0:00:05 > 0:00:07'Meet a girl I know called Sam.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14'She's got a condition called EB that makes her as delicate as a butterfly.'
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- SHE LAUGHS - No!
0:00:19 > 0:00:24You're just talking absolute crap! What are you like?
0:00:24 > 0:00:29'Yeah, it's fair to say Sam is far from delicate. Oh, and there's just one more thing.'
0:00:29 > 0:00:34- Haven't you got something to tell us about yourself? - Er, well, I love stormchasing.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41'That's right, Sam is a tornado chaser.'
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Whoo-hoo-hoo! Tornado started going off. We've done it!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48The whole thing is just swirling!
0:00:48 > 0:00:50That is insane!
0:00:52 > 0:00:56'Every year, massive storms steam across the USA.'
0:00:56 > 0:01:01Wow! Go, go! We got to move!
0:01:03 > 0:01:05HE SHOUTS
0:01:08 > 0:01:12'And every year, Sam is right behind them.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16'This time round, I did my best to keep up with her.'
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Excited. Adrenaline kicking in.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22This is really quite dangerous.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28'But nothing could prepare us for what was about to come.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:33Man, we haven't had a tornado hit through here in 20 years. I guess that changed today.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37SHE GASPS
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Oh, my God. This is unbelievable.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45I can't... No, I...
0:02:04 > 0:02:07'Sam Hall is a Warrington lass born and bred.'
0:02:07 > 0:02:10I'm like most girls. I like to wear a bit of makeup.
0:02:10 > 0:02:17I just look less pale and, I don't know, it just makes you feel better, so that's what I do.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Yes! Nice one!
0:02:24 > 0:02:28I can't hold the pencil, you know, with one hand,
0:02:28 > 0:02:33so it's difficult to gauge where you are and stuff,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37but sometimes it goes on no problem and sometimes it's a real pain,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41- so it depends how long I've got... - SHE LAUGHS
0:02:41 > 0:02:43..before I've got to go out.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54She was such a beautiful little baby, she really was.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58A right plump little thing, as well. SHE LAUGHS
0:03:00 > 0:03:05'Sam came into this world 28 years ago after a totally normal pregnancy.'
0:03:05 > 0:03:09I felt as though everything was so natural.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14I said how lovely she looked and everybody was very quiet
0:03:14 > 0:03:16and I thought, "There's something wrong here"
0:03:16 > 0:03:20and then a nurse came to say, "I'm sorry, we've just got to take Samantha away
0:03:20 > 0:03:25"to get a doctor in to have a look at her, there's something not quite right".
0:03:25 > 0:03:27So I didn't know what on earth was the matter.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It was just unbelievable,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33because nobody in the hospital knew what it was.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36And when she was born, they put her over into this cubicle
0:03:36 > 0:03:41and I could see right through her skin and see her veins and everything.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44It was, erm...quite...
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Well, it was frightening.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49We were in a daze, really, to be honest with you.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57'She had been born with Epidermolysis Bullosa, or EB,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01'a rare hereditary condition that makes the skin very fragile.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07'The slightest friction or pressure on Sam's skin results in sores
0:04:07 > 0:04:11'and to protect her, she has to wear bandages 24 hours a day.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18'EB can also have a profound effect on life expectancy.'
0:04:22 > 0:04:25With my particular type of EB,
0:04:25 > 0:04:32erm, anywhere that does majorly become wounded will scar,
0:04:32 > 0:04:37and that's why I don't have properly formed toes and I don't have properly formed hands.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Could I just have some round there?
0:04:42 > 0:04:46I will be honest, when we go on holiday and we're chasing,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I do sometimes, when we're back at the motel
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and we're tired after a long day's drive and whatnot,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55I do kind of... I don't want to be bothered with it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58I will be honest there.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00But it's just something that I have to do,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03so I just get on with it, really.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Thank you.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08It's very easy to become melancholy and whatnot,
0:05:08 > 0:05:14but you've got to keep going, you've got to say "come on", you know?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17If it's done, it's done, and you've got to get on with it,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21you've go to adjust your life to that, which is what we did.
0:05:21 > 0:05:27People compare us to butterflies because our skin is supposed to be as fragile as a butterfly's wing,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32but I think it'd be fair to say that I'm not fragile, really.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36SHE SQUEALS
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- SHE LAUGHS - I want to pop like that!
0:05:40 > 0:05:45'In a few days time, Sam is heading across the Atlantic to track down some wild weather.
0:05:45 > 0:05:51'But a girl can't go stormchasing without looking her best, so there's only one thing for it.'
0:05:51 > 0:05:55They're nice, aren't they? They're not the right type, though, for me.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00'Sam has a team of carers to help her in her everyday life.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03'But she's heading to Tornado Alley without them.'
