Meet the Titans

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The Tornado Titans are a diverse group of people with different skillsets and personalities. So if you are interested with people you are seeing on camera, this is where you go to find out more about them!

Chris Sanner
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Director/Producer/Camera Guy/Co-Lead Forecaster/Being Awesome

Chris has been chasing tornadoes since he was 16 years old -- which means he's been chasing for a decade now. Chris has witnessed tonadoes of all shapes and sizes, and ratings...minus an EF5. But in reality, that's a mark Chris doesn't mind keeping since EF5 tornadoes typically result in major loss of life and property. Chris is the overall Director and Producer of the Tornado Titans team as well as the part-time driver of the Titan when Cody is absent.

The Stats
Years Chased: 10
Tornadoes Seen: 183
Biggest Hail: 5" Monster Windshield Wreckers
Favorite Location to Chase: Caprock into Western Oklahoma
First Tornado: 3/17/2003
First Storm Chase: 3/17/2003

Brandon Goforth

Navigator/Co-Lead Forecaster/Camera Guy/Director of Music While Chasing

Brandon chased storms in a very recreational manner for a few years before really getting serious a few years ago. Brandon has had one of the more successful runs of a storm chaser and is one of the best navigators around storms you can find. Known for his crazy antics on and off camera, Brandon has made a name for himself with jaw-dropping photography over the years. While the Titans have many names for him, Brandon prefers to be referred to as "Awesome Navigator #1.”

The Stats
Years Chased: 12
Tornadoes Seen: 158
Biggest Hail: Moon Crater Creating Mega-Softballs
Favorite Location to Chase: NW Oklahoma and/or SW Kansas
First Tornado: 5/6/2001
First Storm Chase: 5/1/2001

Josh Ward

Secondary Camera/Assistant Forecaster/Assistant Navigator/Conflict Resolution

Josh has been chasing storms for almost a decade with numerous successes under his belt. He has also been chasing with Brandon for several years. Josh is a secondary camera man and navigator, and it’s rumored he might also be a driver at some point this year when Josh teams up with Brandon in the Ram. 

The Stats
Years Chased: 11
Tornadoes Seen: 92
Biggest Hail: Softball Sized Destructive Balls of Ice
Favorite Location to Chase: NW Oklahoma
First Tornado: 5/4/2003
First Storm Chase: 4/10//2003

Brandon Sullivan
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Forecaster/Navigation/Secondary Camera/The Guy Everyone Picks On

Brandon is a Meteorology student at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. After creating his storm chasing company "Wicked Wind Media", Brandon came to the Titans after a series of successful chases together with the team. Brandon loves to travel, and is ready to get out and chase just about anything! From the jungles of the southeast, to the rolling meadows of Montana, Brandon has been there. Brandon loves to navigate and film!

The Stats
Years Chased: 4
Tornadoes Seen: 38
Biggest Hail: 4" Softballs
Favorite Location to Chase: Western Oklahoma
First Tornado: 06/05/09

Brett Wright
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Forecaster/Navigation/Still Photographer/Team Videographer/That Cool Guy

Brett is a sophomore meteorology student at the University of Oklahoma, who also shares a deep passion in all types of severe weather and tornadoes! Brett and Brandon met each other at OU, and have been chasing together since then. Forming Wicked Wind Media, they proceeded to capture many tornadoes through 2011. Brett has a deep passion for forecasting, and will use his skills to help out the team each chase.

The Stats
Years Chased: 2
Tornadoes Seen: 24
Biggest Hail: 4" Softballs
Favorite Location to Chase: Western Oklahoma
First Tornado: 06/05/10

Supercell Hunt 2012 Chasers

Michael Furrer (Website)
Twitter: @MWStormChaser
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Driver/Forecaster/Photographer/Owner-Operator Meat Wagon Storm Chasing

Michael has been chasing storms since 2008. Michael has live in Central Oklahoma his entire life. He is also a survivor of the May 3, 1999 F-5 tornado. While chasing, In just four years of active chasing Michael has witnessed over 100 tornadoes, including four EF-4s and one EF-5.

 

Matthew was born and raised in Norman, OK and comes from a family of storm chasers... The ability to track storms runs through his veins. Matthew has witnessed many tornadoes, including an unforgettable EF3 that left a 4 mile track through downtown Fort Worth, TX on March 28, 2000. In 2011 he formed Storm Track One. 

Storm Track One is a 3 person team based out of Saint Louis, MO and chases throughout the United States. Rich Quin is the lead photojournalist and Adam Lauman is the lead driver. In 2012 Storm Track One began chasing with the Tornado Titans.

The Stats:
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Years Chased: Since 1982
Tornadoes Seen: 30
Biggest Hail: aprox 3.8 inches (5/27/1984 Noble, OK)
Favorite Location to Chase: Western Kansas
First Tornado: (5/27/1984 Noble, OK)
First Storm Chase: 1982 (Matthew was 2 years old when his mother, an Oklahoma storm chaser, took him on his first chase)

Brandon Cowan (Website)
Twitter: @TwistedSkyMedia
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Brandon joined the team via the Affiliate Program and hails (pun most definitely intended) from the Nebraska Panhandle. He has chased recreationally for several years and plans to take his chasing up a big notch for the 2012 season under the Titans banner!!

