Andy Gabrielson

Today marks the third anniversary of the death of storm chaser Andy Gabrielson. He was killed on February 4, 2012 near Tulsa, Oklahoma in a headon collision caused by a intoxicated individual driving the wrong way on Interstate 44. Andy was returning home to Minnesota after chasing in North Texas the previous day. In fact the Dallas/Fort Worth ABC affiliate WFAA-TV did an extensive story on Mr. Gabrielson’s chasing adventure in North Texas just 24 hours before his death. They did a follow-up report after his death was announced that I found was very tasteful and well put together. You can find that story from WFAA-TV here. with the video report below.

My personal opinion is that Andy Gabrielson was easily on his way to becoming the next huge star of storm chasing as a whole. He was known for getting right up on tornadoes to a point where you could see a video and know he was the one who filmed it. His videos were amazing because of those close shots – but also extremely dangerous in some circumstances. Andy’s footage had been aired on dozens of networks across the world and he made a pretty penny from his storm chasing adventures. Others in a similar position have been known for having a rather ‘confident’ personality if you get my meaning. Those who talked to and knew Andy would agree with me in saying he was one of the most approachable folks out there. He would take the time, even during a busy storm chase, to talk to anyone who approached him. Mr. Gabrielson was a kind, caring, and down to earth man who continues to be deeply missed by his family and those in the storm chasing community.

I’ve included some of my personal favorites of Andy’s footage in this article. I encourage you to visit his website at Find The Tornado and his YouTube channel for his complete video collection. There are dozens of great videos including several from the 2011 tornadoes in North Texas.