| Loaded Gun Storm Chasing Website of Storm Chaser Mikey Gribble |
5/28/08 - Above is a picture of me and
the British film crew that shot a
documentary with us on storm chasing. I
can't say enough good things about
them. They were by far the best group of
people I have ever taken chasing with
me. I had a great time with them and I
was sorry to see them go. The host is
the guy in black (named Gethin). He was
a lot of fun to screw around with. He
made fun of me pretty relentlessly, but I
did my best to give it back to him. He
was a really solid guy and amazingly good
at his job. I have no doubt he is going to
be incredibly successful (actually he
already is, but I think he has unlimited
potential). All of them were great, but we
spent the most time with Sam (guy in
green) and Gethin. Sam was a camera
guy so he rode in our car with Gethin
while the rest of the crew followed in
another car. They were both great and a
lot of fun to hang out with. I don't think
I'm supposed to say anything about the
show until it airs, but when it does I will
post more on it.
the British film crew that shot a
documentary with us on storm chasing. I
can't say enough good things about
them. They were by far the best group of
people I have ever taken chasing with
me. I had a great time with them and I
was sorry to see them go. The host is
the guy in black (named Gethin). He was
a lot of fun to screw around with. He
made fun of me pretty relentlessly, but I
did my best to give it back to him. He
was a really solid guy and amazingly good
at his job. I have no doubt he is going to
be incredibly successful (actually he
already is, but I think he has unlimited
potential). All of them were great, but we
spent the most time with Sam (guy in
green) and Gethin. Sam was a camera
guy so he rode in our car with Gethin
while the rest of the crew followed in
another car. They were both great and a
lot of fun to hang out with. I don't think
I'm supposed to say anything about the
show until it airs, but when it does I will
post more on it.
| The new show Danger Hunters episode on tornadoes airs in the UK on 10/15, which I am in obviously. Below is a promo poster. |
| click on image to enlarge |
| click on image to enlarge |
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6/07/09 - I targeted northeast Kansas today. This was one tough
day one forecast. I was planning on getting north of Topeka and then
we ended on just heading east from there. It was just Eric and I so no
customers, but we took an absolute beating from softball size hail.
I've seen hail that big before, but it was alway just a couple stones.
This was so heavy it nearly covered the road in places. The hail was
huge. Anywhere from softball and bigger to golf ball, with baseball
being the most common. Needless to say it beat the hell out of my car.
Here are the pics from inside right after the windshield took a couple
hits. The one on the passenger side is snow coned in and I can't
believe it didn't collapse on the way home. This isn't something to
brag about. As a chaser I try to avoid hail. We just got extremely
unlucky. The storm had been moving east north east when we
arrived, we got out and were watching it for about ten minutes and it
had turned almost due south right when we arrived. There was no
precipitation under the mesocyclone to indicate some rain or hail
coming through. We were sitting there watching the mesocyclone and
then you catch the baseball fly by out of the side of your eye and hear
that thud. Then you say "oh shit", get in the car and get the hell out
of there.
Well I dove south and east naturally to get away from the hail on a
supercell moving northeast. I was using my mapping software
constantly and never looked at radar since I was trying to navigate
the back roads. We just kept getting pounding. I kept getting worse
until finally it sounded like people all around the car hitting it with
bats. It was insane. I wish it didn't happen and it's a lessoned
learned, but I don't feel like I did anything stupid to allow that to
happen. I anticipate right turns, but not 90 degree right turns. That
was an anomaly and we happened to be in the wrong place at the
wrong time. We saw the storm try to prodcuce a couple tornadoes
and that was pretty much it. Here are the pictures of the windshield
from the inside. I'll add more and video tomorrow.
day one forecast. I was planning on getting north of Topeka and then
we ended on just heading east from there. It was just Eric and I so no
customers, but we took an absolute beating from softball size hail.
I've seen hail that big before, but it was alway just a couple stones.
This was so heavy it nearly covered the road in places. The hail was
huge. Anywhere from softball and bigger to golf ball, with baseball
being the most common. Needless to say it beat the hell out of my car.
Here are the pics from inside right after the windshield took a couple
hits. The one on the passenger side is snow coned in and I can't
believe it didn't collapse on the way home. This isn't something to
brag about. As a chaser I try to avoid hail. We just got extremely
unlucky. The storm had been moving east north east when we
arrived, we got out and were watching it for about ten minutes and it
had turned almost due south right when we arrived. There was no
precipitation under the mesocyclone to indicate some rain or hail
coming through. We were sitting there watching the mesocyclone and
then you catch the baseball fly by out of the side of your eye and hear
that thud. Then you say "oh shit", get in the car and get the hell out
of there.
Well I dove south and east naturally to get away from the hail on a
supercell moving northeast. I was using my mapping software
constantly and never looked at radar since I was trying to navigate
the back roads. We just kept getting pounding. I kept getting worse
until finally it sounded like people all around the car hitting it with
bats. It was insane. I wish it didn't happen and it's a lessoned
learned, but I don't feel like I did anything stupid to allow that to
happen. I anticipate right turns, but not 90 degree right turns. That
was an anomaly and we happened to be in the wrong place at the
wrong time. We saw the storm try to prodcuce a couple tornadoes
and that was pretty much it. Here are the pictures of the windshield
from the inside. I'll add more and video tomorrow.
New pictures and Video of the
Oregon, Missouri hail storm here
Oregon, Missouri hail storm here
06/27/09 Important Chase Tour Update
2010 Chase Tours are going to be a very different operation from what we did this past year. We basically
ran our beta test this year to find the best means of advertising, identify our demographic, figure out what
kind of problems you are going to run in to, etc.
Even though 2009 was the worst year for chasers since 1988 it was a good year for Loaded Gun Chasing I
think. We have now rounded up our team and have a computer expert and a guy that works with cellular
connections. We also still have Ryan and I of course. We really have the expertise now to run a world class
chase tour operation.
Other big changes have taken place as well. I am now proudly sponsored by Wilson Electronics for storm
chasing. They are a great company. I started working with them the end of this season and I can't wait to
work with them through hurricane and next storm season. Check my blog for additional updates and details
about what we are currently doing to get ready for the 2010 storm chasing tours.
2010 Chase Tours are going to be a very different operation from what we did this past year. We basically
ran our beta test this year to find the best means of advertising, identify our demographic, figure out what
kind of problems you are going to run in to, etc.
Even though 2009 was the worst year for chasers since 1988 it was a good year for Loaded Gun Chasing I
think. We have now rounded up our team and have a computer expert and a guy that works with cellular
connections. We also still have Ryan and I of course. We really have the expertise now to run a world class
chase tour operation.
Other big changes have taken place as well. I am now proudly sponsored by Wilson Electronics for storm
chasing. They are a great company. I started working with them the end of this season and I can't wait to
work with them through hurricane and next storm season. Check my blog for additional updates and details
about what we are currently doing to get ready for the 2010 storm chasing tours.