Relocating for storm chasing

[Dan Robinson]

How many of you have relocated, or considered relocating, with storm chasing being a major motivating factor?

I thought and planned for a move from my original home state of West Virginia starting around 2005, and finally did it exactly 5 years ago this week (January 9, 2010). My job is web development that I do from home, so I literally could go anywhere I wanted. Like most chasers do, I strongly considered several locations in the Great Plains: Tulsa, Enid, Pratt, Amarillo, Lubbock or somewhere within an hour's drive west of OKC or Wichita. I also had a few Midwest locations in mind. My only criteria was 1.) to be close to an urban area for easy access to services, conveniences and jobs (if needed) and 2.) to have a wide-open sky view from home.

In the end, I chose not to go the Great Plains, but to move to the St. Louis metro. Here are my reasons:

- I'm always going to make trips to chase the Plains from wherever I live anyway, so moving there isn't necessary to benefit from its setups.

- The Midwest is full of chaseable events. Studying up on the Midwest's tornado history made me realize that I would have many opportunities there throughout the year that would likely not be seen by many others. Events like the Tri-State Tornado, many of the historic outbreaks in the region and finally seeing the Crosstown, MO F4 in 2006 convinced me that I would likely get to see significant events on a fairly regular basis.

- As much as I'm fond of the Plains, I wanted to retain a little bit of it's "road trip vacation" novelty. I felt like moving there would remove that aspect of chasing that I've come to love. Kind of like someone moving to their favorite tropical paradise full-time. You'd probably get sick of living everyday life there eventually - then where would you go to "get away"?

- Being in St. Louis meant that I could still make most Plains targets with relative ease (I-70 and I-44 leading directly to most S Plains setups).

- St. Louis and the I-64/70/44 corridors have always held a special place in my heart from my many trips through the years going to do something I loved. The Arch has always been my personal symbol of heading west to go chasing.

- The eastern STL metro in Illinois is Plains-like, as flat as the Texas Caprock and western Kansas, with wide-open skies and great roads.

- I wanted to remain within a day's drive to family and friends back east so as not to isolate myself from them too much.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

I moved from metro Denver about 30 miles east. Peace and quiet small town were primary reasons, but my wife will tell anyone who asks that the weather ranked right up there.

 

[Adam Lucio]

Dan basically listed every reason why I have chosen to remain in the midwest, and not move to the plains. Chicago I think is about as far away as one could be though to keep things semi reasonable. I will always go out to the plains for their noteable days, but the last thing I want to do is become a southern plains snob that chases those states only and misses all the great events elsewhere. No matter where I live, there will always be marginal days that go big that I will miss. There will be 5% days in Oklahoma that dont lure me from IL that end up producing a nice tornado, and everyone living in Oklahoma will cheer about how great it is to live there. The same thing happens here in IL too, only the difference is Im more likely to have that storm to myself

IMO I think its more about structuring your life to be able to chase if thats what you want to do. This many mean sacrificing a well paying career for flexibility, not getting married or having kids etc etc etc. The way I see it, if I moved to the plains nothing in my life would change. I would still have to work. Id still miss out on setups I want to chase. The only thing I did was increase the chance of becoming a tornado victim at my home.

 

[Adam Reagan]

I want to live in Denver or a city close by like Aurora one day. For the longest time Norman was near the bottom of the list of cities I wanted to move to because I didn't want to join the group of other non tornado alley chasers who relocate there every year.

However having my chase partner living in Norman after moving from Tennessee has made Norman a more tempting city for me to move to. Of course as long as I have job here in Tennessee I won't be moving anytime soon.

 

[Todd Lemery]

Definitely have thought about moving. Coming from the upper peninsula of Michigan, where you'll have a tornado like once every five years, even the "local" chases usually involve a few hours ride down to southern Wisconsin. I've long envisioned what it would be like to live in an area where my chase day could start with me heading North, South, East or West. I've got two options, South or West. Wichita has always had a bullseye on it for me. A good centrally located area that puts you within striking distance of a majority of good chase days West of the Mississippi.

 

[Shane Adams]

We relocated to Fort Worth from Norman in late 2009, but the move was strictly for work. I've found that the DFW is what I always thought it was: simply too far south for a reasonable chase base if you're serious about chasing. But, it is what it is, and we make it work as best we can. Regarding Adam's comment about the southern Plains storm snob, I can speak for no one but us, but our situation is that we simply cannot afford to make 2 day trips to the Dakotas or even Nebraska late in the year. And I refuse to sit on my hands during April and May, waiting for June tornadoes in the C/N Plains that may or may not come. When I was young, single, and had a handful of friends who were as nuts as I am, we often made those long treks across the country, because we could. These days, life is a lot more complicated, regardless of how much I try to keep it from being so. Believe me, if I could afford it, I'd be on everything. We chase the southern Plains exclusively simply because, for now, it's all we can afford to reach. If I lived in Valentine, my chase seasons wouldn't start until May or June. When you don't have the money to go everywhere, you chase in the region you live. It's pretty simple really.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I moved from Michigan (a hotbed of tornadoes let me tell you) to Norman, OK in 2010 and really think it was the best thing I could have ever done in regards to life and chasing. Norman is a great place to base from for just about any event, and you always can get days like 9/17/11 which produce a nice tornado that someone from Chicago will be too busy at the Casino to come chase.

