Severe weather wreaked havoc across the northern Plains on Wednesday, unleashing a powerful wave of thunderstorms that left a trail of destruction in their wake. The storms generated ferocious winds, toppled a train, and spawned several tornadoes, creating a chaotic and terrifying scene across parts of North Dakota and South Dakota.
Among the most dramatic moments of the day were at least five tornadoes reported in the region, with one particularly large twister caught on video by FOX Weather Storm Tracker Brandon Copic. The video footage, which quickly spread across social media, shows the tornado churning across an open field before making its way onto a road near Mound City, South Dakota. The twister’s slow, menacing advance was marked by the sight of debris and large amounts of dirt being pulled into its vortex, while tree branches were seen flying through the air, hurled by the tornado’s immense power.
In Steele, North Dakota, a community that narrowly escaped the direct hit of a tornado, the storm’s ferocity was still felt. Powerful winds derailed a train just east of the town, a dramatic incident that highlighted the day’s dangers. According to Kendall Sloan, a spokesperson for BNSF, the train had come to a stop in Steele due to a Tornado Warning. “Approximately 43 empty coal cars derailed,” Sloan reported, adding that, fortunately, there were no injuries among the crew, and no hazardous materials were involved in the derailment.
Top tier supercell structure with a tornado! This is nuts! https://t.co/QHnLDSGFnE
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) August 29, 2024
The storms also brought widespread damage to the community of Tappen, North Dakota, where power poles were knocked down, further disrupting life in the area. The northern Plains were pelted with large hail, including reports of hailstones measuring up to 2.75 inches in diameter near Saint Anthony, North Dakota. The wind gusts were equally brutal, with a 69 mph gust recorded near Logan Center, North Dakota, and another 60 mph gust reported near Bismarck.
The severe weather also drew the attention of Reed Timmer, one of the most well-known and respected storm chasers in the world. Timmer, who holds a Ph.D. and gained fame on Discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers,” was on the ground during the storms and captured what he described as the “most insane tornado intercept ever.” This is not a statement to be taken lightly from a man whose career has been defined by close encounters with some of the most violent storms in history.
Timmer’s reputation for storm chasing is legendary, marked by moments like the harrowing El Reno tornado in 2013, where he famously rescued Mike Bettes of The Weather Channel after Bettes’ vehicle was hurled 200 yards off U.S. Route 81. In this recent storm, Timmer’s footage captured the raw and terrifying power of the tornado, offering viewers a front-row seat to nature’s fury.
For those accustomed to seeing sensational headlines online, the phrase “Most Insane Tornado Intercept Ever” might usually be dismissed as mere clickbait. But when it comes from Reed Timmer, a man who has spent decades chasing the world’s most dangerous storms, it’s a claim that carries weight. The footage is indeed a chilling reminder of the destructive power that tornadoes wield, and why storm chasers like Timmer continue to risk their lives to document these awe-inspiring, yet terrifying, natural phenomena.