May 19

My "spaghetti" forecast sheet on the morning of the 19th analyzing the event setup. We decide to base out of Salina, KS to be in position for both the forecasted derecho and supercell development early on.

Anvil of a massive tornadic supercell way to the west after getting lunch in Salina, Kansas.

PDS severe thunderstorm watch issued for much of Kansas. My first ever PDS chase. also my first Moderate Risk chase.

Town of Brookville, Kansas as the dark anvil of the massive thunderstorm looms over the city.

Radar presentation of the storm at 4: pm as it produces a tornado over I-70 near Wilson, Kansas.

Pretty mammatus lay underneath the anvil cloud ahead of the enormous storm.

View looking west directly toward the mesocyclone of the supercell 20-25 miles away.

Inflow feeder bands blowing into the storm's mesocyclone at mid height levels.

Towering cloud to ground lightning bolts rip downward 30,000+ ft down from the storm's anvil.

Gigantic Rear Flank Downdraft (RFD) of the supercell as it begins to transition to a outflow-dominant state about half and hour after producing a big dusty tornado near Wilson, Kansas. Behind this shelf cloud lies 80+ mph winds and hailstones capable of totaling our car.

Awe-inspiring southern edge of the supercell's mesocyclone. 

Immense shelf cloud creeps closer and closer as we move to reposition.

Chaser convergence happening on Brookville Road just south of I-70.

Heart-stopping radar image of the supercell storm closing in as we flee eastward to Salina to find cover.

Enormous mesocyclone of the supercell looms in the distance.

As Dad and I pull into a car wash to take cover in Salina, we see that storm chasers Eric (MN Chaser) and Curtis Lergner from Chicago & Midwest Storm Chasers had the same idea!

Drone shot from Curtis' drone above Salina.

Curtis' drone can be seen hovering.

Curtis monitoring his drone, live stream, and radar. The "vertically integrated liquid" radar product can be seen on his screen with a white blob, indicative of a vast hail storm.

Locals take interest in the monster shelf cloud moving into town.

A milky green sky lies behind the leading edge of the shelf cloud due to vast amounts of rain and hail threatening Salina.

Scud clouds hang low over northern Salina as the storm's RFD is nearing. Motorists begin to panic.

The surroundings grew very dark with unnatural sounding wind howls.

Pitch-black sky as the RFD of the apocalyptic supercell envelopes the town. Driving rain and whipping winds ensue.

Radar presentation of the storm as its core travels over us.

Curtis and I brave the elements to document the storm as hail begins to fall.

Golf ball sized hailstone in my hand.

Radar presentation of the former supercell now a bow echo with a destructive severe thunderstorm warning with reported 100 mph winds.

Loads of people crowded the underpass at I-135. Curtis and Eric try to squeeze through.

Very low visibility when we keep driving into the back of the storm as we head east.

Feelings of great shame ensue after locking the keys in the car, stranding Dad and I in Bonner Springs, Kansas, not far from where a mile-wide EF4 tornado nearly took his life almost half a decade ago. 

Lightning flashes as the derecho that had been tearing across southern and eastern Kansas had caught up and snuck up on us. I take to Facebook live to warn Kansas City.

Radar presentation of the derecho with vast winds and small QLCS' makes me fear that a tornado warning will delay AAA's assistance.

I struggle to keep the door closed at the gas station as 60-70 mph winds slam Bonner Springs.

Immense relief when we see AAA's truck arrive.

Up to 4 completely unwarned tornadoes and 4 meso-vortex wind swaths ripped through the Kansas City metro on the night of May 19. One tornado would touch down about 5 miles to our southeast. Another hit just to the southwest near Linwood. One meso-vortex would produce a wind burst near my high school after producing the nearby tornado southeast of Bonner Springs and knocked out power to my school overnight, causing classes to be canceled the next day.