Reconciling Your Joy with Others' Suffering

[Rob Wadsworth]

I find it ironic that people blame the stormchaser and spotter for their woes. That doesn't mean I am impervious to their grief; far from it - in truth.

It is odd to cheer for a building on the prairie that has become a victim of the tornado. Or their cattle or crops.
Are we seen as cheering for the storm or the destruction that it eventually brings?
Neither; we know that storms will happen and we console ourselves that we have tracked it with success and have called it in to the 911/NWS/Police/Fire/EMS.

As hunters, we accept the possibility that we also can become a victim in our hunt. Lightning can get us, a flooded road can get us, large hail can kill us, and even the tornado can kill us. And what do we get out of it for our risk and expense? A 'thank you'? Don't hold your breath; few people like to make us the center blame of their own grief - despite all of the trouble that we put ourselves thru to make the hunt successful. We don't expect them to share the success of our hunt; but one would think a small thank you would be in order.

We do our hunting while others see us as a strange and eclectic group of geeks.
I don't think that is fair; but we accept their ignorance in stride.
For we know that without the spotter/chaser. the Plains wouldn't be as safe as it is now.
Not that we make ALL of the difference - but we make an impact and it is felt every time the siren goes off - or the NWS upgrades their warning - or the County EM issues broadcast warnings that otherwise wouldn't have the needed sense of urgency. It doesn't seem like a lot to some people who don't live on the Plains, but for those that do - it weighs heavy on them and invariably affects their lives.

 

[Shane Adams]

While I agree that chasers account for a portion of the warning process, I don't feel the general public owes us any kind of 'thank you'. For starters, no one's asking us to be out there; we're all volunteers, but our agendas aren't centered around public safety (unlike spotters). Sure, it's nice to hear the occasional "we appreciate what you do" from folks out there, but it's never expected. IMO chasers are the "silent partner" of the warning process. No thanks or recognition needed, we're just doing what decent human beings should be, which is helping when the situation warrants.

Although I admit, it would be nice to not be loathed by so many spotter groups out there, but that's a simple case of human nature (jealously, ignorance, and territoriality). I'd like to think that for every spotter that dislikes chasers, there's one that doesn't have a problem with them.

 

[Laura Duchesne]

I guess I can't really say how I would feel watching a tornado that killed people or caused major damage as I've never seen a deadly tornado yet, although I've been on one that has done damage (Kearney). A majority of our catches were field tornadoes, IMO the best kind to watch (no worries).

The way I see it is, all you can do is report what you're seeing and hope for the best. The rest you can't control. I am well aware of what tornadoes are capable of, we've driven through various tornado damaged towns the last few years (Manchester, SD; Greensburg, KS; Cactus, TX; Kearney, NE; and somewhere in northern NE a gentleman's house was moderately damaged). It's amazing what these storms are capable of, so I've gained a respect for them and their victims. I will always enjoy watching severe weather though, for their structure. I can't control what house gets hit or who gets hurt. We just warn them of what's potentially on the way and pray that they have taken cover.

After seeing two of the Kearney tornadoes this year, we went into Kearney to grab some gas and find a place to eat, but it was difficult because there was no power to a good part of town. We then went into the residential area and I felt a little awkward walking around seeing trees down everywhere, windows blown out, etc. But everyone there seemed to be fine, they were all out standing on the sidewalks casually talking and taking pictures. There was a part of me that wanted to help out in some way. I guess the event could have been much worse and I am glad it wasn't. We found out nobody was harmed and we were extremely glad.

All I can say is, there is no way I could imagine what the chasers went through on the night of Greensburg. They've gained my respect.

 

[Andy Mayhew]

It's not just tornadoes, it's any severe weather events.

But we don't cause the weather and we can't prevent the weather. We can however record it and help people better understand it. That's how I see it, anyway.

 

[Danny Neal]

Storms happen; injury and death will occur and I will feel bad that those events happened, but I have little sympathy for anyone lashing out at me just because I have a fascination with extreme weather. I don't solicit myself as a chaser, because that just attracts the 20 question game and/or grief any one person may have. I have enough respect to not cheer for destruction, but this sort of thing happens and luckily I am trained to treat the injured. While chasing if I came across devastation (again) then EMT/Paramedic mode kicks in and storm chaser mode stops. I want to be at ground zero to help, but in a perfect world I won't ever be needed. At the end of the day, I will definitely feel bad that I get to go home to my family or my home and others may not be able too. It is the hobby(storm chasing) and profession(firefighter) that I chose to do though, if I didn't think I could handle it I wouldn't have made a career out of public safety.

