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*New Users. Meet and Greet Area*

Hello! My name is Guy Coopmans and I'm a 39 year old professional firefifghter from Utrecht, The Netherlands. Besides my love for (adrenalin) sports I can get really passionate about whatever Mother Nature has to offer us. From an amazing star display on a clear night to an erupting volcano...even a murmuration of starlings or a beautiful tree can make my day! Ever since i was young severe weather has fascinated me. As a kid already staying up all night with lightning storms and now, as a kitesurfer going out to sea with 50kts wind and huge waves..My fascination for severe weather got a real boost in spring 2013, when i was visiting my brother in law in the USA with my girlfriend. We got accidently caught up in the system that created the tornado that hit Granbury on the 15th of may and we had to seek shelter for golf ball sized hail. After experiencing this, the 20th we drove from Amarillo to Oklahoma for an inprovised stormchase. We could see the supercell that hit Moore with that huge tornado develop right in front of us as we drove towards OK. It was beautiful to witness, not knowing that this event sadly was about to take a lot of lives. We aborted the chase at the very moment we heard on the radio that the tornado was on the ground in urban area. Right after this tragedy i offered help being a firefighter, but the police wouldn't let me get in to the area that had been hit, so we left. Allthough this was of course a very, very tragic day, seeing these forces at work is something I will never forget. We do get some severe weather in Holland, but this was like something from another planet!
After chasing a few small storms in my country I really got more and more into it. I ordered and read Tim Vasquez's book 'A stormchasing handbook', watched the 'Structure 101' DVD, did the online course 'Thunderstoms-an Inttroduction' on Spotter Network, read a lot of topics on this site and watched tons of video's on Youtube off course. So all in all I'm still a beginner, but an enthusiastic one. I would love to go back to the USA this spring or maybe next year for a 2-3 weeks chaseholiday, but i can't find anybody in Holland who would like to join me. That's why i would like to use this introduction as well to call out for any chaser/chase team on a budget that wants to team up/looks for a new member for spring 2015 or 2016!! As i said I don't have a lot of knowledge about meterology yet (I'm learning more very day), but I think I can still be pretty useful: Being a firefighter in a busy city in Holland I've got a lot of experience with driving under tough/stressfull circumstances with all kinds of vehicles (also big trucks and ladders). I did a lot of advanced driving courses and don't mind driving long distances (and able to stay focused), so that makes me a suitable driver. I am not a paramedic like some of the firefighters in the USA, but off course i am well trained in offering First Aid an CPR and would like to help whoever in need after a storm hit. Besides that I know how to operate a cemera pretty will and I've got (not professional, but allright) editing skills.
I don't mind sleeping in shitty hotels or even in a tent or in the car if that way we've got more money left for fuel ;-). My English is as good as fluent by the way! So let me know if you can use someone like me and we might be chasing together this may/june or maybe in 2016.
Besides wanting to chase I'm really happpy to be a member of this site and looking forward to learning new stuff and getting to know more like-minded peolple! Hope to see you some day in the field, regards,

Guy Coopmans
 
Just want to say hi! New here to Stormtrack, as of yesterday I became a member. I am originally from San Antonio, Tx but now live in Bastrop, Tx, just east of Austin. I have had a love for weather, especially severe weather, since I could understand what was going on around me. I have basically been chasing since I earned my drivers license, and I am happy to be a part of this community. Looking foward to learning from all the veterans on here.
 
Occurred to me that I never formally introduced myself earlier.

Hi, I'm Andrew and I am from the Greater Vancouver area in British Columbia. I have been interested in weather (particularly severe weather) since I was around 4-5 years old and I studied tornado history and climatology before I ever got heavily into forecasting a few years ago. I am currently pursuing a degree in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia and I hope to do my graduate work in the US and focus on tornadoes in some form or another. I also am keenly interested in chasing, although living where I do currently makes it difficult. I hope to make a trip to the Plains/wherever the storms may be outside of Ozark jungle within the next few years (possibly this year in the second half of May if things fall into place).

Oh and I'm fairly sure a few posters here are familiar with me from the various weather forums I post on (as andyhb). Not sure why I didn't sign up here sooner, honestly.
 
Hello, I just wanted to formally introduce myself my name is Danny Calderon and I live in Fairmont City Illinois which sits about 6 miles east of down town St. Louis. I am a Firefighter/EMR and I am currently working on my Admin of Justice degree at SWIC. I will admit that my interest in severe weather was kicked off by watching the movie TWISTER as a kid. I joined this forum to learn more about chasing and forecasting so I can hopefully put myself on the right storm to watch Mother Nature perform her most ravishing show.
 
