Has Storm Chasing Become an Entertainment Industry?

[Warren Faidley]

I always thought the "Enemy Wind" sounded like a car full of chasers after eating gas station burritos.

 

[Blake Naftel]

Thanks for the note -- good points.

It’s important to make clear that not all chasers are reckless, endanger the public, or behave like clowns. The recent Oklahoma legislation was a prime example of why this distinction matters. Storm Track remains a valuable place for these discussions, as most chasers here are open-minded and far less jaded than many in the social media sphere. In many ways, ST may be one of the last strongholds for preserving the authentic history of storm chasing.

As a journalist who has worked through most of chasing’s history, I feel an obligation to ensure that history isn’t rewritten to glorify the reckless and misleading behaviors that have gained popularity and often overshadow the genuine reasons many of us began—whether as a hobby or for legitimate storm spotting. I'm guessing the majority of ST members have operated in a responsible manner over the years.

I also hope that the legacies of people like Dave Hoadley, Jim Leonard, Chuck Doswell, Tim Marshall, and many others who built and nurtured this pursuit are not lost in a haze of distorted history. Sadly, I believe many modern chasers have little interest in those who came before them. I can name two or three dozen individuals who made significant contributions to chasing, yet have been largely forgotten or ignored.

Many people misunderstand my role in chasing. I don’t see myself first and foremost as a chaser, but as a photojournalist and journalist. I cover many events traditional chasers do not cover, like wildfires and other natural disasters. Any criticisms I express are rooted in editorial opinion, not so much out of anger or frustration, as I have zero skin in the circus world of chasing entertainment. What is frustrating? The lack of an accurate portrail of reckless, misleading chasing by an credited journalism outlet.

Well stated, Warren!

I always knew you prior to 1995 as a dedicated weather photojournalist and storyteller first and foremost, regardless of the "fame" that "Twister" generated in 1996 of which inspired another generation that is presently either on an overpaid television screen or YouTube "live" stream for all the Earth to see. Most individuals, myself included, are a product of our own eras, for better or worse, and emulated accordingly to a point, inspiring each generation after the next. I will not speak for anyone specifically. The majority of "modern" storm chasers, meteorologists, photojournalists and sky artists are a creation of their own interests, multimedia and finite observations.

Reckless driving has been around since people hopped on a horse, but was more so emphasized by the automobile. "Storm Chasers" are merely a temporary dimension of that. Yes, it's annoying. Yes, it's frustrating when you have dedicated a large portion of your time to what people in "the industry" loved to call "a craft" and then see it go to where it is today. Yes, this is starting to read like a script involving Meg Ryan in Seattle. Point being to that ramble of which is now synonymous to anytime I post on "The" StormTrack Forum... is the positive contributions of storm chaser and meteorological history will endure through the efforts of a collective that actually cares. Keep it up and eventually the ship will sail in a better direction.

Wonderful discussion!

Cheers,

Blake

 

[Blake Naftel]

I always thought the "Enemy Wind" sounded like a car full of chasers after eating gas station burritos.

The "Enemy Wind" reminds me of "People's Gas" in Chicagoland. A silly brand name.

Blake

 

[Tony Laubach]

I always thought the "Enemy Wind" sounded like a car full of chasers after eating gas station burritos.

Or what M3 was like after a bad Mexican restaurant in St. Louis, but that's for me, Ed, and Paul to know and you all to tell me it's off-topic for this thread...

 

[Jeff Duda]

It's no secret that you were the first inspiration for me way back in '92 when you appeared on the Enemy Wind; that documentary introduced me to the concept of storm chasing when I was 11 years old. I either owe you (or blame you) for the career I have made cause you set the table to get me on this path. Of course, along the way, I would learn about Samaras, Doswell, and Hoadley, all of whom I had the honor of meeting at some point. If I recall, I met Warren in person on May 12, 2004 (on the nighttime Anthony, KS tornado), so I came full circle with on what weas my first major tornado chase day. (I digress)...

Ditto for me. Warren Faidley was one of the first names that came out of my mouth before I was even 10 years old and expressed and interest in storm chasing. And wouldn't you know it...30 years later, here I am!

