting copious amounts of dust. This dust often has a yellowish or brownish filter affect on the storm and thus blending with the blues and grays and giving the storm an eerie green hue. On this day, several strong areas of rain-wrapped rotation and shrouded shadows were witnessed, however I was only able to confirm one tornado. To my knowledge the Beaver Crossing tornado demolished 12 homes and damaged several others. No fatalities were reported. This HP supercell was producing a barrage of positive lightning and exhibiting extreme cloud base motion. Music by Southern Backtones

Tornado U-Turns into chaser forcing him into path of another giant tornado. For licensing contact [email protected] Cooperton, Oklahoma 4-13-12. I intercepted 3 tornadoes on this day all produced by the same high precipitation supercell that began near Altus Oklahoma and tracked ENE. The first tornado I intercepted was on the muddy road network on the west side of Tom Steed Reservoir. It was a barely visible rain wrapped drill. The sun was going down and the supercell was approaching the Wichita Mountains were all Easterly roads ended. Chasers had 2 choices. 1, Meet the storm on the other side of the mountains after dark. Or 2, go into the bear cage for a final daylight stand. Those of us that chose option 2 were rewarded with brown underwear. Music: "Lanugo" by Southern Backtones "Little Ghost" by Southern Backtones

Breath taking rotating thunderstorms called supercells erupted on May 10, 2014 in Southeast Kansas producing at least one tornado. For licensing contact [email protected] The video opens with a brief weak tornado near the town of Atlanta Kansas and the other large football shaped funnel cloud / wall cloud structure never produced visible rotation on the ground from my perspective. 2 super cells are seen in this video. The larger mothership dominated the atmosphere later in the evening choking off the first storm. There was very little cloud-to-ground lightning considering the size of these storms, however the cloud-to-cloud activity was a fantastic encore to an amazing day of storm chasing in the 2014 season. Music: "Slumber Party Adagio" by Southern Backtones

Massive EF-4 Tornado tracked across Louisville Mississippi killing 10 people, throwing cars and tossing trucks on April 28th 2014 To license footage contact [email protected] One of many twisters that touched down in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee during the multi-day tornado outbreak of April 27th & 28th, 2014. The day before killer tornadoes touched down near Little Rock Arkansas as well as Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Louisiana. LOUISVILLE TORNADO: April 28, 2014 Current statistics. 10 fatalities, numerous injuries and many still missing. I would estimate this tornado will get an EF-4 rating by the NWS. This is what I witnessed... At Approximately 4:30 PM a large tornado descended from a massive mesocyclone on the South side of Louisville and tracked Northeast across the eastern side of town. Suddenly the sky filled with strange debris namely leaves, branches, house insulation, tin and plywood. At one point I noticed something very large flapping in the sky. When it landed close by I realized it was the floor mat of a car. The chase ended with large pine and oak trees laying across the road blocking passage. I turned around to find another route Eastern route and came across a field full of tossed cars. Firemen and locals were already at the scene looking inside the cars for people. To my knowledge they were all empty. In the distance you could see the path of the tornado had destroyed houses. To get to that scene several locals trying to assist and myself had to meander around felled power lines. We parked in a line, exited the vehicles and started to approach destroyed houses when a lady ran up explaining we had to move. They found a victim with "serious head trauma" and we were blocking passage so I evacuated that scene. I then ended up on the South side of town. Again in the distance we could make out more destruction and exited our vehicles and started tracking through the mud on foot. The clouds were getting darker and a second tornado warned storm was going to train directly over the path of the last tornado. It was nightmareish Hell. A small tornado touched down and I ran back to my car in fear of wave two. Feeling defeated and helpless I blasted south while lines of Emergency vehicles from other towns raced into the scene. Mike Hollinger's storm chase team was also on the scene and were able to aid several victims successfully.

