Storm Chaser: Give It A "Whirl"

[PinkFloyd]

As I've mentioned in other threads, for the last 22 years I've been active in storm chasing... I've recieved several messages from people on here, inquiring about it...

When I first started, my belief was to get behind it and follow it as closly as I possibly could -- the tornado that is... Well; after finally getting afew brain cells added in my head, and attending several storm seminars, I realized that it was more than just that...

I've been hooked up now with several radio and television stations within my area, for the last 18 years... Whenever I recieve an alert on my cell phone, all the "chasers" in my area report to their assigned zones... My zone runs about 50 miles either direction of my house...

If I see any reported activity -- wether it's a funnel cloud just developing -- or one on the ground -- I will call in the location of the tornado to the stations that i feel is threatened by the oncoming storm... Generally; most tornados will travel in a north/northeast direction...

My biggest fear is going out after dark... It's very hard to spot one, and about the only time you might see one is during a lightning flash... You will use your ears more than your eyes at night...

Another tornado hard to spot, is a "rain wrapped" tornado... This tornado is generally surrounded by a down pouring rainstorm... Spotting this is very difficult...

You MUST know all the roads you will be traveling, and if you don't -- you better have a map with you... There's been afew times when I've gone down the wrong road, and there's only one way out... And that's trying to out run it on a road where you have no idea where it leads you...

Very seldom do I have time to take video or photo's of the storm unless I have someone with me to do it for me... Occasionally I will set in a spot where I know one will pass within a mile of me... The closest I got was last year... I was within probably with a 1/2 mile of one just south of my house... I was running into it, trying to get behind it, so then i could turn around and follow it... I just let my emotions tell me the wrong thing to do... I should have just set still and let it pass by...

So; for any of you interested in doing this, keep looking out for storm seminars coming to your area... They will not teach you how to do this, but you will have a better understanding of the impact tornados have...

For you in small rural towns, get hooked up with your local fire departments... Most of them go out and act as spotters and first responders...

Your first few will scare the living hell out of you, but within a few more, you will be all pumped up and ready to get closer even yet... And most and foremost --- be safe --- not stupid !!!

[Mile High Mania]

Enh, I went to Orlando over Christmas... visited Universal Studios.

Done that.

[Archie F. Swin]

got this sticker on my cherokee