STORM CHASERS HONOUR PAXTON
Nearly 200 storm chasers paid tribute Sunday to the late actor Bill Paxton by spelling out his initials using GPS co-ordinates on a map depicting the heart of Tornado Alley.
The effort co-ordinated by Spotter Network spelled out “BP” to honour the leading man in the disaster movie Twister, which inspired a generation of storm chasers.
Paxton had memorable roles in such blockbusters as Apollo 13 and Titanic while also cherishing his work in One False Move and other low-budget movies and in the HBO series Big Love. His family announced his death Sunday at age 61 after complications from surgery.
Storm chasers and storm spotters have spelled out the initials of fellow chasers in the tight-knit community four or five times before, but never for a non-chaser, said John Wetter, president of the nonprofit group.