The Throckmorton Texas lightning storm of April 1st, 2014. This isolated supercell storm was highly electric however most of the lightning was intracloud lightning. Very few cloud to ground strikes occurred relative to the frequency of flashes. The cell went tornado warned just before sundown and produced a brief funnel cloud. The interesting thing about this footage is the vivid spinning cumulus vortices inside the updraft. Footage of this storm can be seen in the movie "The Last Witch Hunter" and the Netflix Original "TAU" Footage available in 4K UHD or 1080p HD. For licensing contact [email protected] Music by Dan Workman

This killer tornado tossed vehicles 100's of yards, demolished well built homes and debarked trees. To this day, I've never seen a darker afternoon. To license tornado footage contact [email protected] May 24, 2011: The El Reno / Piedmont Oklahoma EF-5 Tornado touched down near Hinton OK at 3:50 PM CDT and quickly became obscured in rain as it took on the form of a wedge tornado approximately 3/4 to 1 mile wide (my observation). I witnessed the tornado engulf a small community just South of interstate 40 while a horizontal vortex spun out of the North side of the wedge wall. Violent winds well away from the debris cloud and condensation funnel were still strong enough to cause substantial destruction. A fender was ripped off an 18 wheeler as the outer edge of the tornado passed over his truck. When I approached, the driver popped his head up with a huge grin on his face and said "That was close." The tornado then crossed I40 where it leveled the Cactus 117 oil rig and rolled a 1,900,000 lb (861,830 kg) oil derrick several times. While pursuing the tornado I came across the first destroyed community and had to end the chase and assist victims. The first house I observed was sliced in half while people and there animals rode out the storm in the intact half. The house next door was completely demolished while nobody was home. The house next to that was cut in half while 2 woman rode out the tornado in the half that remained and i assisted them out their broken back window. The next home was completely destroyed while nobody was home. This was the trend and as far as I know, miraculously no lives were lost in the community I assisted, however when the tornado crossed I40 it tossed two cars a great distance killing the passengers. This long-tracked tornado was on the ground 1 hour 45 minutes and finally dissipated after striking the NW side of Guthrie at 5:35 PM CDT. Estimated winds were greater than 210 mph, the storm was on the ground for 65 miles (105 KM) yet only 9 people lost their lives. This was a "High Risk" day issued by the SPC.

Wild animal rehabilitation expert discusses HER experiences rescuing, bottle feeding, housing and raising orphaned baby raccoons until they were wild and old enough to be acclimated to the Louisiana forest. ***After we made this video several other wildlife rehabilitaters suggested not to use condensed milk, rather Goat's milk. I'll attach their advice below. *** "I work with a professional wildlife rehabilitation center here in California, and you never, ever give cow's milk to raccoons, ESPECIALLY neonates--especially condensed milk! This dehydrates them and can give them horrible indigestion and pain. Please consider switching to a goat's milk formula for the first 6-8 weeks, and please don't treat them like pets if you plan on releasing them, they will go right up to humans and cars and they will be killed, and not humanly. After about 4-5 weeks, you should encourage exploration and play, but not with humans at all, watch only from a distance of 20+ feet. You want them to start fearing you and growling at you by 6-8 weeks." EMERGENCY COON FORMULA: 3 cups goat milk 2 egg yolks 1-2 tbs Karo syrup Mix well and Serve warm Secondary Options: Kitten milk replacers such as KMR or Esbilac IMPORTANT NOTES: *FREQUENT & MODERATE FEEDINGS ARE BEST. *Create a 24 hour schedule of feeding times spaced 2-3 hours apart, approximately 8 times a day. *Keep a feeding chart of how much each baby eats. *Feed until belly is slightly round but not tight. DO NOT OVERFEED THEY WILL DIE. Immediately after feeding, babies need to have their face and hands gently cleaned with a warm soft cloth. ***BABIES CAN NOT GO TO THE BATHROOM ON THEIR OWN YET!*** ***YOU MUST HELP THEM GO POTTY BY GENTLY WIPING THEIR GENITALS AND RECTUM WITH A SOFT, WARM DAMP CLOTH UNTIL THEY REMOVE ALL WASTE. (SIMULATE THE MOTHER'S TONGUE)*** "Do not feed a raccoon too much cat food. Cats are 100% carnivores, raccoons are omnivores. Too much protein sourced cat food can give a rehabbed raccoon gout (uric acid disease)."

Handling North America's largest scorpion (Hadrurus Arizonensis) in wild Arizona. This guy was sitting in the road and instead of getting squashed, he got his first taste of starbucks, humans, motel 6 and air conditioning before returning to the desert. You're welcome big scorpion!

2013 Tornado events including the Widest tornado ever recorded... and possibly the smallest. To license footage contact [email protected] 2013 STORM EVENTS featured: April 8 - Brief weak tornado from LP Supercell in NE Colorado on the NW Kansas border May 9 - Brief weak tornado near Sweetwater Texas May 17 - Two Tornadoes in Central Texas May 18 - Three tornadoes near Rozel Kansas (2 seen here) May 19 - Two tornadoes near Viola Kansas (1 seen here) May 20 - Two tornadoes near Duncan Oklahoma & Moore Oklahoma EF-5 destruction May 28 - Mammatus and dust storm in SW Kansas May 30 - Giant mothership supercell in Central Oklahoma May 31 - Birth of the widest tornado on record and it's many subvortices near El Reno Oklahoma and a second anticyclonic tornado causing power flashes. *Stock Footage* of the El Reno EF-5 Tornado from 2011 and destruction. June 11 - Final funnel stage of the Chadron Nebraska Tornado & electric storm. June 12 - Lightning over Devils Tower Wyoming June 13 - Funnel Cloud in Eastern Colorado June 14 - Supercell in Eastern Nebraska June 21 - HP tornadic supercell and lightning in SE South Dakota June 22 - HP tornadic supercell and land spout W Nebraska June 23 - Tornado looking downburst in Eastern Colorado Sept 9 - Two landspouts near Valentine Texas MUSIC: by Southern Backtones, Two Star Symphony & Dan Workman https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/southern-backtones/id64977408

Removing snakes, lizards, scorpions and what off the road so they don't get run over. We also ate a lot of diary queen blizzards but it was boring to watch so that's not in this video you're welcome ;) SPECIES FOUND: Texas Horned Lizard Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Texas Rat Snake Great Plains Rat Snake Police Officer Arizona Giant Centipede Sonoran Gopher Snake Desert Tarantula Zebra Tailed Lizard Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Desert Glossy Snake Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake Red Diamond Rattlesnake Colorado Desert Sidewinder Music by: Spencer Schyma

While traveling through West Texas we found Rattlesnakes, Rat snakes, a Bullsnake, a momma Black Bear with cubs, a fox and what not... Each time we stopped to photograph them before ushering them off the dangerous roads. Found Species List: Bullsnake Desert Box Turtle Black-Tailed Rattlesnake Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Trans-Pecos Rat Snake Black Bear Gray Fox Music by: Spencer Schyma Photography by: Jon-Wesley Schyma Hank Schyma

Removing snakes from the Arizona roads so they don't get squashed or captured by collectors. SPECIES FOUND LIST: Sonoran Gopher Snake Colorado Desert Sidewinder Colorado River Toad Couch's Spadefoot Toad Mojave Rattlesnake Tucson Banded Gecko Great Horned Owl Desert Millipede Tiger Salamander Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion Desert Tarantula Night Snake Prairie Rattlesnake Black-headed Snake Music performed by Spencer Schyma

Classic footage of "That train sound" caught on camera by Pecos Hank in May 2003.

Pecos Hank and bros find a Wild tarantula crossing the road in Arizona and let it crawl over face. This demonstration is to show how non-aggressive wild tarantulas are when handled gently.

Complete black out while driving onto an intense dust storm. This storm was tornado warned early in it's life and generated many gustnadoes. Eventually the storm transitioned into an outflow beast kicking up a dust storm several kilometers high. For licensing dust storm footage contact [email protected] May 23, 2013. At 12:58pm, radar detected an invisible outflow boundary left over from the previous days storms near Lubbock Texas. These outflow boundaries are good candidates for thunderstorm development and by 1:40pm a storm fired up right on target. 15 minutes later a storm spotter reported a brief dusty tornado and a tornado warning was issued. From my location I couldn't confirm the tornado but did observe a little dust spin up. Often along the edge of a storm's gust front little eddies called gustnadoes whirl up dusty tubes. One should avoid mistaking these gustnadoes as tornadoes due to the "cried wolf effect" false warnings have on the public. The storm grew vigorously outflow dominant taking on a classic kabob appearance. A Haboob is a thick dust storm or sandstorm that blows in the desert of North Africa, Arabia and India. While driving into the dust storm, visibility was reduced to 20 meters. Music: "Diamonds at Her Feet" by Southern Backtones

The artistic storm chase team deploys certain materials in the path of tornadoes to create more aesthetically pleasing tornadoes while a live band performs in the back seat. Their masterminds created the first Christmas-nado, Sparkle-nado and bubble-nado... but Hank left the lens cap on for that one.