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- Bra.- Yeah, I like that. I like that. Nice that, isn't it?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- Cute.- Do you want me to hold it. - No, you're all right, thank you, darling.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17- It's got a monkey on it. - Aww.- What you trying to say? - SHE LAUGHS
0:06:18 > 0:06:23She can be a bit feisty. SHE LAUGHS
0:06:23 > 0:06:25No, she's OK. She's fine.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30I don't know whether feisty is the word or not.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34You reckon? SHE LAUGHS
0:06:36 > 0:06:40But she did enjoy her days growing up
0:06:40 > 0:06:45from her first birthday party to her 21st birthday party.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48She's always enjoyed life to the full
0:06:48 > 0:06:52and we've made sure that we could make her as happy as possible.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56She was a little daredevil, I can tell you that.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59She used to fall over quite a bit.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04Instead of putting her hands out to save her, she used to fall on her nose
0:07:04 > 0:07:09My gran used to call her Rosy Nose, because she'd always got this scab on her nose
0:07:09 > 0:07:11where the skin had been taken off.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16But we just had to... We just brought her up as normally as we could.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20We taught her how to ride a bike and our hearts were in our mouths,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23but we just did that, we just did what we could.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28She's always smiling, she's always got a smile on her face, although she's in pain.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31I know she's in pain 24 hours a day.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35But she's... Yeah, she's great. Yeah.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38THEY LAUGH
0:07:38 > 0:07:43'Sam may be just one of the girls, but she's also a massive storm geek.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48'She's the editor of the International Journal of Meteorology.'
0:07:51 > 0:07:54I stormchase because I love it and I'm a weirdo
0:07:54 > 0:07:58and it's just my passion and that's it.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Some people's passion is sitting out there painting
0:08:01 > 0:08:05or stamp collecting or whatever, and mine is stormchasing.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'But no-one stormchases by themselves. You need a technical whizz.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14'And who better a wingman than big brother Keith?'
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Sam wanted to go stormchasing and I kind of thought,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20"Well, yeah, I wouldn't mind having a go at that."
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Erm, not only for the stormchasing,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27but to kind of look after Sam, as well,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31because with her condition, it's difficult.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34At first, it was really worrying.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38At first we thought, "Oh, dear, oh, dear". But they're following, they're chasing them.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Rather than the tornado chasing them, it's the other way round,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44so they...
0:08:44 > 0:08:49And they seem to... She just loves everything to do with the weather. Yeah.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57'It's just 12 hours to go before Sam boards a plane to the States.'
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- ..one side.- Yeah, that side.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05'So her helper Kerry and brother Keith have come over to lend a hand
0:09:05 > 0:09:09'with the thousands of dressings Sam will have to take on the trip.'
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Left hand.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Right hand. Thank you.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18This is the tenth pack.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21I've got one pack in my hand luggage
0:09:21 > 0:09:26and this one is the last one to go in my medical case, I think.
0:09:26 > 0:09:3130 tubes of the hydrocortisone cream. Two of them.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36- Yep. OK. And that's it! And then if you could tie it in a... - Yep.- Cheers.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40- Yay!- All done. - Wicked. Thank you, darling.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Bon voyage!
0:09:42 > 0:09:47'And it's a goodbye to the safety net that all Sam's helpers provide.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56'Record-breaking storms have been coursing across America
0:09:56 > 0:09:59'but far from nervous, Sam's buzzing.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02'And there's one thing she wants to see above all else.'
0:10:02 > 0:10:05I'd like to see a proper, big, fat, wedge tornado
0:10:05 > 0:10:09that only goes across fields. That would be absolutely amazing.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14It's wider than it is tall, so it looks like a wedge.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18It's just a wedge in the atmosphere and it can be up to two miles wide.
0:10:18 > 0:10:24It's just a major excitement to be seeing Mother Nature doing its worst. Aghh! It's amazing.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- I can't wait! - SHE SQUEALS
0:10:35 > 0:10:40"Thank you for waiting, ladies and gentlemen. Customers in group three..."
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Long journey ahead of us now. Eight hours or so flight
0:10:44 > 0:10:48and then we've got about a six-hour drive to our hotel,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52so that should be fun. So hopefully I'll get a nice kip on the plane.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59I'm hopeful for the next couple of days, to be honest, that things will kick off.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03This year could be the big year. Let's hope so.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Fingers crossed! Everything crossed!
0:11:05 > 0:11:07SHE LAUGHS
0:11:09 > 0:11:12OK, thank you.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26'Sam's destination - the Midwest.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32'A huge expanse of land famous for epic highways,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36'one-horse towns and endless skies.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41'Its other name...
0:11:45 > 0:11:48'..Tornado Alley.'
0:11:48 > 0:11:49Wow!
0:11:52 > 0:11:56- 'Tornados are huge rotating columns of air.'- Don't move!
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'From beautiful, picturesque funnels
0:11:59 > 0:12:01'to monstrous wedges.'
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Oh, jeez, what's that hitting? Oh, no!
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- SIREN BLARES - 'Miles across,
0:12:08 > 0:12:14'whirling masses that hurl cars and will obliterate anything in their path.'
0:12:16 > 0:12:18David, come on!
0:12:18 > 0:12:22'What's more, they are notoriously lethal.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30'And Sam won't rest till she's come face-to-face with one.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41'After flying across the Atlantic and an eight-hour drive,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45'they're up early the next day and can't wait to get on the road.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50'But first they need to set up specialist storm-tracking equipment
0:12:50 > 0:12:55'that will help them get into the best position to try and catch a glimpse of the elusive twisters.'
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- Get on the road! - 'Not to mention make a couple of adjustments for Sam.'
0:12:59 > 0:13:04These are straps so Sam can get her hand in to open the door.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'But they still need to get used to the car.'
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- Push it in.- Oh! - SHE LAUGHS
0:13:13 > 0:13:16- Ah. It's stinging.- Oh, no, Keith!
