Sunday, May 30, 2004. The Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma has been predicting a major outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes across a large portion of the Midwest, including Indiana. I have been a storm spotter for the National Weather Service for several years, and Kathy just finished her first spotting class in March, so at around 11:00am we load up the car, fill the gas tank, and head off to the Indiana/Illinois border to await the development of storm cells in the high risk area. Our intent is to find a suitable location in West Central Indiana, wait for a storm cell to develop nearby, and track it east towards home. Kathy drives, while I navigate, monitor weather alerts, and keep an eye on the sky. The SPC was correct, and the following pictures were taken during the 12 hours that we spent in the field that day. Click on the image below to begin. Enjoy!