Photo courtesy George Kourounis
The TIV, before the addition of a rotating turret to house the IMAX camera. See more pictures of natural disasters.
Most people -- especially those living in the American Midwest -- know how to boost their chances of surviving a tornado. First, get into a basement or a storm cellar. If that's not possible, hide in an interior, windowless room, preferably under a mattress or blankets. Never stay in a car or a mobile home -- lying a ditch, while definitely uncomfortable in the middle of a severe storm, is a lot safer.
Some people ignore this advice and become tornado chasers, but even chasers generally stay about a mile away from a tornado -- close enough to see, but relatively out of danger. Anyone wanting a closer look, or to actually get a glimpse of the interior of a tornado, would need a heavy, armored vehicle that could withstand intense winds, debris and hail.
Thank You Thank you to Willy Cheng for his assistance with this article. |
That's exactly what IMAX cinematographer Sean Casey has built with his Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV). The TIV is big, heavy and armor plated. With it, Casey hopes to record a direct hit with a tornado and survive.
Read on to learn more about the TIV's armor and instruments, as well as what happens when it encounters a tornado.
