Oklahomans Get Up Close and Personal with Powerful Twister

By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A man who just moved to the metro and his storm chasing partner are making international news with their video of an Oklahoma tornado.

On Monday, Andy Gabrielson and Mike Ratliff captured dramatic footage of a large tornado near the western Oklahoma town of Hammon.

Gabrielson, who moved to Yukon from Minnesota three days ago, was interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN Monday night and his video has been shown numerous times on FOX News, The Weather Channel, ABC, CBS and NBC.

After the tornado passed, Gabrielson and Ratliff helped a family out of their storm shelter.

Ratliff and his chasing partner Gabrielson said they got within 100 yards of the twister.

Gabrielson has been chasing tornados for seven years now, but he's from Minnesota, so this year instead of driving to tornado alley, he moved there. He's now rooming with Ratliff and his wife in their Yukon home.

"It's pretty cool to move down here. Now I don't have to drive 10 hours to get home," said Gabrielson.

Ratliff said the convenience of having his chasing companion in Oklahoma is why the two were able to get a jump start on Monday's storm.

"It all fell, it just fell in synch, getting out there from the first storm all the way to end," Ratliff said.

More on News9.com: Hammon Residents Begin Surveying Damage After Tornado | After Slow Start, Tornado Season Under Way