The Stats
Location: Nebraska Panhandle
Years Chased: 8 
Tornadoes Seen: 3
Biggest Hail: 2.25 in.
Favorite Location to Chase: Central/Western Nebraska
First Tornado: 5/25/08
First Storm Chase: So many recreational chases to pick from. First time with a serious target in mind? 5/25/08

Jason Clark (Website)
Twitter: @fearthepenguin

Jason's interest in severe weather started in Kansas in the late 1990s when he saw the F4 Tornado that hit southern Wichita. Since moving to the eastern side of Missouri, Jason hasn't had a lot of chances to chase tornadoes. But 2012 has found him with a lot of AV Gear, a station wagon covered in Line-X and plexiglass and probably the most understanding wife on the planet. His rookie season will be documented on the Tornado Titans YouTube page -- both good and bad.

Ryan Cartee

Ryan hails from Birmingport, AL down in Dixie Alley. He became interested in weather when the April 8, 1998 F-5 ripped through his area of Alabama. His first tornado intercept was the Tuscaloosa, AL EF4 tornado of December 16, 2000. Ryan looks forward to this season as an affiliate of the Titans!

Chris Heater (Website)
Twitter: @Midscar
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My interest in storms was kick-started by a tornado that wrecked havoc on portions of his hometown, Urbana, Illinois, in April 1996. Since then my interest in severe weather has grown, to the point that when he was 13 I asked my father (who was an ESDA spotter in the 70s) to go on a local chase. The first 3 years were spent using a cell phone only...no GPS, no laptop...just a cell phone! In 2008, I wanted to go to the next step and travel out of state, where I saw my first tornado (F1 Jonesboro, AR). Since then he has witnessed several tornadoes ranging from EF1 to EF3. I "technically" witnessed the Guthrie, OK EF5 tornado, but don't count it as it was 100% rainwrapped

All knowledge on the computer models and learning where to target were self taught. All I have learned were from books and from experience out chasing over the years. I have no formal education in Meteorology...but plan on pursuing that in the near future. I've been the president of MIDSCAR since 2008, with the number of members slowly growing throughout the United States

The Stats
Location: Illinois
Years chased: Beyond local area--3 years. Local area--6 years
Tornadoes seen: ~20
Biggest hail: 3.5" in St. Louis, MO (2011)
Favorite location to chase: In Illinois from I-70 north. Road network is amazing!
First tornado: Jonesboro, AR 2008 (can't remember exact date)
First storm chase: March of 2005

Taylor Kanost (Website)
Twitter: @TKanost

Taylor was born and raised in Lincoln, NE, and has been chasing for a few years now. Currently, he is working on his Bachelor's degree in Meteorology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is also interning with ZoomRadar as  a blogger for their website. Furthermore, he is one of the leaders of the Nebraska Storm Chase Team, which is compromised of several students at the University. In a limited number of chases last year, he witnessed three tornadoes, and hopes to have even better luck this year.

The Stats
Location: Lincoln, NE
Years Chased: 3
Tornadoes Seen: 5
Biggest Hail: Egg Sized
Favorite Location to Chase: South Central Nebraska
First Tornado: 6/17/2009
First Storm Chase: 3/23/2009

Alex Heimberger (Website)
Twitter: @TAStormChasing
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Navigator/Forecaster/Videographer - TAStormChasing

Alex grew up in southwestern michigan. From an early age he was always intereted in weather. He began chasing storms with his mom at a very early age, and even convinced his grandmother to take him out on a chase once. Early in his teens he road out an F1 night tornado that went over his house. In the last few years he's become much more focused on chasing. So focused that he's started his own chase team - Twisted Addiction Storm Chasing - and is moving toward getting an education in Meteorology.

Christine Sweet (Website)
Twitter: @SweetGypsy72
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Driver/Equipment Tech/Photographer/Videographer - TAStorm Chasing

Christine grew up in eastern Iowa and has always had a fascination with thunderstorms. Photography is a passion for her and she loves the chance to get beautiful shots of the extreme weather mother nature has to offer. She got her degree in Photography at the University of Iowa, and works as a Systems Analyst at her day job.

Tristan Loftis
Twitter: @chasingnimrod

I was born and raised in Moore, OK. I have been interested in Supercell Storms, and their structures for a few years. Having been a volunteer Storm Spotter for a few years, taking random still pictures of various Scary Looking Clouds. I am always looking for more. I have been chasing for 2 years off and on, of course more busted chases then success, but that is how it goes. I have seen around 10 tornadoes, one being the infamous May 3, 1999 devastating Moore. My favorite chase to date has to be Ft. Cobb on Nov 7, 2011. I am very excited to be on the Tornado Titan's team, hope to have a fantastic Supercell Hunt in 2012.

The Stats
Years Chased: 2 years
Tornadoes Seen: ~10
Biggest Hail: Softball
Favorite Location to Chase: Anywhere in Oklahoma
First Tornado Remembered: 5/3/1999
First Successful Chase: 5/10/2010   

Ted Thomason (Website)
Twitter: @tedthomason
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Forecaster/Navigation/Photographer/Videographer

Ted was born & raised in Philadelphia, PA - but has been a Kansan since 2001. He has had an interest in severe weather ever since Hurricane Gloria rolled up the east coast in 1985, which was right around the same time he got his first camera. Ted majored in communications in college in the 90's but plans on attending OU to earn a meteorology degree in 2013. When not chasing severe weather, Ted works as a professional photographer in Wichita, KS

The Stats
Years Chased: 2
Tornadoes Seen: 1
Biggest Hail: Golf Balls
Favorite Location to Chase: Oklahoma
First Tornado: 06/09/11