0:13:20 > 0:13:23'Tornado Alley is a vast expanse of land
0:13:23 > 0:13:28'and they'll have to drive thousands of miles just to have a chance of seeing a twister.'
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Hang on a minute, is Sam driving the whole way?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34I do drive all the time, yeah.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39If I do feel tired, we stop over at rest stops and stuff like that.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40No way am I going to kill myself,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42or definitely not my brother.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Keith tends to navigate. He does brilliantly through the storms.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48How he does it, I don't have a clue.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52But I enjoy it. It's what I love to do.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56- So, yeah. - SHE LAUGHS
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- Whoo! - SHE LAUGHS
0:14:09 > 0:14:15'Keith's laptop receives live data so they can predict where the worst weather is going to be.
0:14:17 > 0:14:24'The kit's up and running and it's telling them that the storms are hundreds of kilometres to the east.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29'It's going to be a very long drive.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47'Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54'96 degrees and the outlook, sunny.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02'And Sam and Keith are holed up in their hotel room looking for a storm cloud to sit under.'
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Yeah, we've got a bit of wind veer here, not much,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10but it's still not great. We really want wind shear, don't we?
0:15:10 > 0:15:13But it's going to be clear skies probably and really sunny
0:15:13 > 0:15:17and just nothing happening at all. Cos there's no moisture, either,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and that is one of the key things you need to get thunderstorms going.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23There's just not going to be any storms for the next few days.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27'Things are not going Sam's way
0:15:27 > 0:15:32'so it's another drive a couple of hundred kilometres to the east.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'Memphis, Tennessee.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45'Most tourists to the region flock to Elvis's grave,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49'but Sam and Keith are only interested in seeing the floods
0:15:49 > 0:15:52'that recent storms have brought to the area.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58'And even though there is no bad weather brewing now,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00'Sam is still confident.'
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Yeah, there's no storms likely, not around this area, anyway,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08anywhere that we need to be,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11so the next couple of days, we'll mosey on northwest
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and hopefully get in a good position for probably Monday.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17So that'll be cool.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Come on, give us a good gust of wind.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25I'm just taking a wind speed reading. It's maxing out at about 12 knots at the moment.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27It's not mega wind.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30I can't stand up in an over 25 mile-an-hour wind.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- It blows me away! - SHE LAUGHS
0:16:44 > 0:16:48'Every couple of days, Sam changes all her dressings,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52'a job that was down to Mum for the first 19 years of Sam's life.'
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Fran was absolutely fantastic. I can't praise her enough.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02She's been marvellous with her. Absolutely marvellous.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05She bore the brunt of doing the dressings and whatnot
0:17:05 > 0:17:09because I was working, of course. I did what I could when I got in.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14We were doing dressings, I think it was every day or every other day.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18From start to finish, about three hours.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20It got longer as she grew,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23so there was more areas to cover.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Sometimes it was really heartbreaking,
0:17:25 > 0:17:30because some of the dressings were stuck and you had to soak them off in the bath.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33The bath stung her skin.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36It was a bad time. A bad time. But we got through it,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40made her comfortable and happy and smiley.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43And then she became independent.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Well, she's always been sort of independent.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50And she decided she would live on her own,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53which was nice, it was nice for us,
0:17:53 > 0:17:58although we were always a bit apprehensive. Was she going to be OK?
0:18:00 > 0:18:05'Sam has to change her dressings regularly to avoid life-threatening infections
0:18:05 > 0:18:07'and to keep an eye out for cancerous growths.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09'It's a massive job.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14'Back home, it would take Sam and a helper three or four hours.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'In Tornado Alley, she has to do it by herself.'
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I've just taken my pain relief.
0:18:20 > 0:18:27Basically, all over my body, I've areas that are pretty average, if you like,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30in sizes and stuff,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33but I am covered from here all the way down,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37so I've got to take into account everything.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Everything is cut up, practically ready.
0:18:40 > 0:18:4311 packs of these,
0:18:43 > 0:18:49which is probably about 400 of the clear stuff
0:18:49 > 0:18:53and about 200-odd of the other stuff, so a lot of dressings.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58I can't see a needle, either. I need a needle to burst my blisters.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04I annoyingly have had quite a few whilst I've been here, so some areas are worse than others.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Agh! Stop sticking to it! Get off! Agh!
0:19:08 > 0:19:13It's a nightmare to an extent, but it's just something you live with and you've got to do it.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17It's only three weeks of my life. Yes, it annoys me. Yes, it gets in the way.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22But what doesn't? Life... Everyone's got something in their life, haven't they, that's annoying to them.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26I just get on with it. It just gets frustrating
0:19:26 > 0:19:29sometimes.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Like this will frustrate me right now, but it'll be funny.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Oh, my God, these scissors are a nightmare.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48They won't cut at the end. I don't know why.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54We're getting there. Slowly.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58But surely. Agh!
0:20:01 > 0:20:05How come your brother doesn't help you with your dressings?
0:20:05 > 0:20:10Erm, Keith stays away, I think, because he likes to give me my privacy
0:20:10 > 0:20:14and he's very sensitive.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18He, you know... I think when he was younger,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22he'd take things hard if I was ill or whatever.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26It hurts to see her hurting.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Erm...
0:20:29 > 0:20:32There's not... There's nothing you can do about it.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Erm, it's...
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I'm very much a realist,
0:20:37 > 0:20:42and Sam wouldn't want pity, she doesn't want pity.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Yes. Got it.
