Although the term “storm chaser” may sound careless and unimportant, storm chasing is
in fact very challenging and requires advanced skill, knowledge, and discipline. Most storm
chasers do so for leisure; to live out their fascination with extreme weather. However, there are
some who are professional storm chasers and recognize it as a career. This paper will explore
those who specialize in tornado chasing, including both the hobbyist chaser and the professional
aspect of storm chasing, focusing on how one becomes a storm chaser, the process of chasing,
job requirements and instrument used, and both the pros and cons of storm chasing.
For most storm chasers, the practice is looked at as an enjoyable hobby. However, there…show more content… In most cases, chasers do not
experience actual formations of tornadoes as the average conversion rate is only 25% (Grogan,
2012). This means that some chases can take hours before a prime location is identified for
research deployment.
Although there are multiple methods that can be applied to successfully predicting
weather conditions, storm chasers produce a different aspect of research and perspective than
that of numerical conditioning and historical theorization. When prime conditions occur for
possible tornado formation, storm chasers begin their chase. Although getting to the storm is a
skill a skill in itself, storm chasers put themselves at risk by getting as close to tornadoes as
possible. However, they take the weather occurrences incredibly serious, understanding the
risks they take on while trying uphold a certain level of sensibility and safety. For this reason,
storm chasers utilize various technological advances that they employ while out in the field.
Probes, also known as “tornado pods” are deployed into the path of the tornado and are able to
go places that the chasers are unable to reach. “These probes, which are capable of