The Storm Chasers Tell Their Stories - with 2009 updates!

Reed Timmer - TVN Lead Storm Chaser, Meteorologist
"Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan - notorious for massive snow storms - gave me a early introduction to extreme weather, but my first official storm chase was at the age of 13, when I intercepted a severe storm in my front yard and was pelted by golf-ball size hail that destroyed the family video camera. Ever since that day I’ve been obsessed with extreme weather and storm chasing, but was preoccupied for several years with other natural science adventures After becoming the national champion in the tree identification event at the 1996 Science Olympiad, I decided to pursue my true passion and began studying meteorology at the University of Oklahoma in 1998."

"I photographed my first tornado in October of 1998, and documented the massive F5 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma on May 3, 1999 from underneath an overpass as the mile-wide wedge was bearing down on my location. Other than getting covered by mud, the F5 tornado left me unscathed and even more obsessed with extreme storm chasing. Ever since that day, I’ve been driving over 50,000 miles every year from the Mexican Border to Canada and have captured over 200 tornadoes on film."

"In 2003 I started TornadoVideos.net, a company devoted to extreme storm chasing photography and research, with over 50 storm chasing teams streaming live video through our website and collecting data in Tornado Alley every spring. During our first season of Storm Chasers last year, we successfully deployed the 300 pound TVN tornado probe in the path of a fast-moving twister in Kansas, and capturing High Definition video from inside the tornado circulation. In the off-season, we decided to take it to the next level, and developed an armored radar vehicle (TVN Dominator) intended to measure the vertical wind speeds next to strong tornadoes."

"I' m currently working toward a PhD in meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. I’ll be storm chasing until the day that I die!!"

Joel Taylor - TVN Driver, Meteorologist
"Raised as a “country boy” on a cattle ranch in the heart of tornado alley near Elk City, Oklahoma, I had a front-row seat on plenty of severe storms and tornadoes during my early childhood years - more than enough to nurture my interest in extreme weather. I began producing weather “forecasts” as early as the first grade, and remember watching massive storm clouds and lightning displays for hours at a time all the while wishing I could drive closer, although I was still a long way from a driver's license. In 1998, I moved to Norman to study meteorology at the University of Oklahoma - where I met Reed - and continued to fuel my passion for storm chasing.

"Over the past 10 years, I’ve intercepted nearly 200 tornadoes, many no further than a few hundred yards away, and I've lost 5 windshields to massive hail. After graduating with my degree in Meteorology in 2002, I started a career in real estate which has turned out so well that I'm now my own boss and able to schedule most of my work around storm chasing. Given my vast experience driving the back-country roads of the Great Plains, I'm in my element behind the wheel of the TVN team. I love to get us close to tornadoes, but I'm usually the one screaming at my team members that it's time to go!"

Chris Chittick - TVN Storm Chaser, Photographer
"Brought up in the small town of Greenville, Michigan, I've always had an immense interest in extreme weather for as long as I can remember. I intercepted my first tornado in eastern Wyoming in May 2000, and have been hooked on storm chasing ever since, driving 50,000+ miles every year striving to document as many tornadoes as possible. I also enjoy chasing hurricanes, blizzards, and even grass fires, and plan to continue traveling the world year-round to satisfy my passion for extreme weather. I studied Business Management at Central Michigan University until 2002 when I decided to move down to Norman, Oklahoma to pursue storm chasing full-time. While continuing to provide all the still photography for the TVN team, I’ll also be focusing on deploying the 300-lb HD camera probe that Reed and I will be hustling to set down in the path of oncoming twisters."