Topic: Car smashing gorilla hail near Casino, NSW: 9 November 2004

[Michael Bath]

Amazing it's been four years since this "incident" which resulted in the first and only insurance claim I've had.

While storm chasing about 10ks south of Casino in Northeast NSW we drove from just rain into giant hail - there was no small hail, the first stone to hit the car smashed the windscreen.

Please note it is not me freaking out during the commentary - I was the silent driver !

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1934828/baseball_sized_hail_frightens_passenger/










---> All photos for 9th November 2004

Michael

[Michael Bath]

Radar loops show some of what happened: two supercells merged at the location of the giant hail south of Casino. One cell was heading SE and the other ENE - quite amazing. The collision of the two cells pretty much killed off the hail activity - it was just flash flooding further downstream.

---> Grafton 128km scale

---> Grafton 256km scale

---> Brisbane 128km scale


Moree and Brisbane soundings show quite a potent situation with an upper trough advancing across NSW.

Moree

Brisbane

[Jimmy Deguara]

Michael,

There is no mistakening the voice in the video and it is definitely not yours. The footage is actually classic - the fear created by the end of your passenger outlines the reality of those who are to be a part of this activity called storm chasing which has its own risks.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[nmoir]

Heh , heh , heh   "That smokes!"  "turn the car around , we gotta get out of here" ...........awesome

its quite funny that i have spent years trying to destroy my car in that manner yet failed

[TroyVR]

how bad was the damage.

Funny vid, guy does worse commentary than me

[Richary]

Interesting on several levels. The first is the storm that came in from the NW, from my time living at Coraki years ago that was quite unusual to have a strong storm coming in from that direction. And it travelled a fair way as well.

Secondly you were lucky you had one of the windscreens that cracks instead of shattering into tiny pieces. Imagine those buggers landing in your lap while trying to drive!

I will have to try and do that to the Suzuki, insurance value is a lot more than resale value as it has been used for 4WDing!

[Michael Bath]

There certainly was a concern the hail would break through and start hitting us.  If I did a claim now the insurance company would write the car off - which would mean I'd have to spend a lot more getting a new car rather than keeping a car I know goes well, despite all the dents which don't bother me at all.

[Macca]

Its a funny sensation the first time you are in a car getting pounded by massive hail.  Once the windscreen breaks, you aren't sure whether it is going to shatter in, you don't know if other windows are about to go, and you don't know if you've seen the biggest hail or if its going to get even bigger.  Those uncertanties create the fear you hear in the voice on the video.  The second time isn't much easier, although I certainly noticed the difference in my reactions - although being in Australia for #1 and the US for #2 also meant different reactions.  Here you don't expect the hail to get much bigger than 7-8cm.  It wouldn't be nearly as uncommon to be facing hail in the 10-12cm range in the US if you are really unlucky (or lucky...hehe). 

I see Nick that you want to experience the gorillas on the car.  My next experience is that I want to be outside (under shelter) and experience the gorillas to see what its like (although I'd be just as happy in my car again...).

In terms of the storm approaching from the NW, some of the most severe storms in Australia have come from the NW.  It is often the most favourable shear set up for the "best" severe storms (in my opinion).  Its definitely not the most common, but it is the most favourable (for various reasons which I won't go into unless people want me to). 

Thanks for sharing this again Michael.  It was certainly an interesting day. 

Macca

[Mike]

Top stuff.  Sort of a contradiction in terms - 'Turn the car around and lets get outa here'!  Bit late when you don't know when the next lot is going to hit!  I actually thought you guys were headed for the tree line or actually in the bush to try to avoid the hail...Jimmy def sounded concerned - as one might well be in such a situation!

Thanks for sharing that moment MB - very entertaining.

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi guys,

There are a couple of concerns in this event.

First, Michael is asked to turn the car around which - not sure if Michael had the best vision - but with such low visibility doing it right away 'in shock" of the passenger's demand, could have been one major concern if someone happened to be driving down the road. Although not in the video beyond them driving away, the passenger reaches out without warning and hits the horn whilst Michael is still driving. Had he hit the steering wheel, that could have meant disaster from a head on!

