Dedicated Aggies Chase Storms Across Texas, Oklahoma

When severe weather warnings appear, most people stay inside. The Texas Aggie Storm Chasers (TASC) grab their gear and head out for a hunt.

“Our main focus is learning in the field,” graduate student Katie Collins said. One of two group leaders, Collins has been chasing storms for over six years. “Being able to see the processes that are talked about in class happen in front of you is the best way to grasp how the atmospheric processes really work.”

Texas A&M is one of the few schools in the country that has a group like TASC. Many universities view a group with such a potentially dangerous purpose as a liability.

“TASC has strict rules for the group as a whole, and mandatory training for our team leaders,” Collins explained. “Team leaders have substantial chasing experience and are SKYWARN certified.”

The extensive training helps leaders and members keep their cool in the face of awe inspiring weather. TASC members must maintain composure in order to gather a variety of data, including wind speed, temperature, and the dew-point temperature.

“Mostly we are interested in the structure of the storms,” Collins said, “So we take tons of pictures so we can go back at a later date and compare what happened with what was forecast. Dissecting these events helps us gain a better understanding of forecasting techniques.”

Chases can often last hours, as teams drive across the southern Midwest in search of storms.

“We always get to the field well before storms actually start to form,” Collins said. “The most recent chase TASC went on was Friday September 22nd. It was he most memorable one I went on. There were two separate teams in the field on two different super-cells. Both teams got a really good show: lightning, awesome cloud structure, and even a funnel cloud. We left at 9 in the morning and didn't get back until three the next morning. The funnels we spotted were just east of Durant, Oklahoma.”

Though they chase storms mostly for their own learning experiences, the information that they report can save lives.

“The information that we actually send people is storm reports.” Collins said. “When we observe something severe, like hail, a rotating wall cloud, a funnel, or a tornado, we report it to the National Weather Service so they can issue warnings if necessary.”

Although the group chases and studies many forms of severe weather, few would deny that tornadoes inspire the most awe.

“Seeing a tornado in person is a rush,” Collins explained. “We take care to be in safe locations as the event is happening, but just the fact that you managed to catch a glimpse of something so powerful, its almost indescribable.”

Chasing and experiencing severe weather first hand is an experience few can say they have done. It brings the members of TASC closer together in a way only they understand.

“We do exciting things!” Collins said. “You get to go on the coolest field trips where you actually are pumped to learn. And the bonding experience with those in your car often turns into lasting friendships. You have experienced something unbelievable with those people and had a great time along the way.”