“Storm Chasers” to feature Basin Electric transmission towers hit by tornado

The tornado tangled remnants of a boat in the conductor.

Nature’s wrath is best viewed from a safe distance, or in the case of the Bowdle, SD, EF4 tornado in May, not at all; the best place to be during that particularly large tornado was in a basement.

But thanks to the efforts of several highly skilled storm chasers, the same storm that destroyed 11 of Basin Electric’s steel transmission towers was captured on video for the Discovery Channel’s series, “Storm Chasers.”

The footage, including clips of the Antelope Valley Station-to-Broadland 345-kilovolt line going down north of Bowdle, will air on Wed., Nov. 17, at 9 p.m. CT, giving the cooperative family a rare glimpse into exactly what it takes to take down towers built of five-inch angle steel.

Watch a 30-second preview of the episode on the Discovery Channel’s website.

See the post Bowdle, SD, tornado rated at EF4 for a raw, on-the-scene look at the damage two days after the tornado.

Watch Basin Electric’s crews sift through the wreckage and begin repairs.