Storm Chase 2004 (Tornado and Storm Video/Photos)

May 15 - May 30


by William T. Hark
Stock Photgraphy and Video

The 2004 storm chase season was my best since 1997. Although I missed the May 12 Attica, Kansas tornadoes, I was able to encounter over 10 tornadoes including the May 29 tornado outbreak near Jamestown, Kansas and the devastating Hallam, Nebraska tornado. The storm structure and environment was amazing. There were rapidly rotating wall clouds, huge turning supercells towering thousands of feet into the sky, two and a half inch hail, and dusty warm inflow winds blasting toward the storms. The excitement and wonder was tempered by sadness after witnessing the terrible damage caused by the F4 tornado that struck Hallam, Nebraska.

Click on the picture or text to access the corresponding chase log. There are thumbnail images in the middle or the end of the chase accounts. Click on the small pictures for a larger image.

Images are for sale. If you have questions about image usage, video for television shows, or tornadoes and storm chasing, please see my Storm F.A.Q.

Last modified: July 26, 2004


May 15 (Storm chaser picnic)


May 16 (Central Nebraska brief tornado, funnel and multiple rotating wall clouds)


May 17 (Russell, Kansas violently rotating cone-shaped lowering)


May 18 - 20 (Kansas and Iowa busts, chaser convergence, and funnel cloud)


May 21 (Bradgate, Iowa tornadoes)


May 22 - 23 (Hallam, Nebraska tornado; Columbus, NE supercell and Hallam damage survey)


May 24 (Washington County, Kansas Tornado and possible Lyndon, Kansas (Topeka area) )


May 25 - 28 (Western Oklahoma and Abilene, Texas area storms, angry cows, weird drugs and a cool turtle )


May 29 - 30 (Jamestown area, Kansas tornadoes (Cloud, Republic and Mitchell Counties))
A tornado outbreak

During this trip, I chased with the the following chasers: Ron Gravelle,Jack Kertzie, Jason Persoff, M.D and Jeff Piotrowski. Thanks to Jason Politte,Jim Leonard of Cyclone Tours and Charles Edwards of Cloud 9 Tours,Dave Lewison, and Jack Kertzie for help with data and nowcasting. Jason and Dave can get almost as excited watching a storm on radar as when actually chasing. I also received updates from Tim Vasquez's Chase Hotline.

All photos and pictures are copyright 2004 William T. Hark, M.D except as noted. My pictures are either video captures using a Sony TRV-900 mini DV or scanned slides from a Nikon FG and Fuji Velvia film. Video stills have been slightly adjusted with Photoshop for viewing on a computer monitor.

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Please E-mail me with questions, comments and complaints. Wthark@aol.com
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