Heading Into Dangerous Territory

Turbulent clouds containing a funnel-like protuberance follows our storm chase direction on Highway 141 east toward Mapleton, Iowa on the evening of April 9, 2011. This image, looking south and shot around 6:40 PM, was taken just west of Smithland, Iowa and about 8 miles west of Mapleton. We drove through Mapleton about ten minutes later, about a half-hour before an EF3 twister struck the town.