Storm chasing critical, profitable and dangerous
While most people take shelter when a tornado approaches, a growing throng heads for the prairies, be they scientists hoping to protect the public from a twister’s fury or amateurs armed with little more than a smartphone, a digital camera and a desire to sell 15 seconds of video to the nightly news.
Storm spotters class equips public to aid tracking of dangerous weather
Before Steve Wilkinson explained what Tuesday’s course was about he had to explain what it wasn’t about.
“This is not storm chaser training,” Wilkinson told the crowd of about 20 who had gathered at the Atmos Energy Training Center in Columbus for a Storm Spotter Class. “We are just trying to get people to report what they see.”