
PROFESSIONAL STORM CHASE TOURS
Storm chasing is an adventure unlike any other. It can also be an inherently dangerous activity. When you choose a storm chase tour company, you are putting your life in their hands. It’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. A google search will return pages of storm chase tour companies for you to choose from.
WHY CHOOSE TWISTER HUNTER TOURS?
We have been taking guests tornado chasing for ten years. We have an unblemished safety record. We’ve never had our windows knocked out by hail or vans rolled by a tornado and have no intention of doing so. We will go above and beyond to make sure that you not only have an positive and unforgettable experience, but also that you go home safe.
Our vans are custom storm chase vans, complete with on board weather stations to monitor wind speed and direction, pressure, temperature, dew point, and more. We also are equipped with on-board WiFi, signal boosters, and the same weather radar data the National Weather Service uses to issue severe warnings.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We chase and position ourselves with your safety and ability to spend an appreciable amount of time taking photos as top priorities. We strive to get our guests reasonably close to the action, while giving them time to set up their gear and get photos. We will make sure you go home with awesome images!
We stay at nice, clean, name brand hotels. We never put our guests in dirty motels to save money like some tours. Doing this kind of work for so long, you develop a good skill at finding solid hotels.
Each day starts with breakfast at the hotel and a forecast class and briefing of what to expect with the setup for thunderstorms that day. We will also cover photo, video, and timelapse editing. We usually depart the hotel late in the morning and begin the drive to the day’s target area for storm development. Plan to spend extended periods in the vehicle. Some days the drive to our target is just an hour or two, other days we can spend most of the afternoon driving.
Prime storm chasing hours are usually from 2 or 3pm until about 8 or 9pm.
We typically will eat a quick lunch, then try for a nice sit down dinner at a local establishment. Some nights dinner ends up being quick if there is lightning worth photographing.
It really is an adventure unlike any other. While it isn’t for everyone, it can be addictive, which partially explains why so many guests come back year after year. About half of the folks that join a hunt, come back for another. Many of our guests are in their third, fourth, and fifth years running.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Nothing is guaranteed with nature. When there are tornadoes we are usually in the right place to see them. Your chance of seeing a tornado depends on the length of your tour and the weather pattern in place during it. To increase your chances, our adventures are only held during the climatological peak of tornado season. We don’t drag people out in early April or into July to make a buck. Approximately 70% of our tours have seen a tornado and 100% of them have been in a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning.
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No particular hunt of the same duration has a better chance than another of seeing a tornado. It is a bit of a gamble, but even the tours that didn’t see tornadoes have always at least seen a severe warned supercell. Storm chasing is a numbers game and the more days you are out there, the better your odds are of seeing something. The synoptic pattern in place determines the likelihood of tornadoes occurring and is impossible to forecast more than a week out.
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Safety is our number one priority. Each situation is different, some tornadoes are highly visible, slow moving, and in favorable terrain with a good road network. These types of tornadoes are easier to get closer to and you could find yourself within a half mile of. Other tornadoes are fast moving, in unfavorable terrain, and can be partially or completely obscured by rain. These situations call for more caution. In these instances we will tend to hang back a bit and focus on the surrounding storm structure.
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Be sure to research what is on their website. Are the tornado images real? Are they their images? Make sure the company you are considering has experienced success. Also consider your life is in these people’s hands. Research their company name on Google. Make sure they are a safe group to chase with. Consider, do you want to learn or simply go along for the ride? We are one of the more educational storm chase tour available. You have the option to learn a considerable amount about forecasting, chasing, and documenting severe weather! Don’t be afraid to ask for references. ANd then ask for a few more. Research those references!
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Our guests travel in well maintained 15 passenger vans. The vans are custom designed for storm chasing and include free on board continuous WiFi for guests, signal boosters to help maintain a strong data signal in remote areas, and tablet stations for viewing radar and other crucial weather data.
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There are definitely risks associated with chasing tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. While high winds, flooding, lightning, large hail, and tornadoes do pose significant hazards, we are experienced storm chasers. Jason has never had a safety incident in six years of leading severe weather photography workshops and ten years of chasing storms. The biggest risk with storm chasing comes from driving. We utilize a trained drivers and and experienced storm chasers, who work together at all times to watch the road. We also have a safe driving plan that goes into effect once we are in “chase mode” being mindful that other drivers may be distracted or panicked. We only park in safe areas and maintain a reasonable distance from the storm.
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We never run more than two vans for our guests.
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We max out at 6 guests in a 15 passenger van. There are four rows of bench seats, so this keeps a space in between each guest and guarantees each a window seat for the entire hunt.
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It is possible, but unlikely. While we may hang around a particular area for a few days, we usually end up traveling at least a bit during the tour.
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We only allow credentialed media to follow on a case by case basis.
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We do not take any rights to your photos or videos. You retain full copyright of everything you capture on our Tornado Adventures. In some cases we may ask your permission to share your work on our social media outlets and website, but this is completely voluntary.
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In a decade of running tours, we have never experienced a tour where there were no storms. Down days do happen though. We typically try to work in stops at points of interest or a scenic place for some photography. Frequent haunts of ours on down days include, The National Weather Museum, The Twister Movie Museum, Big Texas Steak Ranch, Cadillac Ranch, The Big Well, Palo Duro Canyon). We work hard to make your days fun.
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We do offer a 15% military and first responder discount and a 10% discount to AARP members for all tours. Use the form below for more details.
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Your deposit is your commitment to join the tour. It is nonrefundable. Your final payments are due 60 days prior to the start of the tour. We do work with guests on a case by case basis when emergencies arise. If you need to cancel, and we can sell your seat, we will issue a refund (minus the deposit).
We offer payment plans and financing through AfterPay.
THE VANS
15 passenger Chevrolet Express 3500
Limited to 6 guests per van so each person has space and a window seat
Vans are equipped with
continuous Wi-Fi
safety lighting
steps
radar displays
entertainment displays
charging stations