The Real Storm Chasers of the Great Plains

The real storm chasers of the Great Plains

Flying cows, SUVs soaring through the air like toys, quaint towns that are virtually wiped off the map. Hollywood certainly makes the very real world of chasing tornadoes appear exciting on the big screen. And yet the reality of storm chasing is actually slower, less competitive, more methodical, and not nearly as deadly as Twister or Twisters make it appear. “My whole setup for a single chase is longer than most tornado movies are,” meteorologi…

May is peak tornado season. Here’s to the chasers who bring us the ‘ground truth’ of deadly storms

Storm chaser Doug Crisp stands beside his chase vehicle on April 28, 2026, in Emporia. Crisp, an independent contractor for a Topeka television station, said he strives to document the "ground truth" of deadly storms. (Photo by Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)Something told Lanny Dean to hit the brakes. The battered Honda CR-V skidded to a stop on the wet black pavement of U.S. 183, its array of antennas quivering. The anemometer poking above the roo…

May is peak tornado season. Here’s to the chasers who bring us the ‘ground truth’ of deadly storms.

Storm chaser Doug Crisp stands beside his chase vehicle on April 28, 2026, in Emporia. Crisp, an independent contractor for a Topeka television station, said he strives to document the "ground truth" of deadly storms. (Photo by Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)Something told Lanny Dean to hit the brakes. The battered Honda CR-V skidded to a stop on the wet black pavement of U.S. 183, its array of antennas quivering. The anemometer poking above the roo…