 

[Warren Faidley]

Going back to the original question, and I may be venturing into “Captain Obvious” territory here, but it seems clear that mainstream storm chasing today—the kind that provides a comfortable, even retirement-level income—depends on getting as close as possible to violent, life-threatening vortices and streaming those stunts live to online audiences. I’m not aware of anyone making a substantial living solely from photography, cinematography, or any other form of storm chasing. Even scientific chasing is generally just one part of a broader scientific career, rather than a standalone livelihood.

So this begs the question, where does it go from here?

I asked ChatGTP-5 to calculate the future of storm chasing based on Internet activity and other criteria. Here is the reply:

1.​

Storm chasing is already trending toward spectacle rather than documentation or science. If financial sustainability remains tied to live-streaming and extreme proximity stunts, the future will likely resemble an adrenaline entertainment industry rather than a scientific or journalistic pursuit. Chasers will compete to push boundaries for views, subscribers, and sponsorships, much like extreme sports or reality TV.

2.​

We may see a shift toward a few dominant “brands” or personalities who can leverage large online followings, sponsorship deals, and platform partnerships. Smaller or independent chasers may be marginalized unless they bring something unique, such as exceptional cinematography, niche expertise, or highly curated educational content.

3.​

Because income becomes directly tied to proximity, the escalation curve is inevitable. The market rewards risk-taking, so we could see more reckless maneuvers, accidents, and unfortunately, likely fatalities. This will mirror what has already happened in other high-risk professions that turned into spectator entertainment (e.g., free solo climbing before safety standards evolved).

4.​

At some point, technology may undercut the current model. High-resolution drones, AI-generated weather visualizations, and even immersive VR storm simulations could reduce the necessity of human chasers physically approaching tornadoes for an audience. This could either diminish the demand for live-action chasing or push it further into niche, high-risk entertainment.

5.​

If accidents and fatalities rise—particularly those involving the public—legislation and liability measures (such as the Oklahoma bills previously discussed) could begin restricting certain behaviors. Storm chasing may evolve into a more regulated industry, where only licensed or insured operators are permitted to monetize live storm coverage. At the same time, insurers may increasingly refuse to cover individuals engaged in storm pursuits, leaving chasers exposed to significant financial and legal risks. In such a scenario, lawsuits—and potentially even criminal charges—against offenders become not only possible, but likely. Unlike Federal or State Legislation, traffic laws are much easier to change or modify, especially on county or city levels.

 

[Jamie H]

Perhaps the new goal, to avoid the chaser carnage in the States, is to look for new opportunities elsewhere? I know Pecos Hank went to Argentina, and I am keen to chase across Europe sooner than later too. France had some stunning storms a few months ago, for example.

 

[Tony Laubach]

Going back to the original question, and I may be venturing into “Captain Obvious” territory here, but it seems clear that mainstream storm chasing today—the kind that provides a comfortable, even retirement-level income—depends on getting as close as possible to violent, life-threatening vortices and streaming those stunts live to online audiences. I’m not aware of anyone making a substantial living solely from photography, cinematography, or any other form of storm chasing. Even scientific chasing is generally just one part of a broader scientific career, rather than a standalone livelihood.

I will toot my own horn to some extent with this comment as I've successfully been able to make a living as a storm chaser to a large degree where the activity has been my primary job function. This would most definitely be the case with my current job as I get out as often as I would've on my own, if not more. I also have been exposed to "Hurricane Chasing", or whatever that's called, through this job as well (and it's definitely not on the top of Tony's 'Love To Do' list). My two previous employers, particularly in Illinois, chasing was my primary role, and the Illinois station granted me a lot of leeway as to where and how often I could travel outside the DMA, as opposed to in Wichita where I was mostly chained to the Kansas area (albeit in the doldrum years of 18-20). Wichita split my functions between field coverage and TV weathermanning, but generally if there was weather to chase, I was rarely stuck in the studio. Still, my three years in Wichita was the lowest in terms of chasing being my primary function, but still entailed more than half my employed time. So while I freelanced and had the occasional regular TV series gig, I've basically been a full-time, EMPLOYED chaser since mid-2013.

I take a lot of pride in my career and the work I put in over the decades to get here. But I don't think anyone in the younger generation is will to put in the time investment to cement themselves in the manner I have, so I don't think you're gonna see the same faces for more than a decade. Everything has come around to make getting into this field much much easier. All that has been hashed out enough, but a lot of people get in and right away be much further along than I certainly was when I got started.

