Date: January 24, 1997
Time: 4:30 P.M.
Place: I-65, north of Franklin, TN
Camera: Kodak disposable
Warnings: Tornado Warning
Rating: S4

My first tornado chase, though completely accidental, was a great success! If you consider driving directly under two funnel clouds a success.

On the afternoon of January 24th, a cold front slammed into unusually warm and moist air. After 3:30 P.M., storms started exploding along a broken squall line. We were driving south towards Franklin to hang out at our friend Neal's house when the storms started popping. I just happened to have a disposable camera with me.

As we neared this storm, dopplar radar picked up rotation and a tornado warning was issued. We foolishly continued driving south, straight into the storm. Torrential rain, followed by marble-sized hail brought the traffic on the interstate to a grinding halt. We took the next exit, and drove through the Cool Springs mall area. Suddenly, it stopped raining and the sun was out. I looked up through the front windshield and snapped a picture. Seconds later, a tornado warning was issued for the Cool Springs area! Heavy rain and hail began again. Then, moments later, we were out of the storm.

I believe that we actually drove through the hook of the storm. That's why we came out of the precipitation and back into it again. The picture I took seconds before the tornado warning showed two funnel clouds!! I didn't know this until later when I looked at the pictures. We are fortunate to be alive. The cell just to our south produced an F4 tornado in the town of Barfield, TN. What if we had been driving under that storm? Needless to say, we would have driven straight into a powerful tornado. The tornado would have struck a crowded mall and a clogged interstate. There could have been a terrible disaster.