 

[Skip Talbot]

I detach myself from the suffering that storms cause. I will go out of my way to avoid damage paths, and if possible I won't chase into populated areas. I didn't want to get anywhere near Greensburg on May 5 of '07, and I started to get squeemish when I did start see damage paths from the May 4 tornadoes even when it was just tree damage. Witnessing a destructive or deadly tornado would definitely ruin the mood of the chase for me. For me, the ideal catch is a picturesque, unwitnessed rope in a deserted field.

 

[joel ewing]

Although I now live in Arizona, I come from a long, long line of Nebraska and S. Dakota farmers. Because of this, I started my chasing (early 80's) with the knowledge that farm and ranch folk HATE severe storms and tornadoes. Unfortunately, we chasers quite often do not garner much respect either.
While chasing in rural areas, we've all seen farmers and ranchers parked at the end of their long driveways with their trucks idling..worriedly watching the sky. Folks, they're not just looking for tornadic activity....but HAIL as well. It doesn't take much of a hailstorm to totally wipe out a farmer's entire year. Yes, there is insurance. It's expensive..taking a big chunk out of the crop's potential profit. There is so little profit in farming now days, that being "hailed out" by what we chasers would term a wimpy little hailstorm can ruin a farming family's entire year.
Perhaps many of you reading this post might agree with this...to me, it's an absolute JOY to be with a group of fellow chasers who have just "scored big" earlier in the day..and walk into a place like an Outback Steakhouse for cocktails..a thick steak...and to re-live what you just went through a few hours earlier. To me...it doesn't get much better than that. But...a "consciencious chaser"...and I try mightily to be....MUST remember that you are "in the alley". The majority of the people sitting in the booths and chairs around you most likely feel exactly the opposite of how you feel....many of them vehemently so. They absolutely can not understand how people like us are the way we are. It just doesn't compute. Don't forget...and this is especially true in smaller towns...that anyone who does not come from their town will be at the very least eyeballed...scrutinized..sized up...and distrusted. And if your gang is hooting and hollering about that fantastic video you shot of the grove of Cottonwoods being demolished or that roof that was lifted intact and carried off and exploded....you can find yourself in a bit of trouble fairly quickly. At the very least, you'll receive glaring looks. However, it can become confrontational very quickly. I had an older woman tell me on no uncertain terms once that "and you know what....they NEVER EVER did find my Uncle's body".... ( the famous Waco '53 tornado).
I'm not saying that we should have to act like Nuns when in the alley, but guys....use your heads. Example...perhaps ask the hostess at the saloon or the Outback if there is a big table "away" from everybody else...where a group of people might have a little privacy.....instead of grabbing the table in the middle of the restaurant where it's guaranteed that the entire room is likely to hear you.
I have a standard reply when some jerk starts in with questioning like "so...are you guys have some kind of death wish?"....or "so...do you guys get off on seeing houses blown apart"...etc. etc. I simply say something to the effect of "No...not at all. Tornadoes are gonna happen whether you or I like them to or not, we cannot stop nature from being nature. BUT....a lot of chasers like me that have a lot of experience can provide THE EARLIEST WARNINGS POSSIBLE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...BECAUSE WE CAN OFTEN TIMES SPOT AREAS WITHIN THE MAIN THUNDERSTORM THAT IS LIKELY TO PUT DOWN A TORNADO...EVEN BEFORE THE FUNNEL BEGINS TO APPEAR !!".

 

[Robert Edmonds]

I agree with Joel. While I may not have close ties to farming my grandfather was a farmer in New Mexico. My grandfather, with the help of his sons(my father and uncles) farmed part of the valley I now live in. While the storms do not usually get nearly as severe as out in the plains, I have heard many many stories from family and friends about the trouble severe weather here can provide to a farmer. Even this year I was reminded of this monsoon season when I drove past a recently cut hay field that was frantically being bailed because of an approaching rain storm. That's why when I chase, I don't advertise to everybody I am a storm chaser. I also remind my passengers about these realities too. It's not to make chasing less fun, which it is extremely fun, but to do it with a sense of respect. Hopefully, by aiding with early warnings, this will make up for enjoying such horrible weather.

 

[Howard Robinson]

I once got asked by a coworker if I enjoy watching storms kill people,etc and I replied back to telling them I love to watch the storms, I hate the death and destruction. Being a stormchasers doesn't make me inhuman or blind to what is going around me if anything it makes me more aware of the power of nature.

 

[Susan Strom]

A lot of us, too, got started with a close encounter of our own. This is the way that some of us choose to relate to the weather.

I have found that when someone realizes the human side of a chaser, they seem to connect and even share storm stories of their own. At that point, they realize that the chaser is out there for a reason vastly different than morbid curiosity or a simple adrenaline rush.

Chasers don't want to see death and destruction. We just want to marvel at the weather. The atmosphere is like the sea. Ships can be claimed, but blameless is the sea. Although we like to assign human qualities to the "angry, churning" sea, it has no malice, and man has been fascinated with it too, since the beginning.