0:20:44 > 0:20:50Erm, I remember being outside Dad's shop and Mum driving up and saying that
0:20:50 > 0:20:55her left foot, her little toes fused together.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I just... I just found that really upsetting at the time.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I can't explain why, but that's how it was.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12It's nice to not burden him with this, because he does a heck of a lot else.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16If I was desperate and I really needed his help,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18I know for a fact he'd help me.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22But, you know, it just takes a bit longer
0:21:22 > 0:21:25and I can do it myself, so why not?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28He needs his holiday, too. He needs his rest, as well.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31I do this hand first.
0:21:32 > 0:21:39She was a teenager and very, very nearly died, apparently. It was that close.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45So that was... That's scary. I mean, the other aspect of it is that you have to...
0:21:48 > 0:21:51You have to kind of think that she's not going to be around.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Well, you kind of, erm...
0:22:04 > 0:22:06You kind of just try not to think about it.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18My dad told me a good thing to help me with the pain
0:22:18 > 0:22:21when I'm taking my bandages off and stuff
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and that's to sing through the pain, basically.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28And it goes like...
0:22:28 > 0:22:30# I'm singing through the pain
0:22:30 > 0:22:33# I'm singing through the pain
0:22:33 > 0:22:36# What a glorious feeling
0:22:36 > 0:22:40# I'm happy again
0:22:40 > 0:22:43# I'm laughing at clouds
0:22:43 > 0:22:47# So dark up above
0:22:47 > 0:22:50# The sun's in my heart
0:22:50 > 0:22:54# And I'm ready for love
0:22:57 > 0:23:00'Two weeks in and Sam's on the tail of a fresh set of storms
0:23:00 > 0:23:03'that are coursing towards Oklahoma.'
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Finally, something has popped off.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12This is the best looking storm we've had all trip.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19RADIO: "The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning..."
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Did he say warning?
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Right, that means that there is severe rotation in this storm. Hee!
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Excited. Adrenaline kicking in.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Little bit nervous, cos I'm not quite sure where this thing is.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42- "The Weather Service has issued a tornado warning..." - Warning! I knew it!
0:23:42 > 0:23:45SHE LAUGHS AND SQUEALS
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Definitely... Ohh!
0:23:49 > 0:23:52That lightning is amazing!
0:23:53 > 0:23:55There is a tornado over there right now,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58moving 25 miles an hour northeast.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00So this is exciting.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08'With the storm churning towards them, Sam and Keith are in a great position to see the tornado.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13'But there's also the danger of being caught up in the violent twister.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17'And as the air prickles with energy, Sam hears confirmation over the emergency radio.'
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Definite tornados on the ground.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23About four possibly on the ground right now.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28It's just a pain that there is so much rain in there and hail and stuff so you can't see it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31That's why it's so dangerous. But it's fun, though, too!
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Yes! Tornado sirens going off. We've done it.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43'The sirens can mean only one thing.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47'The tornados are dangerously close and people are beginning to flee.'
0:24:47 > 0:24:52SHE LAUGHS AND SQUEALS
0:24:52 > 0:24:56We are literally back five miles from a tornado right now.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Well, probably even less than that now.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02They have to take warning now, the tornado sirens are going off.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04SHE SQUEALS
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Go to your shelter!
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Go home!
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Oh, wow! Look how dark it is over there!
0:25:13 > 0:25:17'More stormchasers flood in and as the twister steams towards them,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'the afternoon skies turn black as night.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24SHE SQUEALS
0:25:26 > 0:25:32'If there's any chance of seeing the tornado, they'll have to cut right through the thick of the storm.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41'But as it closes in around them, they realise there's nothing for it.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43'They'll have to beat a hasty retreat.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51'Even storm-nut Sam doesn't think it's worth risking life and limb for.'
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Even if there was the possibility of seeing the best tornado ever,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57we would never risk our lives to see a storm.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00The storms are always going to be there, so no way.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21'En route through Kansas, Sam hits the town of Greensburg.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24'It's a place close to her heart, as she studied the huge tornado
0:26:24 > 0:26:28'that killed 11 people as it swept through in 2007.'
0:26:42 > 0:26:45You can tell by this tree here, it's been completely debarked.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50And you can tell by all the trees that the wind has been slamming that way cos they're all bent.
0:26:50 > 0:26:57Erm, these brand new houses all round, you can see that they're pretty newly built.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01You can just tell that this place was just completely and utterly annihilated by that tornado.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Flattened. Absolutely flattened.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11'The physical scars in Greensburg may be healing,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13'but the emotional ones remain.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18'A local spots Sam and Keith and wants to talk about that fateful day.'
0:27:18 > 0:27:24- My name's Charlie Jones. - If you don't mind, tell us about the day Greensburg got hit.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Well, I'll tell you what. I had a little voice come to me and it was my mother.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- Oh, my. - My mother passed away in 1986.- Gosh.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36And she said, "Charles, sit still and you'll be all right."
0:27:36 > 0:27:41- And then it hit.- Oh, my God. - We had a Ryder truck slid across the highway,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45one of those four-engine trucks, slid across the highway, hit me right in the door.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50- Oh, my goodness. - My finger was dangling, so I took black tape and wrapped my finger up.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54I couldn't talk because I had a stick that was about 12 inches long
0:27:54 > 0:28:00- that went down my throat and stuck in the back.- Goodness me! You were so lucky!- I know.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04I walked up on a lady right over here next to the railway tracks
0:28:04 > 0:28:06- and she was all cut up in about three pieces.- Oh, gosh.