Hello everyone, I just thought that I would introduce myself to the weather community. My name is Rachel, I am 16 and a half years old. I live in central Texas. (I will hopefully be moving with my family to northern Michigan this coming summer.) I am very shy, so sometimes it is difficult for me to talk to people. I want to become a research meteorologist when I am older, I want to help contribute to the tornado science and help save peoples lives. I have always been interested in severe weather ever since I was a little kid. When I was 4, I had watched my dad's VHS copy of Twister, and ever since I saw that movie I thought tornadoes were fascinating. I was in Kindergarten when I had borrowed my dad's VHS of Twister to show and tell.(I had actually claimed it as my own VHS tape.) Not long after I showed the class the VHS and told them how special that movie meant to me, a tornado warning was issued for our area, I had looked up out of my classroom's window. I saw an eerie green sky and rotating black clouds. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, I had never seen anything like that before. Eventually, my teacher then pulled me away from the windows and got us to safety. The tornado touched down in the town next to ours, so I didn't get to see a tornado. After that day happened, I noticed that that's when my obsession for severe weather kicked in. In 2009 I watched Storm Chasers on TV, and I kinda got a picture of what storm chasing really was. I thought it was cool. For a few years though, my interest in weather got replaced. (From 2010 to 2013) I was far more interested in art and animation. Then in 2013 something tragic happened. I heard of the El Reno tornado and that it claimed the lives of Tim/Paul Samaras and Carl Young. I was devastated when I heard the news, because I admired the work that Tim and his team did. His research in the field surly saved countless peoples lives across tornado alley. Tim was such a huge inspiration to me, and when I had found out that he passed away, I couldn't believe it. In December of 2013, my interest in weather came back at full force, only this time I didn't desire to storm chase for pictures or fame. I wanted to do what Tim and his team did, chase for science, and conduct research in the field. I made sure that I asked myself if storm chasing is truly what I wanted to do, I decided that I would do it, and not change my mind. (I wasn't doing really well when I did art, and I kinda hated it to be honest, so I choose to do storm chasing as a career instead.) Ever since that December, I have been researching about tornadoes and meteorology. I decided that I would attend college when the time comes. I want to attend Oklahoma university and get a PH.D in meteorology. I hope to learn alot about meteorology from here. It's an honor to be a part of this forum, hope to see some of ya'll out in the field one day.
 
^ It happens to us one way another. When weather hooks you, hard to get away from it. Welcome & good luck to your future endeavors. ST great place to learn and contribute all things weather. Some other shenanigans too.
 
Alex Heimberger said:
^ It happens to us one way another. When weather hooks you, hard to get away from it. Welcome & good luck to your future endeavors. ST great place to learn and contribute all things weather. Some other shenanigans too.
Click to expand...
Thanks. :) I have been in the weather community for a year now, and I love it! Very wonderful people and I don't feel like an outcast. I feel like I can relate to many people in this community, since we all have some sort passion for the weather. I know that as soon as I get my drivers lisence I will take SkyWarn classes, and storm chase with one of my storm chasing friends, who is experienced out in the field. :) I hope to learn a lot here and learn the safe way to storm chase, since I never want to be reckless. I can't wait to get out into the feild, and see my first tornado.
 
Alex Heimberger said:
Yeah, only certified by going to spotter class. As far as I know. Peak opportunity to go to one. Usually most classes held between Feb.-April. Great place to hone your skills. https://www.meted.ucar.edu/

https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_module.php?id=817#.VP0XmuEjJ8E

https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_module.php?id=816#.VP0XsuEjJ8E
Click to expand...
Thank you for the link. :) I am glad that they do online SkyWarn classes as well. I will probably take SkyWarn classes next spring, since I will already be moved into my families new house. I will make sure to look at my local NWS and see if they have local SkyWarn classes available for my area or not. If not, I'll take the class online.
 
Rachel Donoghue said:
Not long after I showed the class the VHS and told them how special that movie meant to me, a tornado warning was issued for our area, I had looked up out of my classroom's window. I saw an eerie green sky and rotating black clouds. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, I had never seen anything like that before. Eventually, my teacher then pulled me away from the windows and got us to safety. The tornado touched down in the town next to ours, so I didn't get to see a tornado.
Click to expand...

This actually reminded me of the day Jarrell was hit by the F5 Tornado in 1997. I was 17, sitting at home watching "Twister" on VHS. Once the movie was over, I hit rewind, turned the tv back to a news station to see what the weather would be like for the day. Of course thunderstorms were initiating and heading south. Then as the supercell hit Jarrell, the tornado started, and progressed into an F5. I was naive and thought, "I cursed Jarrell because I watched Twister!" Of course, I have since realized how silly that sounds. Thought I'd share because your story in your intro reminded me of it.
 
Hello everyone,

I am new to the forums so I wanted to introduce myself. I have been "lurking" for a while now and decided to finally sign up. I am glad to be a part of Stormtrack and look forward to learning more about weather and getting to know everyone while being here.

A little bit about me: I just turned 30 (on Sunday) and have been interested in storm chasing for several years now. I've been limited in my chasing so far, and have mostly been opportunistic when it comes to going after storms (primarily stuff close to home). I am currently living in Yukon, OK...I moved here from New Mexico (where I'm originally from) and also lived in SW MO for some time as well as Nashville, TN.

What drew me into storm chasing: Growing up in the desert we didn't see a lot of severe weather. Maybe one decent storm a year if we were lucky. Never anything too crazy. Usually, if it even rained hard... I was happy with that. I guess the big thing out there was flash flooding. Whenever I moved to Missouri (I was 13) I started seeing better/more frequent storms. I was always fascinated with the lightning/hail/strong winds that would come through the area.

The one storm that "hooked" me: It was Spring of 2009, and I was working with one of my best friends who owned a HVAC business. We had left to go bid a job near the Pierce City, MO area. It involved us going underneath a house into a crawlspace. We were under there.. maybe 10 minutes at most. When we emerged from the crawlspace there was a LP mesocyclone rotating just a mile or two from our location. I was convinced that at any moment a tornado was going to drop from the cloud... it never did. It was the coolest "storm cloud" I've ever witnessed. I was hooked from that moment on.

I have yet to witness a tornado... I am hoping to change that this year.

If anyone from the OKC area wants to hang out.. grab a beer sometime and talk about severe weather, do some chasing this Spring, let me know.
 
Here's a couple of my favorite storm photos to date.

The first one is of a dust storm near the NM/TX border.

The second two are from the Dec 14th storm system that went through central OK. Unfortunately, it was 11 days before Christmas so I hadn't received my Nikon DSLR for Christmas yet. Looking forward to taking some better quality photos in the future.
 

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