Community
Storm chase etiquette
There is a right way to chase around other people. Break these rules and you will be blocked from every chase group in a season.
The absolute rules
- Don't block anyone's shot. If you're pulling in front of a chaser with a camera, you owe them an apology beer at Braums.
- Don't interfere with law enforcement or first responders.
- Don't go into damage paths unless you're certified for search and rescue.
- Don't block roads for photography. Ever.
- Don't drive faster than conditions allow.
- Don't trespass. Ever. Even for the shot of a lifetime.
- Don't harass locals. They live here. You're passing through.
The convergence problem
On big chase days, hundreds of chasers converge on the same target. Dashcams from May 2019 in west TX and June 2022 in western Kansas show 100-car chase caravans.
- Park OFF the road, not on the shoulder.
- Turn on hazards if visibility drops.
- Don't stop in a lane.
- Move if a faster chaser needs to pass.
- Give slow chasers space to move.
- Give locals a way to pass.
Photography etiquette
- Don't stand in another photographer's foreground.
- Don't use a drone within visual range of tornado — creates safety issue and interferes with others.
- Watermark your own footage before sharing but don't steal others'.
- Credit chasers who tipped you off to a storm.
- Don't livestream while driving.
- Don't use your car headlights on people trying to shoot dark-sky lightning.
Communication etiquette
- Report on Skywarn NET or amateur radio, not just Twitter.
- Don't exaggerate. If it's an EF1, don't call it a wedge.
- If you tell someone a storm is coming, be specific about location.
- Don't clog NET frequencies with routine chat during a warning.
- Post your GPS on chase group check-in threads.
Community norms
- Legendary chasers (Reed Timmer, Skip Talbot, Jim Cantore) don't need you to introduce yourself.
- Newbies: watch and learn. Don't try to prove yourself day 1.
- Help other chasers stuck in ditches.
- Buy locals coffee at gas stations.
- Don't brag about close calls. Everyone has them.
- Post-storm: help residents. Not for photos. Because it's the right thing.
The don'ts
- Don't drive into a damage path to search for injured people if EMS is on scene.
- Don't pretend to be a first responder if you're not.
- Don't sell photos of dead bodies.
- Don't identify victims before family has been notified.
- Don't livestream someone in distress.
- Don't argue with law enforcement on scene.
When to leave the party
If a chase target has hundreds of chasers on it, consider going somewhere else. It's dangerous, and the shot won't be unique anyway. Some of the best chase footage of the past decade came from chasers who chose a secondary target away from the crowd.