0:28:06 > 0:28:12- And I walked up on that. - I can't believe you're here.- I know. I'm here, though.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16- Yeah.- I'm here. - Keep safe in this bad weather.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Well, always listen to the voice in the back of your head. But if you ever get in a tornado and get hurt,
0:28:21 > 0:28:26- don't forget there's somebody else out there and you got to go looking for them.- We would do that.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- You got to look for them. - Definitely. We would.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- OK, you take care. - And you, Charlie. Bye.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08'With blue skies ahead, there's time for some housekeeping.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12'Even the most hardened stormchasers need to do their laundry.'
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Thank you.
0:29:14 > 0:29:20Now, is that... Will that get my stains out from my sores and stuff?
0:29:20 > 0:29:24- Have you got enough in there? - This is all we've got.- Oh, right. OK.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37'But storms are the only thing on Sam's mind.'
0:29:39 > 0:29:42I want a really nice, proper rotating mothership.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Yeah, that'd be great.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50- We might get a chance tomorrow. - Please! Please.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57I need a fix. I need a storm fix, without a shadow of a doubt.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03I'm bored of this heat and boring blue sky.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05- It's rubbish. - SHE LAUGHS
0:30:05 > 0:30:09- Total trash. - SHE LAUGHS
0:30:36 > 0:30:40- Hi!- Hi. Are you ready to order? - Yes, please.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Could I have, please, the baked potato with sour cream.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49- Could you please try and make it as soft as possible for me? - Sure.- Thank you.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53- And could I have some extra butter with it, as well?- Sure.- Thank you.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58- Er, I'll have the... On the specials, the sirloin, please.- OK.
0:31:04 > 0:31:09'While the Midwest is world famous for its hearty home cooking,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11'even eating can be a pain for Sam,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15'as her condition means she is as delicate on the inside as she is on the out.'
0:31:15 > 0:31:20- There you go.- Thank you very much. - You're very welcome.- Thank you.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25- Shall I hold it? - Yeah, please, if you can. Thank you!
0:31:26 > 0:31:34I need to sieve my food for two reasons. One is I've got a narrowing in my throat from scarring
0:31:34 > 0:31:37from blisters and stuff from a child and growing up.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42And it's preventative, as well, because I don't want any more blisters in there
0:31:42 > 0:31:45or blisters on my tongue or round my mouth and stuff,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49because once a blister occurs, it blocks the throat even more,
0:31:49 > 0:31:54so then I just can't swallow anything. It is difficult.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58'It's a time-consuming process, but the slightest lump could choke Sam.'
0:31:58 > 0:32:03It is scary and I hate it because it's such a struggle to even take my medicines and stuff.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07People don't realise, it's not just about the external,
0:32:07 > 0:32:13it's the internal, it's the worry of skin cancer as you get older,
0:32:13 > 0:32:17constant breakdown and blistering
0:32:17 > 0:32:21and...regeneration of the skin
0:32:21 > 0:32:23and...
0:32:23 > 0:32:26God, so many things.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30- Can I take that for you?- Oh, thank you.- Run that through the rinser.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32- Sure.- Oh, that's really kind.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37And it is fine. Rock on.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41'While life on the road is much more difficult for Sam, it's a price she's willing to pay.'
0:32:41 > 0:32:47I'm lucky enough to have found something that I deeply, deeply enjoy.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50I probably will have to stop at some point, definitely.
0:32:50 > 0:32:56Because if it gets to a point where I am needing a lot more care,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59then it's not going to be possible.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02So that's why it's like make the most of now, you know?
0:33:05 > 0:33:08- I don't want to think about that. - SHE LAUGHS
0:33:44 > 0:33:50'It's just days until the end of the trip and Sam hasn't seen any tornados yet.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56'But there's something brewing on the horizon.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02'The emergency radio has gone into overdrive.'
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Tornado warning,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07which is really exciting!
0:34:07 > 0:34:11RADIO: "The storm is located five miles west..."
0:34:11 > 0:34:14'A huge series of storms is ploughing through Missouri.'
0:34:14 > 0:34:18"Weather Service meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm..."
0:34:18 > 0:34:22'After 4,000 miles driving, it's been a long time coming.'
0:34:23 > 0:34:28'..a tornado capable of producing large damaging hail up to baseball size."
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Oooh!
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Oh, this is what we wanted!
0:34:34 > 0:34:38"..tracking a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado."
0:34:38 > 0:34:41SHE SQUEALS
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Excited, excited. Nervous about getting in the right position
0:34:48 > 0:34:52and nervous about what the roads might be doing, what road networks we've got.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56This is the best day we've had the whole trip.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01'But as they latch onto the storm, black skies spell danger.'
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Oh, wow.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11'The town is deserted. People have scurried away from what the storm might bring.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14'But Sam pushes on.'
0:35:14 > 0:35:18It gets that dark, birds think it's time to roost. They go to bed.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23'It's the most ominous storm they've seen,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27'but it's leading them down some rough roads.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30'The dirt tracks can quickly turn into a swamp
0:35:30 > 0:35:34'and a stuck car can be the difference between life and death.'
