PORTAGE, Mich. — A professional storm chaser, Blake Naftel, is sharing his harrowing experience of tracking and documenting the devastating tornado that hit the Portage area this week. Naftel, who has been chasing storms for decades captured dramatic footage of the destruction as it was happening.
Naftel's interest in storm chasing was sparked by a deadly tornado that his mother witnessed all the way back in 1980.
Five people died in the EF-3 tornado that ripped through the area on May 13, 1980.
He has since dedicated his life to tracking severe weather patterns, doing the work for a number of organizations, and broadcast networks.
He tells FOX 17 he knew “something was going to happen along the warm front, along I-94 or south, towards Michiana.”
"I wasn't going to chase it necessarily, because it was right here in the backyard.”
The scenes he captured throughout Tuesday afternoon appear almost apocalyptic.
His video shows one of the tornadoes forming, debris flying through the air, and vehicles in every direction trying to get out of the area.
Naftel described the day as "surreal" and "not a pleasant experience", but necessary for his work as a storm chaser.
Luckily, his family and friends who still live in the area were safe.
His footage serves as a reminder of the power and destruction caused by tornadoes, and the importance of storm chasers who risk their lives to document the events.
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