how would you go about becoming a storm chaser?
Aug 25, 2010
in
Tornado Questions
ive always ben interested in tornadoes and bad storms how would you become a strom chaser and ive always heard that it was volinteer and you dont get paid for it is that true thanks
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5 comments
thetruesms on August 25, 2010 at 4:29 am
Firstly, unless you are have a career in or are a student of meteorology, I would highly recommend that you do not attempt storm chasing. Without a strong background in the dynamics of severe thunderstorms, you’re likely putting yourself at risk of injury or death because of a lack of knowledge. Also, chasers who are out there just for the thrill of seeing a tornado generally chase far more irresponsibly, putting themselves and others in danger, as well as giving responsible storm chasers a bad name. Finally, the boom in stormchasing has resulted in a large number of people on the road in severe weather, many of them people seeking a thrill who are just getting in the way of people from the law enforcement and research communities, who are out there to learn more about thunderstorm dynamics and save lives.
However, if you do choose to stormchase, there are very few job opportunities in the field. If you have no meteorological education, it would be virtually impossible – chasing will likely have to be no more than a hobby for you. Charles A. Doswell III is an extremely highly regarded scientist and chaser, and has written several papers and articles about stormchasing, of varying technical complexity. I would suggest reading some of those before you get started.
Chris R on August 25, 2010 at 4:29 am
1. Car that is reliable but you don’t mind it getting dinged up.
2. Camera and camcorder
3. Good GPS system
4. If you are lucky, laptop with a cellular card to get internet access so you can look up radar.
Have fun.
Sick Guy on August 25, 2010 at 4:29 am
thats like me, i love severe weather. im always watching out the window or driving around finding it.
its dangerous.
you would need a team of 2 or 3 to start…some fancy computers that will be connected to radar…so you can stay safely away. other than that…thats all i know.
Tapestry6 on August 25, 2010 at 4:29 am
So do and some don’t .. anyone can be an amateur storm chaser. Just have a very sturdy reliable car with good tires.. cause if you get caught your car can get pounded with hail and debris.. but the weather.channel had info on storm chasers they even have tours and some of the colleges have set up doppler trucks check with the local college campsus’ Try tempesttours.com or http://www.stormchaser.com
badreligion233 on August 25, 2010 at 4:29 am
I’m not sure where you are from however, I know in Iowa we have a few classes we can attend. This will not make you an expert but it does help a bit.
I am an amature storm chaser, best bet is to go out and learn by living cause no one can tell you what a storm in going to do anyways.