0:35:34 > 0:35:37The risks are definitely very strong wind gusts from this,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40hail and this road is not good, cos the back end slid round that corner.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43This is getting quite muddy now.
0:35:43 > 0:35:49- Any more rain on this road and... - Slow down a bit here.- I am.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52'Winds batter the car and their path is strewn with debris.'
0:35:52 > 0:35:57- Go over it. Go over it. Just go straight over it. - Straight over it?- Yeah.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Just get some momentum going.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02'Conditions are worsening by the second
0:36:02 > 0:36:04'and Sam is not happy.'
0:36:04 > 0:36:07I think we should turn round, don't you?
0:36:07 > 0:36:11'A false turn could put them in the path of a deadly tornado.'
0:36:11 > 0:36:14I'm not happy about this.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21- Jesus Christ.- 'There's an epic storm right next to them
0:36:21 > 0:36:24'but they can't see it for the trees.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28'Huge hail starts nailing the car.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33'The road is turning to mud and visibility is terrible.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39'This is every stormchaser's nightmare.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46Do you really think it's safe to be right near these trees? I don't want anything to fly through the window.
0:36:46 > 0:36:52There is baseball-size hail in this and if it shatters the windscreen, you're in a mess.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58'Finally they get onto a decent road, but the storm is just getting started.'
0:36:58 > 0:37:00We are right under it. It's just bonkers.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03- Go!- Go! Go! Go! Go!
0:37:05 > 0:37:07- Which way?- Right.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12'With lightning hammering down, Sam knows it's time to get out.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17'As the storm turns into something incredible.'
0:37:17 > 0:37:20THUNDER BOOMS
0:37:21 > 0:37:26This is absolutely beautiful. The rotation in the storm is absolutely mega.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31Right above us you can see the clouds going this way, that way, just swirling around.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34OK, let's go!
0:37:36 > 0:37:39This whole storm is definitely rotating.
0:37:39 > 0:37:44It's absolutely amazing to see. It just blows the mind.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Every storm is different. Every storm has something different to show you.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Definitely why I keep coming back, without a doubt.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59The whole thing is just swirling!
0:37:59 > 0:38:01That is insane!
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Whoo!
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Unbelievable!
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Very windy!
0:38:16 > 0:38:18SHE SCREAMS
0:38:19 > 0:38:24- Wow! - SHE SQUEALS
0:38:24 > 0:38:28- It's amazing! - 'This is one violent storm,
0:38:28 > 0:38:34- 'but Sam's ultimate goal is to see the tornados inside.' - Listen that! Beauty!
0:38:34 > 0:38:39- 'If they get too close, they're in trouble.'- Ohh!
0:38:45 > 0:38:47'But still they push on.'
0:38:47 > 0:38:51That was just unbelievable,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55to be as close as that to the thunder is just...
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Agh! I love that noise!
0:39:03 > 0:39:09I don't want to say! I don't want to say whether we'll see a tornado today or not.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Very, very, very difficult
0:39:11 > 0:39:15to... to get that final step.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18That's why it's the icing on the cake.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20I want it to drop a tornado on us now.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32'As they pass the turn-off to a town called Joplin, it's obvious that something is deeply wrong.'
0:39:32 > 0:39:37RADIO: "There is a large, damaging tornado in the Joplin area that has touched down there."
0:39:37 > 0:39:41'Traffic is gridlocked and emergency vehicles are struggling to get through.'
0:39:41 > 0:39:46"Large damaging hail up to baseball size that is still working its way
0:39:46 > 0:39:52"into western Christian, northern Stone and southwestern Greene counties in Southwest Missouri."
0:39:52 > 0:39:55SIREN BLARES
0:39:57 > 0:40:01'Further down the road, their path is completely blocked.'
0:40:01 > 0:40:06I think this is just a heightened alert. Maybe something has happened ahead, I don't know.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09We may have to turn around.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13This has just been an absolutely bonkers day.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18'It's a scene of confusion but one thing is clear.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23'The police road block means today's chase is over for Sam and Keith.'
0:40:30 > 0:40:32SIREN WAILS
0:40:39 > 0:40:42'As the road opens up, I get a glimpse of what's been happening.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48'A tornado has scythed through a neighbourhood.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55'Cars and boats tossed around.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00'Trees plucked from the ground and thrown like toys.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04'Homes torn apart.'
0:41:06 > 0:41:11We were watching from behind. I didn't know it touched the ground but Brandon said it did.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15And I came on through here and I couldn't believe what was going on.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23We haven't had a tornado hit through here in 20 years. Well, I guess that changed today.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29This is my trailer laid out in the yard.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Over there.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34If you can see it. There's my boat.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44I got no roof, walls gone.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Rebuild. Rebuild it, that's all I can do.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55We just finished this little house. I got Buddy, though.
0:42:08 > 0:42:13This tree here, man, over 100 years old. It's gone, man.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19This is a wonderful place to live, right here.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22Tornados just don't hit this area.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27- Apart from this year. - Yeah. Yeah. It happened this year.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39THUNDER BOOMS
0:42:42 > 0:42:46RADIO: "You're listening to FM 102.9, AM 1310."
0:42:46 > 0:42:52'The following morning, the reality of what's happened starts to become apparent.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56'The storms that Sam was chasing contained a set of vicious tornados.
0:42:56 > 0:43:01'Reports are coming in that the town of Joplin has been devastated.'