With that said, I've seemingly shot myself in the foot scheduling vacations in the fall when it seems like the midwest sees their one storm a year so I haven't gotten to chase those events. Would have loved to have chased the Nebraska stuff this past June. Work kept me from that, but I've since gotten over it.

Jobs here are great. OKC is doing pretty well, even with the recent oil downturn. Being able to work in the weather field is also a great positive. I wouldn't be able to do that if I still lived in Michigan. Cost of living is low here unlike some of the bigger cities (Chicago) so I don't have to pay 100's of dollars each year to park my car in front of my house.

Prior to moving to Norman, I had never seen a tornado and slept in my own bed on the same day. Now I mostly see tornadoes and sleep in my bed the same day.

 

[James Gustina]

Although my main motivation was college, Norman being in the heart of Tornado Alley didn't hurt either. I wouldn't want to live anywhere other than the Plains having grown up back east and honestly the allure and beauty of the prairie and Norman haven't dimmed in the three years I've been here.

 

[Adam Lucio]

Regarding Adam's comment about the southern Plains storm snob, I can speak for no one but us, but our situation is that we simply cannot afford to make 2 day trips to the Dakotas or even Nebraska late in the year. And I refuse to sit on my hands during April and May, waiting for June tornadoes in the C/N Plains that may or may not come. When I was young, single, and had a handful of friends who were as nuts as I am, we often made those long treks across the country, because we could. These days, life is a lot more complicated, regardless of how much I try to keep it from being so. Believe me, if I could afford it, I'd be on everything. We chase the southern Plains exclusively simply because, for now, it's all we can afford to reach. If I lived in Valentine, my chase seasons wouldn't start until May or June. When you don't have the money to go everywhere, you chase in the region you live. It's pretty simple really.

That I can understand (and that sucks because Id like to see you branch out beyond that.) My southern plains snob sterotype is more aimed at those who CAN go, but choose not to because they believe that unless the setup involves a dryline its garbage. Its merely my rebuttle when I get called an idiot for chasing a November setup instead of going to a sportsball game in New York *coughcoughBENcoughcough*

 

[Danny Neal]

I've always wanted to move to the plains, more specifically the Oklahoma City area. Part of the reason is because [yeah] it would be much easier to hit more set ups throughout the year. Another reason, though, is that I simply love the area and the climate. When I go to OKC I sit and think "I could totally live here." I don't get that same vibe with Wichita, Kansas City, Omaha, or any other city in the plains. I remain in Chicago due to family and employment, but the first real golden chance I get to move out there I would take it.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

A couple of years back I took a job in Casper, WY and thought I would be able to chase northern setups and basically have to forget about the southern plains because with a new job came new expectations about being there and a less flexible schedule. Part of me may have been spoiled by chasing in Oklahoma so long because I could get to anything in a decent amount of time, now I would be four hours at a minimum to chase anything and that's if I had the time off...but I couldn't reconcile having to miss any part of the chase season.

I ultimately decided to come back to Oklahoma and I'm very glad I did, because most everything is within reach and I have a job that is very flexible yet I don't have to sacrifice professionally to chase. I can be in Nebraska by 2pm if I leave at 8am, and I can be anywhere in Texas same day if I choose. South Dakota is really the only place that I have to have a vacation plan for, except for multi-day events up north. But, most days are "leave in the morning, drive back in the dark and get home" type days.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

the first real golden chance I get to move out there I would take it.

So move down here and make it happen. You can crash in my other bedroom for a couple months till you get a job and a place of your own. Shouldn't be too hard to find a job down here.

 

[Jason Boggs]

Living in the Eastern TX Panhandle, I can live the dream!!!

 

[JustinPhillips]

I have considered it, but for now I'll just suck up the drive. Cant pass up on all the auroras I see here in west Wisconsin since it has been way bigger for my photo sales than storms have. I def think one day it will happen though.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

Although I live in Amarillo and love chasing out here, I've been considering making a move to Kansas or Nebraska. I've been talking to a guy about a job in Hastings, NE. At least I'll be centralized and able to make a day's drive to just about anywhere on the Plains. I somewhat envy those who always drive west for chase (i.e. Skip and Dan) because you can follow systems towards home. There's a few times where I had to bail on a target because I knew I'd be chasing further from home.