The Most Famous Storm Chasers in the US

Have you ever given thought to what goes on in the minds of the most famous storm chasers as they follow terrifying and destructive weather? Storms are incredible phenomena that can strike fear into almost anyone. They can be unpredictable, destructive, and downright terrifying. Storms and tornados claim the lives of an average of 71 people a year. While this number may not be a considerable amount, the unpredictability of a storm has caused many injuries and lost homes as well.

These destructive forces can be frightening, yet to some, they are exhilarating. Watching a raging storm inch towards you, witnessing the changes in the atmosphere as it is happening, and advancing science can ignite a person’s passion. That is why, for some, storm chasing is so much more than a hobby; it becomes their career.

Storm chasing began to pick up in the 1970s. Throughout the last several decades, the world has seen incredible and brave people take on storms to gather important information that helps us better understand the complex underbelly of a storm and tornado. This list will look at the most famous storm chasers, their accomplishments, and more. (After this article, read more about the most destructive storms in U.S. History. )

Storm Chasing as a Career

This career path has its risks. A motto amongst the storm-chasing community is “Never get too close.” Yet, there have been those who have lost their lives during a terrible storm, such as Timothy Samaras. The destructive storm that claimed his life also took the lives of five others. With a tragedy like this, one may ask, “Is storm chasing worth it?” While it is a dangerous venture, storm chasing is necessary for us to have the information that allows us to understand the inner workings of a storm — information that has undoubtedly saved the lives of many throughout the last several decades.

To compile a list of the most famous storm chasers, 24/7 Tempo consulted multiple sites, including The Weather Channel and Discovery Channel. Then, we cross-checked each name with their websites and biographies. While many incredible storm chasers have advanced science and created a path forward for those who want to follow in their footsteps, the people on this list are the most famous storm chasers. From those who developed probes that have captured important data to the father of storm chasing, the men on this list all brought something incredible while risking their own lives and safety.

Reed Timmer

Reed Timmer is no novice to chasing storms. He has recorded well over 800 tornados throughout his career. However, his work continues beyond there. Extreme weather is his forte. In addition to tornados, Timmer also chases hurricanes, blizzards, and flash floods.

Timmer began his career with a bang when he caught the devastating and historic Moore EF5 tornado in college. He was encouraged by his mother to follow his passions and dreams, which is precisely what he did. Now, he works to educate the next generation on safety, awareness, and more by teaching classes in various forms. These forms include Discovery Education, speaking events, and Varsity Tutors.

Timmer is known for his work on the Discovery Channel series, “Storm Chasers.” He also has a YouTube channel with over 1 million subscribers, where he shares live tornado chases, information on forecasts, and a tutorial on the Dominator 3 tornado tank. This custom-built vehicle can collect important data while resisting the high winds and destruction of tornadoes.

Tim Samaras

One of the most famous storm chasers is Tim Samaras. Samaras was known in the meteorologist world as “the guy who always gets the killer shot.” A man with a passion for engineering, research, and advancing the path forward for science, Samaras had more than two decades of experience in storm-chasing. His research throughout his career led to the development of probes, which were released into tornados to measure pressure. These steps helped open up a new world for those researching the development of tornadoes.

During Samaras’ career, he, Gallus, and Sarkar developed a group of researchers and videographers, the TWISTEX, also known as the Tactical Weather Instrumented Sampling in/near Tornadoes Experiment. During these experiments, Samaras and his team caught amazing videos inside tornadoes while also collecting more data.

In 2013, the El Reno tornado made a catastrophic appearance in Oklahoma. This storm would be Samaras’s last chase, as a series of tragic events led to him, and his team being killed. While Samaras’s life was tragically cut short, he made a lasting imprint on the science and meteorology world with his research and incredible work.

Sean Casey

Tornados can strike fear into almost anyone, with good reason. Without shelter, many people on the path of destruction do not make it out alive. So, why would anyone purposely drive themselves right into a tornado? While it sounds wild, Sean Casey, an Imax cameraman, along with Ronan P. Nagle, a film producer, did just that in 2009.

Casey and Nagle met in the 1990s while in school. It was only a short time before they developed the idea to film what a tornado looks like from the inside. This documentary would eventually be known as “Tornado Alley.” The hard part, capturing a tornado from the inside, took ten years and seasons. While this was not the only tornado Casey had driven into, he stated the perfect shot and wait was well worth it. While in Wyoming, using the Tornado Intercept Vehicle, Casey and Nagle finally were able to capture the ‘the shot’ as the tornado was moving right over the top of them.

Ronan P. Nagle

If you look up Nagle in the Guinness Book of World Records, you will find that he has been credited with witnessing more tornadoes than any other person—a remarkable and somewhat scary feat for anyone!

Jim Cantore

Jim Cantore has worked for The Weather Channel for over 30 years, during which time he has developed a knack for communicating weather to his audience in an easy-to-understand way.

While storm chasing is not his only job (he has also reported on the Olympics), Cantore has often been seen reporting on some of the most catastrophic severe weather, including Sandy, Irma, and Katrina.

David Hoadley

Credited with being the very first storm chaser, David Hoadley still enjoys chasing in Tornado Alley. This father of storm chasing first began his career in the 1950’s. His curiosity led him to begin chasing storms after a terrible one hit his hometown.

That day, Hoadley drove around assessing the damage, which piqued his interest. From there, he began using the data from weather offices and airports to chase storms. While Hoadley began as the pioneer of storm chasing, his curiosity paved the way for many other scientists to join him throughout the following decades. Because of him, and many other curious souls like himself, we have more and more information about storms and what makes them tick.

Mike Hollingshead

Tornadoes are powerful and majestic. While not many people want to be caught up in a tragic storm, Mike Hollingshead has made it his career to capture beautiful photographs of these stunning and terrifying natural phenomena.

Hollingshead grew up in the Midwest and experienced the worst storms. While striking fear into many, these storms only piqued his interest even more. His passion for photography and storms led him to begin chasing storms as a photographer in 1999, and then, in 2004, he turned his passion into a full-time career.

Over the past several decades, storm chasers have provided us with incredible data that helps us better understand storms and tornados. Yet Hollingshead provides us with something entirely different: incredible photography that captures the magnificence and awe of severe weather.

Joel Taylor

Along with Reed Timmer, Joel Taylor starred on the Discovery Channel’s show, “Storm Chasers” from 2008 until 2012. He had a passion for methodology and studied at the University of Oklahoma.

Unfortunately, Taylor passed away at the age of 38. However, his passion for storm chasing helped advance science forward. (Next, check out our list of destructive storms that flattened entire cities. )

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