Table of Contents
What are the responsibilities of a storm chaser?
A storm chaser conducts meteorological research on the field, to report tornados, storms, hurricanes and other high-impact weather conditions to weather bureaus. This information is vital for accurate weather forecasting and warnings.
What are the benefits of being a storm chaser?
Aside from warnings, meteorologists chasing storms can gain valuable research information. By studying the storms, we gain to understand more about how tornadoes form, which could lead to better advanced warnings that could save lives.
What qualities should a storm chaser have?
There are three, or maybe more, types of quality markers that are typically used, either by the storm chaser himself or by others: Number of years chased, a meteorology degree, and tornado count. Other quality markers, valid or not, would be footage and fame.
How do storm chasers stay safe?
Allow extra travel time when chasing in congested areas. Avoid driving through nighttime storms. Critical storm features such as wall clouds, tornadoes or road hazards may be hidden by darkness and precipitation. Keep your engine running while engaged in critical situations.
Is being a storm chaser a real job?
In case you were wondering: There is no “Storm Chaser” job description at NSSL. The only time people chase storms for NSSL is when a special project is being run to collect data in the field. These projects are somewhat rare.
What are the disadvantages of being a storm chaser?
Cons: Out-of-town Storm Chasers have no community roots and no knowledge of the local area (laws and building codes). Storm Chasers often have a large turnover of crews, salesmen/saleswomen, and other staff. They often aren’t properly trained for this type of repair work.
How much does a tornado chaser make?
The salaries of Storm Chasers in the US range from $12,621 to $339,998 , with a median salary of $61,444 . The middle 57\% of Storm Chasers makes between $61,444 and $154,274, with the top 86\% making $339,998.
What skills do you need to be a chaser?
Below we’ve compiled a list of the most important skills for a chaser….Most Common Skills For Chasers.
| Rank | Chaser Skill | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Safety | 24.3\% |
| 2 | Severe Weather Coverage | 15.4\% |
| 3 | Customer Service | 12.2\% |
| 4 | Mathematics | 11.9\% |
Why are storm chasers bad?
Why are Storm Chasers Bad? The property owner may lose some control over materials used, leaving the storm chaser free to cut corners in order to increase their profit. Most importantly, warranty repairs can be very difficult to obtain as most storm chasers leave the area as soon as the storm “plays out.”
What does it mean to be a storm chaser?
When you become a storm chaser, you will travel the country looking for storms, and reporting their activity to weather authorities. The information gathered by storm chasers helps weather bureaus to give accurate forecasts and warnings. Storm chasers also conduct research to improve future storm detection and weather forecasting.
How do you become a paid storm chaser?
The best way to become a paid storm chaser is to become a meteorologist. Meteorologists study weather events and get paid by a laboratory or university to chase storms for research purposes. Committed weather enthusiasts have figured out other ways to make money storm chasing. Many work as storm photojournalists or storm videographers.
How dangerous is storm chasing a job?
Most storm chasers say that driving is the most dangerous part of their job, not the cyclones, tornadoes, hurricanes, or lightning. Storm chasers work solo or in a team. They research developing storms, navigate to a storm’s location, make observations, gather data, document the storm, and capitalize on the experience.
How far do Storm Chasers drive to locate a storm?
In the US, storm chasers may drive 500 to 800 miles a day to locate a storm. Covering 20,000 miles during storm season, which lasts April to June in Tornado Alley, is quite common. Yet, storm chasers may only witness 15 to 20 storms per year.