Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Hassles of Storm Chasing: Why Not to Chase


I have many friends who have expressed interest in storm chasing. Some of them are very worried about the danger yet still would like to participate. Others are not worried enough and don’t understand how to do it properly. Still others are simply unsure of how much they’ll enjoy it. In a previous post, I described the joys of storm chasing and why someone would want to storm chase. In this post, I describe the hassles of storm chasing and why someone shouldn’t chase.

On the road:

As I mentioned in my previous post, you will be spending approximately 12 hours per day on the road. Or waiting at truck stops. Or waiting in fast-food restaurants. Don’t chase if this would be difficult for you.

You will most likely find that spending 12 hours per day in a vehicle with someone will strengthen your relationship with them, but it can also put a strain on the relationship. If you know the latter is the case, then don’t chase with that person.

If you're on a tour, sometimes you will get someone who is difficult to deal with. Such behavior can run from whining and complaining to being verbally abusive. None of this has happened to me, as this is not a usual occurrence, but you will have to put up with it if it happens. And, of course, if you tend to be a complainer, try to tone it down when you're on a chase. There'll be a lot for people to complain about, just remember everyone is putting up with something. If you can't keep those thoughts to yourself, then please stay home.

You will primarily eat fast food, many times taking it to go, eating it in your van or car. If you are on a tour, you should assume you will have ZERO time to shop in a large grocery store, though you will have opportunities to shop in gas station or truck stop mini-marts. People with dietary restrictions should take notice of this and decide if you can navigate these restrictions.

You will have limited bathroom breaks even before the storms develop as you race to get into position where the storms should develop. Once the storms develop, you will have *no* bathroom breaks, required to relieve yourself on the side of the road, sometimes in very windy conditions. This can be particularly bad for women, though human shields can work well. If you have incontinence issues, or if you are simply just too modest, then storm chasing will not be for you.

Similarly, the occasional flatulence can occur for anyone without warning. Beano supplements are recommended. And, conversely, if you can't handle the occasional emmination, then don't chase. But this rule applies to ANY long-term vehicle ride.

Those who are carsick prone should not chase. Sudden turns and fast speeds on windy roads are required, so if you have anyone carsick prone you won't have a good chase.

Mobility required:

Nobody with mobility issues should chase. It is very dangerous for you and others if you can’t quickly get in and out of a vehicle in case you need to run away from a storm. Also, it will limit your ability to view storms. I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t work out for people with mobility problems--you’ll have to limit your activities to watching live streaming footage or seeing pictures after the fact.

Lack of physical activity:

Paradoxically, while mobility is required, you will nonetheless get very little physical activity on a storm chase. Remember, 12 hours in a van. Often, you get in to a hotel after the gym closes and leave before it's open. Other times, there is no gym. Jogging early in the morning works, but you must get up very early sometimes to do this. If you are on a regimen where you have to do weight training every day, you should probably skip the chase.

Dangerous:

Storm chasing is dangerous. I’ll address this in a later post, but suffice to say that, although no one has died storm chasing, and although many more activities people engage in are more dangerous, there is an element of danger nonetheless.

Lack of Interest:

Perhaps you’re just not interested in weather. Seeing a tornado is ho-hum. Fair enough, but then you probably didn’t read this post at all.

Conscience:

Finally, chasing may go against your conscience. I get heartsick every time I hear of a tragic story with tornado fatalities, probably because I chase and I feel a greater affinity for victims. Some people don’t like the idea of getting thrills from storms that kill people. If you are one of those people, I have some things to say. First, the storms are not going to kill more people when they are chased. Second, many times chasers are the ones that alert authorities to the storm initially, saving lives. Third, many times chasers help with search and rescue efforts. In other words, chasers don’t make it worse and can often make it better. Therefore, I maintain your conscience should be clear if you chase. But your conscience will dictate, ultimately, if you can chase.

Conclusion:

The point of these posts is to sell my friends and family on the joys of storm chasing, but that means I have an obligation to point out the negative aspects of storm chasing. I know people specifically who shouldn’t go on storm chases because of mobility and other issues listed here. But if, like me, you find these problems simply annoying, then I want to reassure that these mild concerns far outweigh the thrills of storm chasing.

Next Post: Where and When Chasers Chase

Friday, May 27, 2011

The Joys of Storm Chasing: Why Storm Chase?



