KSWB DOW7 Nearly DESTROYED — EF4 Tornado Lifts and Drags the Radar Truck

The KSWB team deployed the DOW7 for a standard scanning operation, never intending to intercept the tornado directly. But as the EF4 rapidly intensified and shifted direction, every planned escape route was suddenly cut off. With the tornado closing in faster than expected, the DOW7 was trapped. The inflow winds slammed into the radar truck, lifting the DOW7 off the ground and throwing it sideways before dragging it across a field. Inside, the KSWB crew fought to stay stable as debris blasted past the windows and the radar recorded 150 mph winds — possibly even higher. Shaken and barely recovered, the team was forced to deploy again immediately as the tornado hooked back toward their position. What was supposed to be a safe, controlled data‑collection mission turned into the most terrifying experience the KSWB team has ever lived through. This was not an intercept. This was a DOW caught in the wrong place at the worst possible moment. Watch the full event as the DOW7 is lifted, dragged, battered, and pushed to its limits while capturing rare, high‑resolution data from a violent EF4 tornado.