Incredible footage appears to have captured what happens when a wind turbine meets a tornado.
Tornados touched down in Foard County, near the city of Crowell in northern Texas, last week, with the National Weather Service issuing a warning.
Video footage of the storm seems to show a wind turbine quite literally weathering the storm when faced with a tornado.
The images, published on Youtube by storm chaser “Stas is Chasing” shows one of the blades bending under the pressure.
It has since been subsequently shared on Linkedin and sparked the curiosity of the energy industry.
Tornado Warning continues for Foard City TX until 8:30 PM CDT pic.twitter.com/Txv9yNx2qn
— NWS Tornado (@NWStornado) May 5, 2022
One specialist from DNV said it is unlikely to be a camera effect due to low rotor speed, and the bending is “significant but similar to that seen in extreme tests”.
The type of turbine or the developer has not been identified.
Tornado crossing Highway 6 south of Crowell TX #txwx @NWSNorman pic.twitter.com/dwpRKDcJ87
— Andrew Justin (@andrewjustinWX) May 5, 2022
One commentator from Siemens Gamesa said “something catastrophic happened in the turbine” and is perhaps broken beyond repair, having gone from a full production to a full stop in less than 1/3 of a rotation.
Another said the turbine “acted like a robust tree” with its resilience, while others described this as a “practice exam” while factory load tests simulating extreme conditions are “theory”.
See the incredible footage of the event in the first video above.