In the spring of 2013,
TWISTEX was conducting lightning research (including with a
high-speed camera) when active tornadic periods ensued in mid to late May. Young drove a
Chevrolet Cobalt to the
Oklahoma City area along with Tim and Paul Samaras. At 6:23 p.m. on May 31, 2013, three members of the group were killed by a violent tornado with wind speeds estimated to have been in excess of near the
Regional Airport of
El Reno, Oklahoma. The TWISTEX vehicle was struck and thrown by a subvortex, which generate the highest winds; some of these were moving at within the parent tornado. Shortly before they were killed, Young noted how there was no rain around the vehicle as the wind grew "eerily calm". Tim Samaras responded: "Actually, I think we're in a bad spot." The tornado was sampled by
University of Oklahoma RaXPol radar as wide, the widest tornado ever recorded. The true size of the
multiple-vortex tornado confused onlookers by its mammoth proportions containing orbiting subvortices larger than average tornadoes and its expansive transparent to translucent outer circulation. The strong
inflow and outer-circulation winds in conjunction with rocky roads and a relatively underpowered vehicle also hampered driving away from the tornado. The tornado simultaneously took an unexpected sharp turn, closing on their position as it rapidly accelerated within a few minutes from about to as much as in forward movement and swiftly expanded from about to wide in about 30 seconds, and was mostly obscured in heavy
precipitation, It was the first known instance of a storm chaser or a meteorologist killed by a tornado. Young's body was found miles away from the vehicle..|leftEven before it was known that Young and the two other passengers had been killed, the event led many to question storm-chasing tactics, particularly in close proximity to tornadoes. In addition to the three TWISTEX members, the tornado killed five other people, including local resident Richard Charles Henderson, who had decided to follow the storm. Atmospheric scientists and storm chasers embarked on a major project to gather information and analyze what happened regarding chaser actions and meteorological occurrences. A makeshift memorial was established at the site soon after the incident and a
crowdfunded permanent memorial, spearheaded by Doug Gerten, the deputy who first found the vehicle wreckage, was later established, although it was vandalized in late March 2016, with the monument struck by bullets and the American flag cut away from the flagpole. == See also ==