Two tornadoes were intercepted on 5-19-13. Another tornado apparantly touched down just west of Wichita Kansas. This tornado was projected to impact the City but dissipated just prior to entering the heavily populated area. Wichita dodged a bullet on this day. [email protected]

My best of Mothership supercells, tornadoes, haboobs, lightning, squalls and what not from 2011-2013 time-lapsed. For licensing contact [email protected] Music: Southern Backtones "Angel's Serenade" https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/southern-backtones/id64977408

5-18-13 Rozel Kansas Tornadoes with rainbow lightning, gustnadoes and the latest trends of tumbleweed trappers. 3 tornadoes were intercepted on this day, 2 of which are seen in this video. The third was a weirdo corkscrew rope on a back drop of mammatus which you can see in the photos section of PecosHank.com Music: "Bandera" by Southern Backtones "Here's Looking at You" by Southern Backtones https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/southern-backtones/id64977408 For licensing contact [email protected]

At 2.6 Miles wide, this is the largest Tornado ever recorded. Touchdown was near El Reno Oklahoma on 5-31-13. This tornado was very deceptive to many due to its appearance and size. The bulk of what you are seeing at 2:50 is a large wedge tornado. When the base lifts and flattens at around 3:05 it gave the "tornado" a mesocyclone appearance and when it started dropping large sub-vorticies many chasers lost sight of the big picture. At around 6:02, the tornado is taking up almost the entire frame, however the huge sub-vorticies to the lower right appear to be the only point of ground rotation. What many thought were several tornadoes was in fact just 1. At time code 6:30, this is a separate, smaller anticyclonic tornado. DECEIVING IN APPEARANCE: This 2.6 mile wide tornado received an EF3 rating... There is an intermediate circulation between a mesocyclone and a tornado called a "tornado cyclone." Often the lines between these features are blurry. When this tornado first touched down it took on a classic wedge shape, but then the bottom truncated or flattened out and the wedge transitioned to a tornado cyclone. Under the tornado cyclone if you look closer you'll see a brief smaller tornado or two touch down.. these are suction vortices. Underneath this flat truncated tornado cyclone, almost invisible winds are causing damage on a the scale of a weak tornado. Therefore, the entire area underneath the tornado cyclone is by definition a tornado. The majority of this tornado was only causing EF1 damage, however the highly powerful suction vortices packed winds well over that required to cause EF5 damage... except these most powerful winds never hit any structures to cause the damage or indicators to warrant giving this tornado an EF5. The thing to realize is that tornadoes by definition are not always condensed with clearly visible borders. When I was retreating the circulating winds were blowing the lighter back of my car out from under me. Other storm chasers got rolled, others took direct hits. CORRECTION: The SPC does not give Tornado warnings. To License contact [email protected] EXPLANATION.... We are all aware of the risks chasing tornadoes. The surprising thing to us was that none of us had been killed yet, and even more surprising was that when it finally happened it happened to Tim Samaras, his son Paul and Carl Young. Earlier that day the Storm Prediction Center gave the public a "Loaded Gun" warning for Oklahoma City and surrounding area. Unfortunately this also tells everyone in OKC where there's an excellent chance of seeing a destructive tornado. The streets and back roads were packed with cars and trucks, half evacuating, half racing in. People were hollering, cursing, crashing into each other, panicking, and blocking passage. Horns, sirens, thunder and the gushing sound of a tornado barreling down. At first the storm was moving relatively slow in an Easterly direction. 2 or 3 miles to the South was the Canadian River where most of the backroads / escape routes ended. Straight ahead were several easterly roads heading to OKC. When the tornado materialized i was driving next to it with several other chasers about 25 mph as it inched closer and closer. When it was close enough i hit the gas planning to outrun it. The tornado's radius was growing, accelerating and getting closer.... I could only go so fast due to the traffic in front of me and the tornado was gaining ground. I slammed on the breaks flipped the car around, blasted west and had to drive closer to an EF-5 than i ever want to again... looking at my maps i could see the chasers might be outrun. Then the tornado made a hard left turn to the Northeast and grew to 2.6 miles wide in diameter. If i had to speculate I'd say something random happened to Tim. Somebody ran him off the road or crashed into his vehicle... or some kind of vehicle failure... Tire blow out or windshield gave way... He knew tornadoes tendency to deviate. We may never know, but i'm convinced something else went wrong. Regardless, They died doing what they loved doing and if it happens to me... if i start choking on a peanut while running from a tornado know this... it was worth every second. I love chasing tornadoes and i love cracker jack. My condolences to Tim, Paul and Carl's family and all the other victims of this day. I was looking forward to Tim's lightning research. -h MUSIC: Clips from a few Southern Backtones songs were used namely... "Monster show" "Lanugo" "Little Ghost" And a clip from Two Star Symphony "Something She Said" https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/southern-backtones/id64977408 https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/danse-macabre-2-consumate/id263066596

