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
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