I’m back in the 405, yeah
Toby Keith
It’s always great to go back to your old stomping grounds and this time was no different. After being on the road for three days, I was looking forward to a few days out of the truck and catching up with friends from my days at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
I find it truly fascinating how the human memory works. When I lived in Norman, I often went storm chasing. Certain experiences, both good and harrowing, get permanently seared into your memory. You remember every detail vividly – the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the feelings. The feelings usually went to one of two extremes:
- Absolutely ecstatic and excited. You took that perfect picture of a tornado ripping across the open prairie. The storm was never a threat to any structures or civilization
- The epitome of “holy shit” moments.
Reflecting on My Fondest Storm Chasing Memory
Coming in on Interstate 40 from Amarillo always brings back 2 distinct storm chasing memories. The first, ironically, happened nowhere close to I-40, and in fact didn’t even happen in Oklahoma, but I digress. On May 19, 2012, I photographed seven tornadoes near Harper, Kansas, about 20 miles from the Oklahoma State Line.
Every decision I made that day turned to gold, and Mother Nature rewarded me with a front-row seat all to myself of the only tornadoes to strike the Great Plains that day. All of the other chasers were in Nebraska chasing a triple point that ended up busting.
Back to the present day, I pulled off of I-40 in Weatherford, Oklahoma to gas up at one of my favorite truck stops. It seemed like I fueled up at that truck stop just about every time I chased storms in western Oklahoma. When I pulled up to the pump, there was one memory that instantly came right back: the May 31, 2013 El Reno tornado.
Looking Back at the May 31, 2013 El Reno Tornado
On May 31, 2013, I watched that El Reno storm from a safe distance behind the dryline. I holed up on a dirt road south of Weatherford for most of the afternoon as one of the most powerful tornadoes in Oklahoma history tore its way down I-40, bulls-eyed for downtown Oklahoma City. Dopper radar measurements confirmed wind speeds of at least 296 mph.
After the sun went down, I made my way back to the truck stop in Weatherford. I planned to wait for authorities to re-open I-40 and then head home. I didn’t realize that after the tornado lifted, the storm dropped over a foot of rain over parts of the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas, including Norman, causing massive flooding and more havoc.
One of the More Harrowing Drives I’ve Undertaken
By 11 PM that night, I-40 was still closed. So were all the other east-west roads I would have taken to get home. Authorities announced that it would not re-open until the next day. This left me with one option. I had to take back roads to get home. My best option was Highway 9, but it was a flip of a coin whether it would be flooded. I knew if I could make it to Interstate 35, I could get home. I took a gamble. If I ran into flooded roads, I would keep diverting south until I reach I-35. If I have to drive all the way to Texas, so be it.
The trip home that night was one of the sketchier things I’ve ever done. Every hill I went over, and every corner I went around, I constantly wondered whether the road would be underwater on the other side. More importantly, would I be able to stop before reaching the edge of the water? I got incredibly lucky that night. Highway 9 was dry the whole way to I-35, and I made it home to Norman without incident, despite Oklahoma City being underwater.
Another Great Visit
This trip was another fantastic trip to Norman. We ate plenty of good food, played plenty of our favorite NBA video game, and had plenty of good laughs. We also got to partake in one of our favorite pastimes of poking fun at the local weathermen on TV. It’s time to get back on the road and head for my next stopover in Canada, and I’m already looking forward to stopping in Norman again on my return trip in a couple of weeks.