Two Texas tornadoes spawned from a supercell with deviant motion. To license, contact [email protected] Music: Southern Backtones https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/la-vie-en-noir/id471221292

Tornado occurred May 20th, 2013 near Duncan Oklahoma. A tornado outbreak occurred during the afternoon and evening hours of May 20, 2013, and was the last day of a three-day stretch of significant severe weather from May 18-20. This event also produced the most deadly and devastating tornado of the year for Oklahoma and the the United States. To license footage contact [email protected] Chase Account: By 1:20 CDT the first small cluster of showers appeared on radar East of Lawton Oklahoma. By 2PM I was under the first severe thunderstorm warning near the town of Marlow and 30 miles to the southeast another cell was organizing. I decided to focus on the storm upstream to the southeast and by at 2:20 that storm was severe warning and dropping nickle sized hail. Meanwhile downstream a thunderstorm was exploding just Southeast of Moore Oklahoma. 2:44 my cell went tornado warned and around 2:50 a funnel cloud lowered from a rapidly rotating wall cloud. Brief weak debris was noted and the rotation appeared to dissipate. At 2:56 another storm west of Newcastle (Not seen in this video) dropped a tornado that quickly became violent. then tracked east-northeastward across the city of Moore and parts of south Oklahoma City for about 40 minutes before finally dissipating near Lake Stanley Draper. The tornado caused catastrophic damage in these areas, and was given a maximum rating of EF-5. The tornado claimed 24 lives, injured scores of people, and caused billions of dollars in damage. Back on my storm, after the first weak tornado dissipated the storm appeared to back-build to the west. 2 wall clouds were latitude aligned and I darted for the west cell which appeared more dominant. My position was northeast of Duncan Oklahoma where hills, lakes and trees made for a complicated road network and visibility. Suddenly clumps of tree leaves started raining from the sky... a tornado was on the ground somewhere close by! A white cone dropped from what I thought was going to be a chocked off cell a mile to my north. This tornado exhibited rapid rotation at the base, but struggled to condense to the ground for any duration. I estimate a relatively narrow damage path of EF1-2 tracked for 5 miles north-northeast over open country. This tornado had a dramatic long bending rope-out before dissipating and the storm then took on an outflow-dominant mode.

Storm Chase with epic lightning, a weak tornado, damaging hail, fire, mammatus, a rattlesnake and what not... The day began Near Abilene TX and continued South East to Fredericksburg Texas. To license, contact [email protected] Music: Southern Backtones https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sou...

Epic "Spider lightning" or "anvil crawlers" reaching across the sky. Approaching Fredericksburg Texas on highway 87. The snake was a Prairie Kingsnake. To see photos visit PecosHank.com To license, contact [email protected] Music: "Lanugu" by Southern Backtones https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/southern-backtones/id310617945

Tornadoes, Lightning, Supercells and bison. Best of 2012 by Pecos Hank To license, contact [email protected] Music: Southern Backtones & Johnny Falstaff https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/la-vie-en-noir/id471221292

This Bull Snake is not scary... Just acting macho, but he needs to do it away from the Oklahoma highway so he don't get runovah. Happy trails my new little friend.

May 7th 2002 (Ford and Kiowa County). The first tornado was over a mile wide and spun up dust within 50 yards of our vehicle. Simultaneously a second funnel developed just East and turned into a large cone. If i recall correctly, the tornado was moving East... maybe even East-Southeast before we got wrapped up in the Rear Flank Downdraft and lost sight of it.

