Attacking storm chasers doesn’t accomplish anything, and it’s often misinformed

[Steve Miller]

I am a storm chaser.

Every spring, I make a pilgrimage to the plains for a few weeks to witness nature at its most incredible. I chase for the adventure of seeing new things and new places. I chase for the stories and the friendships that develop over the love of the storm.

Storm chasing is my passion — and it is a science.

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[Jeff House]

Article is one of the best on the subject in recent years. Often lost is the positive economic impact storm tourism brings to the Plains. Article touches on it. Ian hits a grand slam!

 

[Paul Hadfield]

Finally, an article that gets it... Shift the magnifying glass towards the Midwest which gets just as much weather (albeit not as grandiose) and the perceived issues are even less. Twelve years east of the Mississippi having been the lone observer of numerous events without so much as another vehicle in sight has been cool yet kind of depressing at the same time. Perhaps this article is a high water mark whereby those seeking to carve out a fashionable identity through extreme weather are finding it's not all action packed drama all the time and are instead, falling away. Thus leaving the respectable diehards who've been there from day one to be the model for what chasing has become or more importantly, truly is.

 

[Todd Lemery]

Nice article. I get a little tired of "reporters" acting like chasers are just a bunch of yahoos blasting through farmer's fields and blocking local traffic from using the roads. As mentioned before, chasers at times bring a mini boost to the local economy many locals have a certain excitement about them when the chasers choose their hometown as the area targeted as the most likely to have the next big event. Turkey, Texas comes to mind as an example in May of this year. The lone gas station in town probably had a weeks worth of sales in a few hours and locals seem thrilled to stop by and talk about the weather. I'd be thrilled to have my hometown in the "spotlight" just once. Not only because I wouldn't have to travel for a decent chase or to give a little boost to the local economy, but having having a bunch of outsiders come in and get to see and enjoy my hometown would be special to me. I don't think I'm alone in that. Once again, that was a very well written article.