0:43:01 > 0:43:05RADIO: "Power crews are working to bring everyone back online.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08"Still reports of leaking gas around the city of Joplin.
0:43:08 > 0:43:13"The tornado that hit Joplin has caused significant damage to at least four school buildings in...
0:43:13 > 0:43:17"As far as how many people have been killed, that number is still elusive
0:43:17 > 0:43:21"but we have heard numbers kicked around in the 20s. But none that are confirmed so far.
0:43:21 > 0:43:26- "Something was on fire and I could see it because there was nothing standing."- "Yeah."
0:43:26 > 0:43:29"There's just nothing there."
0:43:32 > 0:43:35'Joplin is in lockdown.
0:43:35 > 0:43:40'There are more huge storms forecast and Sam's focus has shifted from chasing the storms
0:43:40 > 0:43:42'to warning others away from them.'
0:43:42 > 0:43:46I just hope that perhaps today we can be of benefit to people,
0:43:46 > 0:43:51because with everybody being so on the case of search and rescue,
0:43:51 > 0:43:56and people aren't aware of what dangers are probably going to come across them today.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59So hopefully we can be of some use in that way.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11RADIO: "..the disaster that is Joplin.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15"It is going to be a long, slow, dedicated process.
0:44:15 > 0:44:20"It just is simply devastating that our folks are desperately trying to check on loved ones, family members
0:44:20 > 0:44:23"to make sure that they are OK."
0:44:24 > 0:44:28'What's happened in Joplin has made headlines around the world.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32'Sam's immediate concerns are about the storms still to come.'
0:44:32 > 0:44:39- RADIO: "Tornado warnings are in effect. We expect additional tornado warnings..."- Wow!
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Everything is just right in the atmosphere at the moment.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45There could be a very severe outbreak.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53- 'As Sam tries to get into position, something blocks the way.' - That's a funnel cloud.- Yep.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56We might need to turn around really, really quickly.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01'A funnel cloud, a tornado that hasn't hit the ground, is in their path.
0:45:01 > 0:45:06'The race is on to try and get ahead of it, and hopefully see it grow into a twister.'
0:45:08 > 0:45:10That was a definite funnel cloud.
0:45:11 > 0:45:17Rotating majorly fast. That's got the potential to just keep going
0:45:17 > 0:45:20for a very, very long time.
0:45:23 > 0:45:28It's not safe to get out here because of major cloud-to-ground lightning.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34'And as lightning pummels the ground, the storm grows and grows.'
0:45:34 > 0:45:40This is a major supercell, real major rotation in it. It could last forever and ever.
0:45:40 > 0:45:45Sadly for towns, because this is looking like Joplin on radar.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52'This has the makings of a perfect storm to chase. But there seems to be a shift in Sam's mood.'
0:45:53 > 0:45:56This is really quite dangerous.
0:45:56 > 0:46:01As more storms build, we don't want to get wedged in between anything
0:46:01 > 0:46:03where we can't escape.
0:46:03 > 0:46:08We're in a tornado-warned county here, with this red. We're in the middle of it.
0:46:08 > 0:46:14There are going to be tornados everywhere. They'll probably have hundreds of reports today. Hundreds.
0:46:19 > 0:46:24'The reality of what could be happening nearby is hitting Sam hard.'
0:46:24 > 0:46:27- You all right?- Yeah, I'm just worried about people being killed.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35This is the first time ever on a chase that it's made me upset.
0:46:35 > 0:46:42But just seeing that and hearing that, and seeing what's been on the news the past couple of days,
0:46:42 > 0:46:44it's just hit me.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Lots... Hundreds of people could be killed today.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54'But Sam's expertise and equipment can make a difference, and locals turn to her for help.'
0:46:54 > 0:46:59- It's straight ahead of you. - Straight ahead?- Yeah. - So we just need to stop right now?
0:46:59 > 0:47:05- I would stop.- Yeah, I would stop. - Stay right here?- Stay here for a bit.- OK. Thank you.- No problem.
0:47:06 > 0:47:11- Is something coming this way? - You can see on radar here, there are several storms here
0:47:11 > 0:47:17- going north and they will probably begin to go northeast. - Any tornados coming this way?
0:47:17 > 0:47:21There are tornados on the ground at this moment. Be aware and be careful.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24- All right. Thanks. - No problem. Stay safe.
0:47:29 > 0:47:34'And then, out of the gloom, a massive shape emerges.'
0:47:35 > 0:47:38A big wedge tornado crossing a field.
0:47:40 > 0:47:47- Blimey!- 'This is the moment Sam has been waiting for all her life.'
0:47:47 > 0:47:51You can definitely see that definition. You can actually see sort of, like a weird wedge shape,
0:47:51 > 0:47:56right in the middle, just slowly crossing the field.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59'The ultimate tornado.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03'200 miles an hour winds, hail the size of grapefruit,
0:48:03 > 0:48:05'and it's sweeping in behind them.'
0:48:05 > 0:48:08We need to get out of this precip fast.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19That is the first wedge tornado I've ever seen.
0:48:19 > 0:48:24So that is not good for any people in its way.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27- What do you reckon, a mile away? - Yeah.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30I mean, look at that! That's insane.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36Just be aware of it growing in size.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41We don't want to get in the debris field or anything.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49- But we're OK to go on, aren't we? - Yeah.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53'Just a few days earlier, Sam would have been thrilled by this sight.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57'But now she's worried about what damage this enormous storm could be doing.'