Second, the passenger's lack of control in this event is frightening and basically means the person has suffered the knock out punch in storm chasing. For what I do in terms of entering cores, that would mean this person should no longer be considered a partner in serious chasing. These are events that can happen to anyone. This was not a deliberage entry to get giant hail but regardless of the fact, this was what eventuated and there should be a quick adjustment process as Michael has done by remaining calm.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Michael Bath]

As soon as the hail hit I pulled over to the side of the road - it's a very nice piece of straight country road at the location. I recall being very much in control of the vehicle and concentrating during the u-turn and the drive back north out of it - probably half the reason why I said nothing. Yes - we could have stayed put and waited for it to pass over. Although Dave did freak out in the hail it was great that the event was documented on video!

I think this experience has made later hail experiences more enjoyable - ie. not being so worried about large hail effects on a vehicle. 

Macca - if you feel motivated start another thread about the SE moving storms

[Richary]

Second, the passenger's lack of control in this event is frightening and basically means the person has suffered the knock out punch in storm chasing. For what I do in terms of entering cores, that would mean this person should no longer be considered a partner in serious chasing.

I don't know if I quite agree, though perhaps the partner should have been in the back seat. If the driver is experienced and in control they would be focussing on what was happening, the road, other traffic and so on. After all, hitting something like that with no experience would be a scary experience if you were that way inclined that way. That said, having lived through it they may well have learned that it isn't going to kill you and be a better person for that.

One experience I had was driving from Tenterfield to Casino. Coming into Casino the heavens opened with lots of lightning and hail to marble or maybe slightly larger size). My ex wife hated lightning, and at the time I was driving a Mazda with a sunroof so it was nice and visible. The rain/hail was sufficiently heavy to make it advisable to find a safe spot to pull over as visibility was stuff all. She was freaking but I quite enjoyed it. That would have been in the late 80s. As we went through Casino there was severe local flooding but my parents in Lismore hadn't got a drop. So it could well have been one of those storms from the NW.

Another experience which I have mentioned before was standing on the back deck of the place at Narara near Gosford years ago. Watching storms all around (we had a 270 degree view) but nothing close. All of a sudden I a bolt hit the tree in the backyard 10 metres away with no warning. Beautiful shower of golden sparks coming up. I didn't remember any noise but the ex said it was very loud. For the next 6 months I had constant dreams of close but silent lightning strikes while being out in the open. Then suddenly had a dream where I heard the noise and that was the last one. Funny how the mind deals with things.

Guess what I am saying is the passenger panicked at the time. After that it either would have scared them off or they would have dealt with it and realised once they had dealt with it they were never in any real danger of serious injury/death. And if a car gets damaged that is irrelevant in the scheme of things of personal injury. Could well have made them a stronger person.

Michael is probably the only one who can shed light if they went on to keep chasing or not.

[Jimmy Deguara]

Without attempting to divert the topic from its's original intent, I will say your opion is respected here and you have built a valid argument.

However, all I can say is each person to their own. In my vehicle, anyone who panics like that and makes unnecessary acts such as blowing the horn to warn others approaching vehicles or other potentially dangerous acts - whether in the front or back - is no longer a partner in serious chasing! To this date, besides those who have gotten bored and wanting to go home early etc, not one of all the partners from over the years has paniced in this way - not even females! Everyone has kept their cool and worked as a team. Once you get to this level of serious storm chasing including intercepting giant hail and tornadoes, panic is simply too risky. We are not talking about a trip where the family somehow gets caught in a violent storm - we are talking about a storm chaser who had been chasing for at least 3 years prior to this event! I think their place is chasing from the safety of a lookout or vantage point away from harm's way. Michael handled himself very calmly despite this being his first time with a cracked windshield.

Back on topic - the footage is incredible but I would rather have heard the pounding on the metal panels.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Richary]

Fully agree Jimmy, and of course didn't know the person in question had been "chasing" for 3 years before that. Panic isn't a valid response to any situation as it stops you thinking clearly about how to get out of it safely. I hope whoever David is they gained from the experience (that's what life is all about).

I commend Michael on his calmness in the situation.

Pretty serious storm and I would probably have had a number of emotions running through the mind if I had driven into it without warning. But given my reaction to other situations in the past the "you can't stop it, just deal with it" reaction would likely have come to the fore. Nowadays of course technology helps chasers stay just out of the worst of it (if they want to) with things like radar plots and so on available via mobile internet (if you are in range of course).

I would still love to go on a serious storm chase with someone experienced. I can provide a laptop with Telstra 3G data and a good camera :-)