>>> Our team is comprised of some of the most experienced storm chasers from around the world. We understand meteorology and concentrate on good forecasting techniques to intercept severe weather and ensure a successful storm chase on every tour.
Todd Thorn - Tour Leader/Severe Storm Expert - Bozeman, Montana - I will be on all tours.
I
have been fascinated
by severe storms and tornadoes since I was just six years old, and as a
result, I began studying severe weather at a very early age. Over the
years, I read every textbook on the subject and spent many days
watching severe storms form over my hometown. My nights were spent
watching vivid lightning from my bedroom window as the sound of thunder
shook the house. To be a storm chaser, you must be able to read the sky
and see visual clues for severe weather, such as the meaning of distant
towering cumulus clouds. All the schooling and onboard information is
good, but it takes years to learn how to read the sky and tell where
the next storm will form. I have been chasing severe weather since 1991
and have a background in meteorology. In 2011, we will be operating our
14th year of Storm Chasing Adventure Tours. We have been featured in
numerous television documentaries, news programs, and in more than 200
newspaper and magazine articles published around the world. Since I
founded Storm Chasing Adventure Tours in 1997, our emphasis has been on
good forecasting techniques to intercept severe weather for a
successful storm chase on every tour. I look forward to seeing you in
Tornado Alley during 2011.Matt Amesz - Guide/Driver for Tours 3-7
Hi,
I am from Perth
Western Australia and 2011 will be my 6th year chasing storms with
Storm Chasing Adventure Tours. I have had a keen interest in severe
weather from a young age and I was fortunate enough to see my first
tornado while chasing last year. Seeing a tornado for the first time
was truly an amazing experience, it certainly got the heart pumping.
Every day is like an adventure, who knows where you will end up and
what you might see! Regardless of if you see a tornado or not, it's an
experience of a lifetime and one not to be missed. I look forward to
traveling with you all in 2011.Chris Brown - Guide/Driver for TBA
The
2011 chase will be my third season storm chasing with Todd. Despite
living in England, my long annual trip over to meet up with Storm
Chasing Adventure Tours is my most anticipated of the year. Storm
chasing is a hobby rather than a career for me as I am the MD of a
travel company where we try and send people where the good weather is!
I have always had a fascination with severe weather and as a youngster
I dreamed of seeing a tornado. Sadly in the UK, it only gets as bad as
severe thunder and lightning, and when this happens I can normally be
found outside (My family thinks I am mad). I am also a keen
photographer and enjoy the photo opportunities that arise whilst
chasing storms. I look forward to seeing you out on the Plains in 2011.
Steve Carey - Guide/Driver for TBA
This
will be my seventh year storm chasing with Storm Chasing Adventure
Tours
and my fifth as a member of the Storm Chasing Adventure Tours team. On
previous trips I’ve seen intense lightning displays, awesome supercell
thunderstorms, large hail, funnel clouds, and six tornadoes. I am a
professor at the University of Mobile (Alabama) where I teach courses
in biology and geology. I also have an interest in the history of the
Great Plains and am familiar with many of the people and places of the
Old West. As we travel throughout Tornado Alley, I’ll point out sites
of natural and historic interest. As a resident of the Gulf Coast, I’ve
experienced several hurricanes including Hurricane Ivan whose eye
passed over my house. I’ve always been fascinated with severe weather
and can’t wait for the chase season to begin. I look forward to meeting
you and sharing the experience of a lifetime. Diana Fierro - Guide/Driver for TBA
Hello
fellow chasers!
This will be my 5th year storm chasing with Todd. I am originally from
California and have recently relocated to Australia. By profession I am
a registered nurse and I work in the intensive care unit. I’ve had such
a fascination with severe weather from a very young age. I would watch
tornado videos, study tornadoes and even dream about tornadoes on a
regular basis. The first time I went chasing with Todd I told him that
I wanted to see a tornado on my birthday. On May 9th, 2006 Todd made my
dream come true, and I have been hooked ever since. I look forward to
meeting you all in Tornado alley!
Kevin Harned - Guide/Driver/Severe Storm Expert for TBA
Like Todd, I've been
fascinated with the weather since I was a kid. Following my dream since
I was in the seventh grade, I have always wanted to learn more
how it works. I decided then that I wanted to be a
meteorologist. A graduate of Purdue University, I have my degree in
Synoptic Meteorology and work for the NBC affiliate WAVE 3 in
Louisville, Kentucky. I had the pleasure of documenting a ten-day tour
with Todd, including everyone on board, during the 2002 season. Working
in television has given me the opportunity to chase tornadoes and
hurricanes and to cover floods and winter storms. It's one thing to
look at a radar and warn people of what you think is coming their
way... but totally different to actually see it with your own eyes.
Trying to predict what nature will do and when is very humbling, but I
look forward to the challenge during the 2011 season.Ryan Hoke - Guide for TBA
This
is my 4th year with Todd. I'll be the first to admit that I'm obsessed
with weather. Everyday presents an opportunity to experience
spectacular shows put on by our atmosphere, even if it's just a passing
cloud. This interest inspired me to create a weather website for the
Louisville, Kentucky area during my high school years. My
site, ryanweather.org,
featured weekly forecast videos, severe weather coverage, and a daily
weather blog, but now features my resume and video archive. The site
has been featured on Louisville's WAVE 3 TV and
receives visits from all over the world. As a meteorology
student
at Mississippi State University, I'm using my previously-learned
weather skills and a wealth of new ones to help me become a broadcast
meteorologist. Using state-of-the-art weather
radar software for radar analysis, I can point out dangerous tornado
hook echoes, damaging hail indicators, and provide vital storm
information to tour guests. With a live mobile weather data connection
and GPS
equipment, I'll be able to tell you our exact location and the
locations of storms around us, along with their characteristics. We're
going to have a blast this 2011 season!Robert Koch - Guide/Driver for TBA
Hello, my
name is
Robert Koch and I make my living selling merchandise on the auction
website eBay. This will be my 6th year chasing with Todd and I look
forward to another exhilarating chase season. I have always been
intrigued with severe weather since I was a wee lad and the last 5
seasons have been most stimulating as I met many great storm chasing
enthusiasts and weather professionals. Chasing with Todd across the
great American Plains is always rewarding whether we see tornadoes,
severe storms, or spectacular lightning displays. Best Regards, Robert.Jock Mcginty - Guide/Driver for Tours 1-6
I’ve
been chasing
severe weather with Todd since 2004. In that time I’ve learned that if
there is any weather out there then Todd will get you right in the path
of it. We’ve had some amazing experiences over the years and I’ve
personally witnessed 26 tornadoes, including 3 on the ground at once
and a one-in-a-thousand clockwise rotation. Simply amazing! I’ve always
been interested in natural history and the physical forces that shape
our universe, from severe weather to astronomy to volcanoes and
earthquakes (my other real favourites)!! Living and working in
Indonesia I get my fair share of those events, but nothing matches the
feeling of being under a massive, rotating supercell in the great
plains of America. Whether 2011 will be your first chase season or
you’re a veteran returning for your annual fix, I look forward to
seeing you in The Alley and sharing some awesome weather experiences. 
