There is no official training, so don't think there's a license or anything. Instead, opt to learn as much as you can from places like local NWS Spotter Meetings and doing general research. On average, we spend tons of time each Winter reading the latest scholarly papers and whatnot to try to learn more about the incredibly dynamic atmosphere.

You spend hours upon hours with your chase partners when chasing, so it's almost like being married. For us to let just anyone come would be risking the dynamic we already have and our goals. Is that selfish? Yes it is. But when you spend thousands of dollars on something, you tend to not want to risk it by integrating unknown variables. Thus, the answer has been and always will be no. We have enough trouble as is trying to catch Tornadoes without having a whiny person in the backseat added in on top of everything :)

While the storm chasing community has grown quite a bit, it's still quite small. You do not want to be blacklisted in this community and given a bad label. One of the most taboo things I can think of is following people without their permission. Plus, if you don't know what you are doing and you are following someone, what happens if they make a split second decision to make a turn and you miss it, what then? We typically go for shots which are kind of risky, so for you to follow us without our permission would be putting yourself in consistent grave danger. We'd prefer you just learn how to chase yourself instead of leeching and then remember to keep a safe buffer zone between you and the storm.

Do you guys ever get scared?

For some reason everyone asks this, as if Storm Chasing is supposed to be another way to get a thrill like Haunted Houses or something. The answer is simply: We've been doing this for a combined nearly 3 decades. While we are given surprises in the field, we are rarely in a life threatening situation. There have been times when storms and tornadoes change course without reason and we are suddenly found in a position we must react very quickly. However in the end it's all about being well equipped and well trained.

To a well trained storm chaser, the Tornado is the least dangerous part of a storm mostly because you are rarely left without options when it comes to a tornado. The far more dangerous parts of a storm include the rain leading to flooding and hydroplaning as well as hail shattering windows and dangerous lightning. Tornadoes are well down on the list of weather killers behind the aforementioned dangers. However, driving and wrecks are still -- statistically -- by far and away the more dangerous part of storm chasing. The list of chasers who have died from tornadoes is quite small -- depending on your definition of chasers it's still 0 or just a couple -- while the list of chasers who have died due to road conditions has unfortunately grown to be sizeable. We have actually seen people end up in fatal head-on collisions on a chase, thus the road is always the #1 danger.

The number one killer from tornadoes is still people getting caught in their vehicle, so no, you should not drive into a tornado. While there have been several videos of people who have 'apparently', and we use that term very loosely, been hit by tornadoes while chasing -- no one has yet sustained a direct hit from a strong to violent tornado in a non-armored car and not sustained serious injuries. As far as we know, no one has been stupid enough to try to drive into a tornado without spending thousands of dollars on a vehicle specially designed for it. And as far as we know, no armored vehicle has ever attempted to purposefully drive into a violent tornado because it would end up with the people inside either sustaining serious injuries or dying. Thus, we highly recommend observing severe weather from a very safe distance.

It has been known to do that on occasion, so yes.

This depends on several things from your budget, to your preferences, to what type of chasing are you wanting to do? We prefer Ford Explorers or Escapes with 4WD. Our main vehicle, the Titan, is a 2004 Ford Explorer with some special modifications to help us out in the event of big hail. However, your mileage and preferences may vary. We generally think it's at least a necessity to get 4WD with good tires. Anything less, and you'll end up stuck on even the most common mud road.

Chaser convergence has become a major issue, thus roads are getting more and more crowded. We recommend you go on a guided tour if you aren't already a storm chaser -- there are several reputable companies ran by folks like Lanny Dean, Bill Schintler, and Roger Hill. Maybe after a run or two with those guys, you will be ready to do it on your own. In the meantime, all three catch dozens of tornadoes every year, so we highly recommend you go with them. It also doesn't hurt all three are great people and will keep you safe!

First, you need to understand the basic ingredients of thunderstorms and how to find them coming together on weather models. The atmosphere is a very dynamic place and oftentimes, weather models can be completely wrong on a day thus forcing you to use real time analysis with critical thinking skills in order to get to the right spot. Forecasting is how chasers are made or broke on a day and if you can't do it, you will find yourself having a lot of issues seeing the good stuff. Becoming a good forecaster usually takes years of practice and hundreds of hours of reading to really get good. Even though the basics can be quite simple, if you just follow the best numbers you will oftentimes be left out as storms rage hundreds of miles away from you in what seemed like a worse environment. The reasons? It's not all that simple.

Cameras are where we typically believe we are at our best on. Chris graduated with a degree in broadcasting and film, so he has a good background within the industry and with dealing with several cameras. The best cameras are the ones which you feel the most comfortable using. We use HD-DSLRs at TornadoTitans along with other various cameras to get other shots. However, HD-DSLRs offer the best combination of picture quality alongside price alongside professional features and flexibility. It's hard to beat that combo.

Our traditional chase Range is Oklahoma west of I-35, Texas North of I-20 and Kansas South of I-70. However, we can and will venture outside of those areas if the opportunity seems to fit, especially to go North into Nebraska and South Dakota. We typically do not venture into the hills and trees East of our chase range due to the low chances of seeing anything -- plus the simple fact that the longer you chase, the further away from home you are. Chasing in the jungle typically leads to very little to show for it. There was a notable outbreak in 2010 where dozens of chasers went into the Jungle and there was almost no tornado video to show for it, despite there being many tornadoes on that day.

On the calendar, the absolute best time to chase is from April to Mid-June, although your mileage may vary depending on when and where you are wanting to chase. The Titans have gotten Tornadic Storms in every month of the Calendar year except for December and January. As far as the time of day, just plan on chasing during the daylight hours, ok?

The thing with Night Chasing is that the margin for error is zero. You cannot get close to storms when chasing at night, as getting close affords you the literal same video opportunity as being a few miles away. You still get the blurry brief look at a tornado at that point. Thus, the Titans rarely chase after dark except in situations where the weather is particularly violent and threatens life and property. In that case, there are less trained eyes on storms and it's more important to help the warning process.

Why do Tornadoes form?
This is the question which perplexes scientists. Right now, scientists don't have a fully clear understanding why some storms produce tornadoes and others don't, although they are a lot closer than they were just a decade ago. Scientists are currently zeroing in on the RFD as a mechanism which makes or breaks a storms tornado potential, although the answer -- as with many things -- probably exists as something which there is no one clear cut answer why some storms produce tornadoes and others don't. The more likely scenario is that there are multiple mechanisms which can combine in different ways to produce a tornado. It's very doubtful there is an actual 'silver bullet' answer out there.