Storm Chasers Killed By Tornado: Tim Samaras Among Ten Dead After Oklahoma Death Toll Rises

Three storm chasers were killed Friday while following a tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma. Tim Samaras, his son Paul Samaras, and Carl Young were among a number of people killed according to a CNN report. Friday's tornado was just the latest storm to wreak havoc on Oklahoma. Tim Samaras was a well-known storm chaser, even being featured on the former Discovery Channel show "Storm Chasers." Samaras also created TWISTEX, Tactical Weather Instrumented Sampling in Tornadoes Experiment, which is supposed to help increase the warning time given for tornadoes.

At least ten people were killed during storms that hit Oklahoma on Friday. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said that the tornado took a sudden turn that surprised a lot of people. "It was a wobbler. And it was big. ... I think the left-hand turn made a big difference on how this thing was chased as well and why people were killed and why people were injured in their vehicles," Myers explained.

Myers also said that Samaras was more than just a storm chaser. "We all know that this is difficult and dangerous and sometimes things go wrong. But I think to portray Tim as just a chaser out for a thrill is just the wrong thing," Myers explained. "I just want people to know that Tim was a scientist. He was out there to put probes out there. He was out there to learn and understand and to make science more understandable. ... We all go out there and we try to protect the public, but Tim was even one step higher."

Reuters reported that five tornadoes hit the area that caused flooding and ten people dying. Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner increased the death toll to 10 on Sunday after initially reporting that nine people had died.