Scott Peake and Isaac Pato were in the vicinity of Rowlett, Texas on Saturday night when a large, deadly tornado swept through. They captured rare nighttime storm chase video as the large tornado caused significant damage to the northeast side of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, including in Rowlett.
The tornado -- which some witnesses described as being as wide as a half-mile at times -- appears when illuminated by lightning or power flashes from blown transformers or power lines. On Sunday, the National Weather Service declared that the Rowlett tornado has been preliminarily rated an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with winds of up to 165 miles per hour.
Another, stronger tornado struck the community of Garland, and this was rated as an EF-4.
Scott and Isaac are co-founders of the Basehunters storm chasing team, whose mission is to capture and share compelling severe weather footage and photos. They posted this video to their Youtube and Facebook channels late on Saturday.
Our survey crews are working hard in the field with local officials. We will pass on any new info regarding damage as they come in. #dfwwx— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) December 27, 2015