The images of tornadoes that can frequent the Midwest from spring to fall are both fascinating and terrifying, and many of the video images seen on TV news coverage of storms may well have been filmed by Reed Timmer, author of the book Into the Storm: Violent Tornadoes, Killer Hurricanes and Death-defying Adventures in Extreme Weather. Timmer describes his adventures as a storm chaser and his obsession with extreme weather, an interest he has had since he was a child. As a meteorology student at the University of Oklahoma, one of the premier programs in the world, Timmer began storm chasing in order to study and learn more about violent thunderstorms and what conditions cause them to evolve into tornadoes. He describes himself as an adrenaline-fueled chaser who wants to intercept and get as close to a tornado as possible. His willingness to charge into extreme situations has made him a celebrity on the Discovery Channel’s Stormchasers, which follows several teams as they chase storms across the Midwest in their efforts to gather data and increase understanding of these weather phenomenon. A recent PhD graduate, Timmer provides clear explanations of meteorological terms and helps us to understand the forces that come together to create severe storms. Timmer is headstrong in his obsession to come close to and film storms, but is also genuinely distressed at the devastation tornadoes cause to lives and property. He shows how storm chasers benefit both the local communities and the National Weather Service by providing accurate and timely information about the force and the path of deadly storms, thus saving lives. These scientists are continually trying to expand their knowledge of severe weather by developing new ways to study and compile data from storms. This is an exciting and fascinating look into the weather that affects us in Kansas and of the commitment of these researchers to gain knowledge about these storms despite the dangers involved.