0:48:57 > 0:49:01Blimey! That is a destructive beast.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04'In the path of the storm is the town of Stillwater.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07'It could be the next place to be torn apart.'
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Stillwater could be completely annihilated now.
0:49:10 > 0:49:17We don't know that for sure, but if the tornado has crossed through Stillwater,
0:49:17 > 0:49:21it will be no more.
0:49:26 > 0:49:31'But when they arrive, Stillwater has had a miraculous escape.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35'The tornado had just shaved the outskirts of town.'
0:49:39 > 0:49:44We thought we were going to see, you know, the whole thing just trashed,
0:49:44 > 0:49:49but luckily it's just tree damage and bits of corrugated iron from somewhere.
0:49:51 > 0:49:57Seeing the wedge tornado, that's something I've wanted to see for years and years and years.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02So it's been like a weird bit of 50-50 feeling of major excitement that we've done it
0:50:02 > 0:50:07but then to think that people's lives have been in danger and what's happened in Joplin, as well.
0:50:07 > 0:50:14Just, it kind of really hit home to me that what we were seeing on radar could potentially be killing people.
0:50:14 > 0:50:19And it was just quite surreal, really.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27'A stroke of luck means Stillwater can remain a small town in America,
0:50:27 > 0:50:29'unknown to most of the world.
0:50:37 > 0:50:42'But the random path of the storms means that Joplin has become infamous.'
0:50:48 > 0:50:50Oh, my God.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52SHE GASPS
0:51:10 > 0:51:16'The storms that Sam chased produced the Joplin twister. It was the deadliest single tornado ever.'
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Jeez, Keith, seriously. That is the start of it there.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26And then all of a sudden it's just absolute carnage.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42RADIO: "It's going to be a long, slow, dedicated process.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46"And it will call for the help of neighbours, friends, family to make it through
0:51:46 > 0:51:48"the aftermath of this tornado.
0:51:48 > 0:51:53"We will get through this disaster. We'll get through it together."
0:51:56 > 0:51:58This is unbelievable.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04I don't even know what my first thoughts were, to be honest.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06I just can't believe...
0:52:06 > 0:52:10I just couldn't... I can't... No, I...
0:52:16 > 0:52:20This is just... It just looks like a war zone.
0:52:25 > 0:52:31It just goes on forever, it goes on for as far as the eye can see.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37Unbelievable. That is so tragic.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41I just can't imagine
0:52:41 > 0:52:47anyone stuck under this rubble and having to leave your child behind,
0:52:47 > 0:52:50or your mum or your sister or brother.
0:52:50 > 0:52:57It just makes me feel like, you know, if I ever lost any of my family in something like this...
0:52:58 > 0:53:02..I don't know what I'd do without them anyway but,
0:53:02 > 0:53:05in something like this, and then to see it, it's just...
0:53:07 > 0:53:10They must have been so scared.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13I can't look at those.
0:53:38 > 0:53:45'More than 150 people in the town of Joplin lost their lives in the blink of an eye.'
0:54:10 > 0:54:13'After three weeks, the trip is coming to an end for Sam.
0:54:13 > 0:54:19'Her presence in Tornado Alley has caused quite a stir, and Fox News want to meet her.'
0:54:19 > 0:54:22Thank you. Aw, thank you very much. Cheers.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30SHE LAUGHS
0:54:30 > 0:54:34Stand by, in five, four, three...
0:54:37 > 0:54:42There are a lot of stormchasers out there, but you're about to meet one who is very inspirational.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45Er, how do you do it?
0:54:45 > 0:54:50It's my passion, it's my love and life is too short and we've definitely seen that, I think,
0:54:50 > 0:54:53this May with the tragedies that have happened through the storms.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57- And when I go home, I'll just sleep it off. - SHE LAUGHS
0:54:59 > 0:55:06On one hand, it was the best trip of our lives, because we got to see some amazing weather.
0:55:06 > 0:55:12But then to see the destruction, it does something weird to your whole being.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14But it won't stop me stormchasing. No way.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18Because I like to think that when we do chase, that we help people, as well.
0:55:22 > 0:55:27- Excellent. Very nice.- That was brilliant. Thank you so, so much. - No problem.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31Thank you so much, Sam, seriously. Let me grab my phone here real quick.
0:55:31 > 0:55:35- He's really fit. - HE LAUGHS
0:55:36 > 0:55:41- Let me get rid of your mic before we forget that. - I hope he didn't hear that.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50- SHE SQUEALS - Amazing!
0:55:50 > 0:55:55No question about it, it's definitely hard for me to go chasing storms, you know.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59It's something that I enjoy doing and life's too short not to do what you love.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03- Just get out there and do it, for goodness sake! - SHE LAUGHS
0:56:03 > 0:56:07'And if you ever find yourself in Tornado Alley,
0:56:07 > 0:56:11'keep an eye out for a butterfly who's sure to be kicking up a storm.'
0:56:12 > 0:56:16Oh, my God! There I am. Agh! Oh, wow!
0:56:16 > 0:56:21- Oh, it's dead weird, isn't it? - SHE LAUGHS
0:56:21 > 0:56:24This is Sam Hall signing off and stay safe. Ta-ta!
0:56:24 > 0:56:26SHE LAUGHS
0:56:27 > 0:56:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:56:31 > 0:56:35E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:56:35 > 0:56:35.