I have many friends who have expressed interest in storm chasing. Some of them are very worried about the danger yet still would like to participate. Others are not worried enough and don’t understand how to do it properly. Still others are simply unsure of how much they’ll enjoy it. This series of posts will describe, to anyone who hasn’t storm chased before, why (and why not) one would want to storm chase, where and when to storm chase, the dangers of storm chasing and how to avoid them, and, finally, how to begin your first chase.

When I decided to first chase, I simply wanted to see a tornado. I’d been fascinated with tornadoes my whole life, but I didn’t get the bug until I’d seen shows like “Storm Chasers” on the Discovery Channel. To me storm chasing was going to be like whale watching. I went out on a tour, and would go on those tours until I saw a tornado, and then I’d be done, get it out of my system, see a tornado live.

And then, I went on the storm chase.

Beauty:

OMG! I had no idea how beautiful these storms were, with or without tornadoes. The truth is, many of the T.V. shows about tornadoes are just pathetic. They don’t even try to show you the beauty of well-sculpted super cells. Instead, they focus on personal dramas, just like all reality shows do. From “mother ships” to “stacks of plates” to “cow-catchers”, the beauty in the structure of these super cells can never be overstated, can never be fully captured by a camera, can only be seen live.

The lightning is always spectacular. The best part is when the lightning temporarily lights up portions of the storm, and you can piece together, in your mind, the storm’s structure. Searching the horizon for tornadoes during a lightning storm is particularly fun, as you get an adrenalin rush when you spot one.

And the plains, the farmland, the scattered trees, are beautiful with or without storms. A cornfield in bright sunshine with some puffy clouds overhead always makes my day.

Tactility:

The feel of humid air, the feel of a warm breeze or a stiff wind, the feel of wind-blown light rain, the feel of a cold hailstone in your hand, the splinter you got touching a fencepost, all add richness to the experience. And the weather is usually warm but not too hot (low 80’s in the sunshine, 60’s in the rain).

Excitement:

When things do get dicey, there’s an adrenalin rush. On my first tour, we were parked trying to find a rain-wrapped tornado, when all of a sudden the tour guide screamed for us to get into the vehicles. He had special equipment that enabled him to see the tornado, and he discovered, when he screamed, we had about one minute for the tornado was going to hit! Yes, it was a close call, but it was thrilling nonetheless. If such thrills aren’t for you, then don’t go storm chasing, but if they are…

The Tornado Hunt!:

It is thrilling hunting for a tornado that may or may not show up. Hunting for a tornado is the driving force in storm chasing. What’s great is that the hunt is well worth it even if you don’t find a tornado at all! The excitement, the challenge, and the beauty of the storms make the hunt worthwhile. It may seem a contradiction, even a paradox, but while the hunt for the tornado drives the chase, the beauty, challenge, and excitement *make* the chase.

Camaraderie:

Whether you’re on a tour or in a private group, you will probably spend 12 hours a day in a vehicle with other people. This is an opportunity to form great friendships and bonds with people who have a common interest. Storm Chasers are a Community, and the vast majority of them are among the nicest people you will meet.

On the road:

As I said, you can expect to be on the road for 12 hours per day. If you like being on the road, this is a perfect opportunity to see a lot of countryside. Since where you go is dictated by the storms, you won’t know in advance where you’re going, which can make you feel like you’re wandering from town to town, truck stop to truck stop, fast food restaurant to fast food restaurant. If this is something you like, or at least something you are not sure you’d dislike, it is a great way to see the Great Plains.

Forecasting:

It can be fun to learn how to forecast where the tornadoes will be. Once you're advanced enough, you can do this regardless of whether you are navigating or not. If you have an iPad, iPhone, Android, or laptop, you can view forecast models over the web to guess where the storms will develop (you can do this at home, too, without chasing in the field). I did this once so that I was watching a particular location during the day, and while I was watching, tens of storms developed along a dry line across two states. You can also watch the radar and try to correlate it to the visual storm structure you see. Obviously, this is very advanced work, and not required to enjoy the other aspects of storm chasing (as long as you can be on a tour or have a navigator who does this).

Conclusion:

I find storm chasing a blast! Even if there are some things unpleasant about it for you (my next post), seeing mother nature in her fury can be well worth it.

Just go. Go for the curiosity, the potential thrill. And you just might find that you have the eternal bug, that you now have a passion in your life.

Or at least you can tell your friends you witnessed a tornado.

Next post: why NOT to storm chase