How Do I Become a Tornado Chaser?

We will provide you with the skills and precautions you should know and take before venturing into this rather dangerous field.

Schooling

There is not really traditional schooling for this type of discipline. Unlike becoming an English teacher, a historian, or a Doctor of Theology, you cannot just enroll in a program at a local college to become a tornado chaser. There are a variety of ways to gain more information about what is involved in being a tornado chaser:

• You might want to explore some colleges just to be sure, but you will most likely find general weather programs.
• You should really consider pursuing a degree in Meteorology or a related field if you want to chase tornadoes. This preparation will give you a great framework for knowing more about the type of weather in which you are so interested.

• You should try to learn as much as possible, even if a formal program is not available in your field of interest.
• Consider asking the college that you attend if they know of any sorts of extension programs, where you could take additional classes in your specific field. Go to your local weather station and ask. Storm spotter courses are generally offered.
• You can talk to people who are already tornado chasers and get advice and tips directly from the experts.
• Head to the library or a bookstore and pick up as much reading material as you possibly can about this interesting and unique field.

Experience

As with any discipline, you need to gain experience through a hands on approach. Your storm spotter course should have some suggestions that can help you get involved on the local level to start with.

You will most likely become a mobile watcher at first, which means that you will travel to various locations and report back to the weather station with information regarding the weather and conditions of the spot to which you were sent. At this point, you will probably be chasing all different types of weather and storms and not just tornadoes!

Final Steps to Become a Tornado Chaser

After you have worked your way up the ladder, you will really be able to become a true tornado chaser.

You might wind up dabbling in general storm spotting quite a bit, since chances are that a tornado is not going to occur every single day, all year long in the region that you are stationed in.

However, in order to be an official storm spotter, you will have to fulfill certain requirements. Your station or company that you are working for will tell you exactly what you need to do.

One important item that you will need to learn is how to use and operate a radio over which you can communicate with others. We all know that cell phones can be unreliable on an ordinary day, let alone in the face of a dramatic storm. Therefore, you must have the radio as a means of communication in case your cell phone or any other device fails to work.

Please always remember that chasing tornadoes can be extremely dangerous, and you should listen to all of the rules and regulations that you are given.