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By Thomas Westerholm
Life & Trends Reporter
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Brandon Copic was in pursuit of a tornado tearing across Illinois last week when his car took a startling hit.
An Ohio-based storm chaser, Copic was in Illinois for a supercell last week when he spotted the EF3 tornado that eventually tore over I-57, killing three people combined in Illinois and Indiana.
In a video posted to social media, Copic showed the massive tornado as it crossed the highway, bringing with it hail that is currently being measured to determine whether it set an Illinois record.
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For Copic, the hail was a shock—smashing through his windshield and leaving a splintering crack behind.
"Oh jeez!" Copic exclaimed as another piece of hail further shattered the glass. He pulled over to examine the damage and a pick-up truck pulled up next to him.
"Dude, stop," Copic called to the driver, "Don't drive into this."
'The raw power of nature'
The Kankakee tornado was destructive. In addition to claiming the lives of three people, it destroyed at least 30 houses in the Illinois city and more than 500 buildings across the state.
In an email to Newsweek, Copic said the supercell was, "quite the experience," running from Bloomington, Illinois to near South Bend, Indiana.
"It was raw, the feeling of knowing such a powerful tornado was coming so close to major cities knowing how at risk the people that are in the path," Copic said.
"While it is exciting to see the raw power of nature, it is at the same time just as disheartening knowing how these storms impact people's lives."
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The size of the hail was particularly startling, according to Copic—Trent Ford of Illinois' State Climate Extremes Committee told Newsweek that some hailstones from the storm measured more than six inches in diameter.
Copic added that the hail destroyed a windshield wiper, but only on his passenger side, so he continued chasing the tornado.
"You have moments of concern, but you have to continue to stay focused on the task at hand to keep yourself safe," he said.
'People come first'
As the tornado drew near to population centers, Copic said he became nervous—the powerful twister was a real threat.
He was very concerned for the pick-up driver who pulled up next to him, noting that the truck was actually pulling a trailer.
"I always do my best to stop people from putting themselves in a situation that they aren't aware of that could potentially take their lives," Copic said.
He added that his thoughts and prayers were with the families and communities affected by the storms.
"It is so difficult to balance the excitement of seeing such a powerful and beautiful tornado, but at the same time it can be so devastating to those involved," he said.
"At the end of the day people come first and no storm chasers would ever wish things like this would happen when communities and people are impacted.
"We do our best to serve the public and would always rather not see tornadoes than see what we saw in Kankakee and Lake Village."
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