CLOSE lightning strikes and anvil crawlers caught on camera. All Photography and video by Pecos Hank Schyma. Visit PecosHank.com for more info. To license, contact [email protected] Music: "Wont Pray Adagio" by Southern Backtones https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wont-pray-adagio-single/id690048427

The Next Film by Johnny Falstaff & Hank Schyma with Scott McMahon. Starring Patrick Sane, Johnny Falstaff, Hank Schyma, Carmen Pool and Scott McMahon

Here is "My Hell" from Southern Backtones self titled album. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/southern-backtones/id310617945 With Hank Schyma Todd Sommer on electric drums Chris Goodwin on bass Natalie Bishop on piano Directed, Photographed & Edited by Hank Schyma Asst Photographer: Sherry Moberg Grip: Chad Ramroop Wardrobe provided by Dawn Bell at Coronation Vintage & Jillian Straight Razor Provided by Big E at Big Kats Barbershop Lights provided by Zenfilm Thank you Dawn, Jillian, Zenfilm and Big E for all your support. And thank you to all my roommates, Natalie, Jillian, Mary, Chad, David, Bryan & Brendan for supporting this project in our home. Ya'll Rock! -h

This demonstration of an eternal youth ritual by Madam Laveau took ages to perfect and reveals the greatest anti-aging formula known to man comes at a hefty price... https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/la-vie-en-noir/id471221292 CREDITS "Diamonds at Her Feet" by Southern Backtones Written by: Muddy Waters Actress 1: Sherri Moberg Actress 2: Gillian Moberg Actor: Craig Kinsey Dancer 1:Yazmeen Dancer 2: Wendall "Scooter" Whitfield Dancer 3: Quincy Danielle Dancer 4: Corey Wesley Dancer 5: Donnie Johnson Studio Provided by: Inner Me Studios / Houston TX Director / Photographer: Hank Schyma Editor: Hank Schyma Producer: Rebecca Bertot, Sherry Moberg Wardrobe / Art Director: Rebecca Bertot Make-Up: Rebecca Bertot, Quincy Danielle, Kristen Moberg Bird Wrangler: Rebecca Bertot Grips: Travis Middour Heidi Torrico-Lumpkin Eddie Espinosa Dolly Grip: Johnny Falstaff Chemical Technology Adviser: Jimmy Hamaker Lights & Steady Cam provided by Zenfilm Thank you Nicole at Inner Me Studios for the hook up on Dancers and the studio.

2011 Amazing tornadoes, Lightning strikes, Supercells, Beautiful highlights and Destructive dark moments. All music by Southern Backtones EVENTS: - April 25, 2011... Tornadoes near Abilene TX - April 26, 2011... Tornadoes Somervell / Bosque County. Tornado Hill County - April 27, 2011... Funnel cloud near Corsicana TX - May 11, 2011... Bust - May 12, 2011... Sunset squall "whales mouth" in Central Oklahoma - May 19, 2011... Sunset squall "whales mouth" in West Kansas - May 22, 2011... Funnel cloud and supercell in Southern Oklahoma - May 23, 2011... Funnel clouds and supercell in Central Oklahoma - May 24, 2011... Giant tornado near El Reno Oklahoma devastates community - June 18. 2011... Tornado on the Easter KS / OK border - June 19, 2011... Brief tornado in SW Nebraska - June 20, 2011... Tornado near Pleasanton Nebraska To license storm video contact [email protected]

This long-track tornadic supercell initiated near Arnett Oklahoma at 1:30PM and tracked northeast across south central Kansas well after sundown. I witnessed 4 tornadoes in its lifetime, the first dipped up and down near Camp Houston OK. The second was a diffused brief touchdown near the Cheney Reservoir... several maybe-nadoes occurred, but the big ones didn't touch down until sunset in the vicinity of Heston and Moundridge Kansas. After 2 more large tornado sightings, i got stuck in the mud... which spoiled my super-duper hot pursuit.

Ridiculous Baseball sized Hail crashing through my windshield, making a bunch of racket and messin' up my plans. To license, contact [email protected]

Jo Bird and Zoltar having a manage a trois with French Bread.

Cute Girls being chased by a big Texas tornado near Patricia Texas on Cinco de Mayo 2006. Tornado intercepted by Pecos Hank Schyma & Jon-Wesley Schyma.

Extremely up close and personal to a deviant tornado that touched down near Pleasanton Nebraska on June 20, 2011. Most tornadoes in the USA track in a general northeasterly direction. This one however deviated southwest before pausing, blowing me a kiss and then tracking easterly. At one point the tornado was less than 75 yards away. The HD video really captures its power especially in the detailed multiple-vortices (1:45). The tornado lasted about 5 minutes before dissipating. About 30 seconds were edited out of this clip. My objective is to get the best photographs possible but strong wind and rain sometimes forces me to shoot through the windshield... If you fire 5 quick shots, 1 of them will usually be rain and wiper free. Go to PecosHank.com to see my portfolio. To license, contact [email protected]

Rare, intense wind footage shot in Downtown Houston during the heart of Hurricane Ike. To License Video contact [email protected]

Lingerie, spurs and a game of twister... Johnny Falstaff croons "Wanting You" in this painfully sexy clip from the thriller indie film Honky Tonk Blood.

