Storm Chaser’s will be airing a special show featuring footage from the Alabama Tornadoes on May 20, 2011. The show airs on Discovery Channel and is part of a series that has run for several years.
Here’s a quote from The Discovery Insider – “In all my years of chasing tornadoes, this was hands down the most unforgettable day. The intensity of the storm activity and the sheer number of tornadoes that touched down is overwhelming and heartbreaking. By studying this historic day we hope to learn more information for our research and help better predict tornadoes and save lives,” said STORM CHASERS‘ meteorologist Reed Timmer.
Chasers Reed Timmer, Sean Casey, and Tim Samaras all were filming last month for the upcoming series when they found themselves caught up in multiple tornados giving them unprecedented footage that had never been captured before.
I would anticipate that Sean Casey would have loved to have had this footage for his IMAX film, Tornado Alley which is showing in IMAX theaters nationwide. I wonder if he will be coming out with a sequel to the first.
Reed Timmer’s passion is the science of meteorology, but uses his videos to fund his operation. They have a company called Tornado Videos that sells footage to new outlets, so getting the latest tornado on film is critical to their success.
Competition is heavy as Reed Timmer created his own TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) modeled after Sean Casey’s TIV and TIV2 vehicles.
Tim Samaras is most concerned about safety, while getting the data is critical. He is methodical and calm unlike Sean Casey who is more emotional and Reed Timmer who is seriously intense when it comes to chasing storms.
Samara seems to be the equalizer amongst the personalities and gets along well with everyone while Timmer and Casey have a love-hate relationship.
Tornado Chasers live a life much like the typical Startup Entrepreneur does. They make split decisions and change directions often. They have to go where the storm takes them. Entrepreneurs have to go where the business takes them.
Chasing the storms is obviously a long and tedious process, but when it happens I’m confident the adrenaline rush makes every second worth it. They risk their lives to get the data both technical and visual. I’m sure they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Don’t miss this show on the Discovery Channel. It should be a great one.