Tornado Chasers in Illinois Intercept Rockton, Lena Twisters [VIDEO]

Nationally known storm chasers were seen in the Rockford area on Friday (4/17) and captured dramatic footage of several tornadoes that were on the ground.

Rockford Region Turns Into Chase Central

A dangerous weather system drew several storm-chase teams to the area today, all targeting northern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin as tornado warnings lit up the Stateline.

READ MORE: Dangerous River Flooding Threat in the Rockford Region

The "extreme meteorologist" Reed Timmer had his tornado-chasing Dominator 3 rolling through the streets of Rockford on Friday, as their cameras, radar feeds, and livestreams were all locked onto intense storms west and north of the city.

Driving Straight Into the Tornado

One of the most intense video clips circulating on social media shows Timmer and the Dominator 3 positioning themselves directly in the path of a tornado on the ground near Rockton, just north of Rockford, Illinois.

Video shows the twister crossing open areas as winds whipped debris through the air, and instead of backing off, they drove into the path of the tornado, and capture the moment is passes directly over their reinforced SUV, covered in layers of steel and bulletproof glass.

It's the kind of video you usually see on a national TV special about dangerous tornadoes, but this time, it was happening just minutes from Rockford.

Why Do They Do It?

While it might look unbelievable and seem reckless, these high-risk tornado intercepts are often used to capture weather data and better understand how these storms behave at ground level.

Still, experts stress this isn't something that just anyone should try. Conditions can quickly change, and even experienced storm chasers can find themselves in dangerous situations.

Epicenter of Storm Chasing Universe

Reed Timmer and his team apparently took a pit stop between storms on State Street in Rockford, as the Dominator 3 was spotted in the parking lot at Portillo's.

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For a brief window on Friday, the Rockford area wasn't just dealing with severe weather; it was at the center of one of the most intense storm-chasing moments of the year.