Storm Chasing Tour Myths Debunked

I recently went on my first storm chasing tour in Tornado Alley. There were a lot of critics when I told people I was going on this adventure. I’m not quite sure what people thought I would be doing. There’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to storm chasing tours, and each tour is different. Because of this uncertainty, I decided to put together some of the top storm chasing tour myths I had heard when telling people I would be going on this adventure.

Many imagine heavy rain, baseball sized hail, and heavy winds breaking the windows on the vehicle. This is actually quite the contrary. While this could be a possibility if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time (can’t say this couldn’t happen), most of the time you are avoiding the direct path of the storm watching from a distance. We never got soaked or encountered any of the above. If chasing from a distance, you are able to visualize the storm, but not near it’s core where this could occur.

I would say it’s actually SAFER to be WITH a storm chaser than be someone unaware and in the path of severe weather.

Who doesn’t love this classic movie of a couple chasing tornados in a quest to be the first to understand what actually happens inside the core of the tornado. While some parts of the movie are right on, like the adrenaline rush of a good storm and other chasers heading out to watch the same storm, nobody is trying to get into the actual path of a tornado. 

Oh, and cars don’t withstand the winds of a F3 tornado or people survive flying debris in real life like in the movie.

There’s some speculation that storm chasers just want to see a good storm in action despite the risks to the people who live in Tornado Alley. This is untrue. Many of the chasers come from all over the world to see the storms out in the open plains where there is less chance for homes and lives to be destroyed. No one wants anyone to get hurt or lose a home. I’m sure everyone on my tour would have helped out any way they could if a tornado devastated a town.

While chasers want to get as close to a tornado as they can, there are some limits to how close they can safely get. Most chasers only watch from a safe distance and the closest they come may be 1-2 miles. Tornados are so big that even a picture taken 10 miles away can make it look like you were right in its path. Storm chasers want to view the storm, not be a part of it in the rain and strong winds.

We drove 2017 miles in 6 days on our tour in Tornado Alley. We never knew what town we would end up in. There is definitely a chance of staying in a crappy hotel, however, the hotels we stayed in were actually clean and not as bad as they may have looked on the outside. Are they 4 or 5 stars? Not at all! But, I slept like a bear in hibernation and didn’t wake up with a bed bug rash. (That can happen even in a 5 Star Hotel.)

Tornado alley is known for being a flat, open area with fields for miles and nothing to see or do. However, stopping at the local restaurants and businesses gives you a chance to get to know local life which may be different than your own. The locals tend to love sharing their storm stories, whether they are good or bad. It’s as if they are warning you what you could be getting into. Despite some of the saddest circumstances, many I talked to said they still stand outside when a tornado is out to try and get a glimpse. (And many who LIVE in Tornado Alley have never even seen a tornado!)

In some areas, it may be possible to check out a tourist attraction in the area instead of waiting around in a parking lot outside until a storm develops. One of the places we went that I loved was Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas.