VORTEX
team chasing a storm near Northfield, TX
Click on image for full size
Brian F. Jewett
Chasing Tornadoes
Storms chasers are different than storm
spotters. Chasers
travel around
Tornado
Alley looking for severe storms and tornadoes. This area in the
Great Plains is the best for chasing. Besides having a lot of storms,
the land is relatively flat, the foliage is sparse, and the traffic isn't
as heavy as other places to the east.
Anybody can be a chaser, though it's only recommended for people who know
what they're doing. The storms can be very dangerous. Most people chase
severe weather because they are interested in meteorology and want to put
their knowledge and skill to the test. If they accurately predict where
a storm will form and where it will go, they may see a tornado. If they
misforecast the storm, they'll have to wait until another day to retest
themselves. Some experienced chasers say that they spend 10-12 days
hunting for every minute they see a tornado. And they're the experienced
ones!
Tornado chasing has been traced back to two men, Dave Hoadley and Neil
Ward, who first started roaming the plains in the late 1950's. Not much
was know about storms then. There have been various research projects
such as TOTO and, more recently, VORTEX, but there are actually very few
research scientists chasing storms. Most are just weather enthusiasts
trying to see a live tornado.
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