The Honky Tonk Blood soundtrack featuring Johnny Falstaff, Sideshow Tramps, John Evans, Two Star Symphony and Southern Backtones is available NOW! Uhhhhhhhh....... https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/honky-tonk-blood-soundtrack/id413826020 Background music: "Bandera" Southern Backtones

It's a bloodthirsty battle to stay at the top and the stars on Falstaff Records are dying for fame. Who or what is trying to make the music stop? Honky Tonk Blood is an independent B-Thriller / Dark Comedy / film noir / Spaghetti Western / Close encounter film. 5 years in the making and starring a veritable who's who of the Houston Texas music scene. Cast: Johnny Falstaff John Evans Hank Schyma of Southern Backtones Craig Kinsey of Sideshow Tramps Jaime Hellcat of Flammin' Hellcat Jo Bird of Two Star Symphony Calvin Stanley of Pale Emily Bell and Zoltar the Hard. Trailer Music: 1. "Won't Pray" by Southern Backtones 2. "Lady Vodka" by Sideshow Tramps 3. "Honky Tonk Blood" by Johnny Falstaff Also Starring: Sarah Fay Preddy, Hayes Carl, Emilie Dejonckheere, Vivian Wise, Scattered Pages, The Hates, Mariana, Geoffery Muller, Ricky Lee, Chase Hamblin, and a slew of Montrosians

Tornado, storm, snake, & flying blow-pop Video from 2001-2008 by Pecos Hank.

6 confirmed tornadoes, several large funnels, damaging hail and a kingsnake for good measure near Jericho TX on April 22nd 2010. To license video contact [email protected]

Johnny Falstaff, John Evans & Hank Schyma Go to Huntsville.

Best Tornadoes, Lightning and Supercells of 2009... All storm images and video in this clip were intercepted and photographed by storm chaser Hank Schyma in June 2009. To Lisense video or stock contact [email protected]

Aurora Nebraska tornadoes on June 17th 2009 (Part 1) This is a wide time lapse view of the supercell that produced 2 tornadoes near Aurora Nebraska. The first tornado was a brief rope and the second tornado was the main event with the long lived Aurora Nebraska tornado of 2009. This tornado was given an EF2 rating after destroying a farm house and barn.

Amazing tornado witnessed by Pecos Hank Schyma just east of Grand Island Nebraska (approaching Aurora) on June 17, 2009. At one point the tornado was 1/4 mile wide and destroyed a families home and barn. 6 people escaped into the basement seconds before their house was ripped apart. BTW, RFD= Rear Flank Downdraft... Strong wrap-around winds often accompanied by big hail, torrential rains, muddy roads, and flying monkeys. Often storm chasers on the back side of the tornado try to maintain position between the tornado and the RFD... not too close to either (hence the "We gotta keep moving people"). The "Business" warehouse in the video was only grazed by the tornado. Still the outer most wind bands were able to do damage. Luckily, this tornado touched down between 2 towns keeping destruction to a relative minimum. It could have been much much worst. At the end of the video, telephone lines were draped all the way across the road preventing passage. After dark, a spiraling Mesocyclone rising clear to the tropopause presented the most spectacular storm structure as it was illuminated by lightning. The supercell continued moving east down I-80 for close to 2 hours after dark before dissipating. The first half of this event tornadic event can be seen here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e2Ts0iLr-Q To license, contact [email protected].

We bagged 3 itty-bitty tornadoes on this day. Interesting thing about this supercell was how small it was when it started producing funnels... We were a mile or so away taking pics of a large Bullsnake waiting for better convection when funnel reports started being issued. At that point I'd estimate storm tops were maybe 25,000 ft' at best.

John Evans, Johnny Falstaff and Hank Schyma of Southern Backtones perform "Sway" at Sugarhill Studios in Houston Texas

Johnny Falstaff rockin' at The Silver Star in Houston Texas with friends John Evans, Hank Schyma, Buzz, Emily Dejonckheere, Rebecca Bertot, Sarah Fay Preddy, Red, Don and Iris To license this video contact Zoltar the Hard