Fairfield Storm Chaser Chased by Storm while Canvassing for CT Clean Energy Options & MowGreen.US.

Fairfield, CT: Friday afternoon had to be one of the scariest and most thrilling experiences of a lifetime for 15 year old George Shtern, who was out canvassing for the Fairfield Clean Energy Task Force and MowGreen.US on his bicycle Friday afternoon around 5pm, when a Tornado touched down, tossing him, his bicycle and bag of fliers and bulbs across the street near Osborne Hill Elementary School.
Funnel Cloud - photo by George Shtern

George was featured in a telephone interview about the tornado touchdown on Channel 12 TV that Friday, a station where he was actually a guest meteorologist more than once during his grammar school days.
Gusts ranging from 60 to 80 MPH lashed that area, moving cars sideways and damaging trees and buildings.
Although George was thrown from his bicycle in the gust, he made a great landing onto the grass, and held the bag of flyers and bulbs like a football, without sustaining any injuries or damage to the bag contents! He exclaimed, "I guess there were dirt and pebbles flying like shrapnel, because my bicycle helmet is all pock marked with it even though my head never hit the ground."
The odds of anyone winding up in a tornado here in Fairfield, CT are pretty slim, but for George, it was an interestingly serendipitous event for more than one reason; George has always been fascinated with and involved in Meteorology and storm chasing, he was "the Osborne Hill school weatherman" doing the weather there over the loud-speaker during mornings when he attended there, he was chasing a similar storm there just a year earlier, and yet this time is was the last thing he expected as he raced home to avoid the thunder, lightning and rain. "To think all those times I was running after storms to catch Tornado's, this one came to me - it was the last thing I expected when that wind lifted me and my bike up off the ground!"
Minutes After Tornado Touchdown - Photo by George Shtern

Dan Delventhal, MowGreen.US founder was tickled to see George have this encounter. He noted, "I witnessed the youthful wonder and zeal of a truly devout scientist just last year when I joined George for a few minutes of storm watching in the same location! It's also interesting that George was out canvassing for wind power when witnessing what a wicked waft of wind it was!"
George pondered, "Gee, getting hit by the tornado without getting hurt or getting the fliers wet or anything is like an endorsement of the CT Clean Energy Options and Fairfield's Clean Energy Task Force's choice of Community Energy's wind power, from Mother Nature herself!
When the tornado touched down George was on his way home from canvassing and dropping off fliers to alert Fairfield residents that they can now elect to purchase 50 to 100% of their electricity from a clean Wind Power choice which also leads to several town benefits under the state-funded program, in addition to green mowing options from MowGreen.US.
George Shtern, a sophomore at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, plays football, is class President , and has been reel-mowing with MowGreen.US since 2008. 
Left to Right, George Shtern, US Congressman Jim Himes, & Dan Delventhal, at Fairfield's Earth Day Celebration, 2009, photo by Daphne Dixon, ConsciousDecisionsMag.com