The pioneers, the scientists, the filmmakers and the personalities who defined the field of storm chasing.
A North Dakota amateur photographer widely credited as the first true storm chaser. Started documenting tornadoes with a still camera in the 1950s, decades before storm chasing existed as a hobby. Chased into the 1990s.
University of Chicago meteorologist. Developed the Fujita Scale (1971), coined the term "downburst" to explain a class of aircraft crashes, and produced the definitive analyses of the 1974 Super Outbreak. Never chased in the field himself but changed storm chasing by giving it a vocabulary.
University of Oklahoma professor who pioneered the use of mobile Doppler radar to study tornadoes. His graduate students formed the core of modern academic chasing.
Former NSSL and NOAA researcher, prolific writer, chaser since 1972. Famous for essays on chase ethics, tornado forecasting theory, and criticism of "hot dogging" in chase culture. Skeptical about the value of getting close to tornadoes.
Designed and built the "TIV" (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) — an armored truck to film tornadoes at extreme close range. Featured in Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers. His IMAX documentary "Tornado Alley" (2011) captured some of the best real tornado footage ever recorded.
PhD in meteorology from Oklahoma University. Built the "Dominator" armored vehicles to punch tornadoes. Star of Storm Chasers TV series. Prolific YouTube presence. Best known for close intercepts and live-streams during outbreaks.
Meteorologist who developed the Doppler on Wheels (DOW) mobile radar. Led VORTEX2 and other major tornado research campaigns. Documented the 301 mph Bridge Creek-Moore reading in 1999.
Engineer and researcher who designed pressure and video probes deployed in tornado paths. His measurements at Manchester, SD in 2003 recorded the deepest pressure drop ever inside a tornado. Killed alongside son Paul Samaras and colleague Carl Young during the El Reno tornado of May 31, 2013 — the first US professional storm chaser fatalities.
Data scientist and chaser known for meticulous storm structure analysis. Widely respected for post-chase teardown threads that walk through radar, mesoanalysis and video minute by minute.
YouTube meteorologist whose live coverage of major severe weather events during 2021 Mayfield and later outbreaks drew audiences in the millions. Represents the new model of chase-adjacent creators who cover storms live from the studio.
The first person to earn a living entirely from storm photography. Photographs licensed to National Geographic, Time, and major news outlets since the 1980s.
Alongside Roger Jensen, one of the first documented storm chasers. Started chasing storms in North Dakota in the mid-1950s. Founded the newsletter "Stormtrack" that connected chasers across the country before the internet.