Storm chasers track tornadoes as they touch down in Kansas
DODGE CITY, Kan. (FOX 13) - Storm chasers in Kansas followed as black clouds sprouted tornadoes Friday night.
News 9 Storm Trackers Val and Amy Castor from KWTV/KOTV were driving near Meade, Kansas when clouds began to swirl.
As they drove down a highway, the beginnings of a twister tossed a semi tractor-trailer onto its side, right in front of them. The driver seemed to be alert inside the truck as bystanders checked on him.
Within minutes, a monster tornado had formed west of Minneola, Kansas, according to the crew.
As the tornado moved, the crew followed, watching as it made a "direct hit" on a mobile home. After checking the home, they determined the people had gotten out before the tornado hit.
The storm tracked northeast, between Oakley and Wichita, in Ford County, and moved toward Dodge City.
About 15 minutes after Val and Amy watched the first tornado form, around 10:15 p.m. EDT, a second twister appeared to touch down within their view. By that time, they were using night vision cameras to watch the funnels move northeast.
As tornadoes continued to spin, the storm chasers spotted a grass fire caused by downed power lines, five miles east of Windhorst, Kansas.
In the night vision views, about an hour after they spotted the first tornado touch down, lightning sporadically lit up the black sky, showing the wedge-shaped storm.
They were forced to turn around when they reached an area where downed power lines blocked the roadway.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
This story was reported from Tampa, Florida.