This is purely a horn toot (sorry for the brag post), as I understand very well (and am EXTREMELY lucky, appreciative, and grateful) that I am a VERY tiny minority. I've been fortunately that I've had the breaks and exposure that I did to get me this far along. It was a grind, and somehow I carved out a career that's largely been out in the field doing what I love, and NOT having to put myself in extreme circumstances to maintain that level (a perk to a salaried position, there is no fluctuations in pay based upon how 'extreme' my footage is).

That all being said, and I'll go back to the argument I have made previously, I just don't see this being a long-term solution for most of the 'Never Stop Chasing' streamers we see day-after-day. Again, this is a marathon, and they're sprinting pretty hard to keep this pace up, and it WILL catch up with them at some point. I give most of these folks ten years tops, before they flame out. Any number of reasons, singular or a combination of many, will factor into this. Even on dead years, being all every day will yield enough results to keep the eyes on them, but one has to wonder if 'Super Chaser Fatigue' (a play off Superhero Fatigue from movies) will eventually set in and people will generally stop caring to watch enough where the bottom line, financially, starts to take enough of a hit where they have to adjust. Not to mention the expenses of being out adding up considerably over any given year. How they adjust to those changes will seem them a bit further along, but again, it's gonna catch 'em.

Another note, obviously most of these guys are working with various social media platforms, and that's a BIG gamble when your main platforms are not in your control. Who knows ultimately the direction these platforms will go, but will the decline of these platforms or changes in how monetization is done be too much for them. Any significant roadblocks, even with adjustments, will still punch holes in the income stream from time-to-time. I dunno, I just personally would feel very insecure if my entire livelihood was hanging on a social media's platform.

Some pardon the humble-brag post here... but I stand by the career I have made for myself, and I do not see a lot of folks getting as far down the road as I have made it, particularly those in the 'Never Stop Chasing' crowd. One of the big keys to why I've sustained as long as I have is knowing when to 'Sometimes Stop Chasing'.

 

[Tony Laubach]

5.
If accidents and fatalities rise—particularly those involving the public—legislation and liability measures (such as the Oklahoma bills previously discussed) could begin restricting certain behaviors. Storm chasing may evolve into a more regulated industry, where only licensed or insured operators are permitted to monetize live storm coverage. At the same time, insurers may increasingly refuse to cover individuals engaged in storm pursuits, leaving chasers exposed to significant financial and legal risks. In such a scenario, lawsuits—and potentially even criminal charges—against offenders become not only possible, but likely. Unlike Federal or State Legislation, traffic laws are much easier to change or modify, especially on county or city levels.

The latter part of this... insurance companies are going to start to take notice and as more and more dangerous behavior, that could warrant insurance involvement, I think you'll see THIS become much more problematic for chasers than laws and legislation (which we could debate to be tougher to enforce). Someone wrecks a car and tires to make a claim, insurance company denies them and suddenly their out of pocket trying to get back on the road.

That more visible the behavior, the more these companies will see and start to react to.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating given the topic. My wife is an attorney with experience ranging from corporate risk management to multi-million-dollar motor vehicle cases. She always finds my stories about “clown-town” storm chasing fascinating, largely because many of the worst offenders have a long trail of negligent behavior. On social media, that history can’t be erased—no matter how quickly moderators delete comments or edit footage. The legal and civil exposure that follows them is enormous. If they carry specialized insurance for extreme chasing entertainment (a big if), the premiums must be astronomical. Again, not trying to critique those who do it, but it's not a liability I would want or could afford.

 

[Randy Zipser]

It's great to see so many chasers have civil, respectful conversations. If this exact same topic was presented on X or other platforms, there would be endless insults and threats.

Warren, Dave Hoadley would be sooooo proud and happy to see your remark above!!! That observation is exactly what he had in mind that evening in October, 1977, in our hotel room at the Omaha Hilton where Storm Track was first breathed into life!

It's a credit to the high-quality of people from all over the country (and world, for that matter) who choose to share their insights, information, opinions, views, etc., here. In two years, ST will reach its 50th anniversary...here's to the next 50 years!