With the new 2010 Storm Chasers season underway, we asked fans to send us their questions for the brave cameramen, producers, and support staff from Original Media who cover all the tornado action from the front lines. Here's what one producer had to say:

Q: How much of a problem is chaser tourism becoming? Do you find that it's harder to shoot the show now that there are more and more "civilians" doing amateur chasing and possibly getting in the way?

Chaser tourism is booming these days, and I'm sure the popularity of the show has contributed to that. Our cast has become more and more recognizable with each passing season, especially in Tornado Alley. This is great for the show, but sometimes makes shooting difficult. At gas stations, restaurants and hotels, people are very eager to meet the chasers, tour the tornado vehicles, ask questions and take pictures. When not in the heat of the chase, the cast and crew are more than happy to talk to interested fans. Another difficulty is increased traffic. With more and more amateur chasers out there the roads to tornadoes are becoming incredibly clogged. As dangerous as tornadoes can be, the danger posed by traffic can be worse.

Have you become interested in chasing or the weather since being involved in this project?

In some sort of strange version of Stockholm Syndrome, most people who work on the show become amateur meteorologists over the course of ten weeks of chasing. I know that while I was on the road, I would try and look at data every day, pick my own target based on the parameters, and see how close my forecast was to that of the meteorologists I worked with.

Q: How do you manage all the extra crew in each vehicle? Is there room for more than just the chasers or have the vehicles been equipped with cameras that you just switch angles on?

There is a camera person/producer in every chase vehicle as well as mounted cameras for as much coverage as possible. These chase vehicles weren't designed with passenger comfort in mind, and often the conditions are challenging, especially when driving into the most powerful weather phenomenon on the planet. Each team also has a production follow vehicle with an additional camera operator and support crew, who's job it is to get exterior tracking shots of the chase vehicles and the weather.

Q: How much damage does the camera equipment get while shooting a season? It must be hard to keep the lenses, mics, etc. safe from damage in such extreme conditions.

In addition to hand-held cameras, there are mounted cameras, video decks, countless feet of sensitive cable, microphones, lenses and monitors in every car. Of course moisture and electronics don't get along, and that's an obvious challenge. But production crews are also dealing with heavy winds, dust storms, rough roads that cause punishing bumps, and hail stones that get as big as grapefruits. It is a constant struggle to keep everything up and running, and some equipment casualties are par for the course.

Q: What do you guys do in the cars to pass time between chasing storms?

Chasers are at the mercy of Mother Nature, and production crews are at the mercy of our chasers. Since they sit in the front seat, they control the radio on long drives. They decide when and where to eat. Given the long hours production crews work, a catnap is always the best way to spend a drive, but since severe weather can happen at any time, we have to sleep with one eye open. And since keeping all equipment fully functional is an uphill battle, we will often spend drive time checking gear, making on-the-fly repairs and adjustments.

Q: What is the craziest or most dangerous thing you've ever done to "get the shot"?

There's nothing crazier than being inside either the TIV or the Dominator when it drives into a tornado. When the Dominator lost a window inside a twister last season, the shooter/producer in the vehicle was just as exposed as Reed and his team. We camera operators are the last ones into the car, staying outside in insane winds and brutal hail to make sure we have the shots we need.

Q: What's the strangest thing you've seen in the aftermath of a tornado?

When a production vehicle was caught in the outer circulation of a tornado, it sustained some damage to the roof and hood. There was an ongoing debate for the rest of the season as to what hit the car to cause the damage. There were some who swore up and down it was a telephone pole, but there was an equally vehement contingent that claimed it was a miniature donkey. The truth may never be known.

Q: Was it hard to mentally prepare for such a dangerous assignment, especially for those without previous storm-chasing experience?

The men and women who bring storm chasers to the screen come from a diverse and varied background, but all of them have experience working on dangerous shows that tax them mentally and physically. While this show presents its own unique set of challenges, everyone knows the risks going in and is dedicated to doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

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