July 24

3:17 pm radar view of the Kansas City metro area, showing different areas of thunderstorm initiation.

Sky while sitting in Kansas City debating between targeting north or south of the metro.

First storm of interest shows signs of rotation early on. Radar presentation at 3:35 pm.

View of the storm heading east over Smithville Lake.

4:24 pm radar presentation of the storm passing over I-35.

Heavy teel core of thunderstorms to my north dumping large quantities of rain.

Ragged updraft base on the south end of the "Tail End Charlie" storm.

Ominous view eastward into the MCS, positioned on a rural highway northeast of Kearney, MO. 

4:49 pm radar of the cluster of strong thunderstorms.

Doubling back west on a less than ideal county road, at this point I started smelling transmission fluid. I then knew I likely wouldn't be getting through the rest of this chase unscathed.

Stranded. F**k.

Friend and fellow storm chaser Hunter Hurley puts his chase on hold to come give me comfort.

6:16 pm radar presentation of the MCS pushing southeast.

Cloudy skies in Kearney, MO in the wake of the storm due to the high moisture content in the atmosphere.

Car is towed back to KC.