We fought our way through dirt roads, severe storms and past two other tornadoes to finally get this shot. All the tornadoes in this area were over open country which was very fortunate for the local residents who have learned to accept this as part of spring. Out Many tornadoes follow a life cycle ending with the tube then rope stage. The rope stage may lead to a contorted funnel that resembles a string from a distance. It may break up into sections and still keep a circulation on the ground.
Tornadoes can be dangerous in the rope stage.
This was proven during research of tornadoes that hit during the rope stage and caused F-5 damage, the worst damage which leaves only the foundation of a well built house. The images show two different rope stages. The first one near Haysville, Kansas is buried in a huge cloud of rotating dust. Injuries occur when unsuspecting motorists drive into these dust clouds that may not rotate very fast on the outside when a narrow tornado is buried deep inside the obscuring dust. The second image is of a thread like rope in the last minutes of a dying tornado in Kansas.