Print: Chronicling the Rush and Risk of Chasing Extreme Weather

• By Olivia Koski
• September 27, 2010 | Wire Magazine October 2010
  

Reed Timmer Photo: Dick McGowan/ Discovery Storm Chasers

If we all go down in a cataclysmic hurricane, expect to see Reed Timmer right in its eye, wielding his videocam. The star of Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers, Timmer pursues extreme weather with the help of the Dominator, his trusty armored SUV. Timmer’s new book, Into the Storm, details his adventures as a professional storm chaser. We caught up with him over the summer at his home in tornado-prone Norman, Oklahoma, during a brief parting of the clouds.

How are you doing? It’s a little slow now that the storm season is over. I guess I’m suffering from withdrawal. But we usually have hurricanes to chase in the fall, so that’s something to look forward to.

Most people run away from storms. Why do you charge into them? I like being close to the most powerful thing on the planet. It’s so humbling but so beautiful at the same time. And I like the challenge of chasing down storms. It’s like hunting—you never really know in advance what’s going to happen. There’s something freeing about the chaos.

What’s a typical storm chase like? On the way to the target area, the anticipation is out of control. You’re eating gas station burritos and slamming 10 energy drinks a day. But when you see the storm approaching, it’s so beautiful. You don’t think, oh, this thing could throw us miles into the air. You’re just mesmerized. Then, as you get up close to the funnel, the winds are insane. The vehicle shakes back and forth, and your ears pop because the pressure is so low. There’s a little place in your brain that says, we gotta get the hell out of here! But by that point, it’s too late.

That’s a little reckless … I don’t feel like I’m living unless I’m taking chances.

Still, these things are incredibly destructive. Of course. Storm chasing is fun and exciting, but when you see the damage afterward, it’s sad. It’s an emotional roller coaster.

How’s your personal life? Well, I don’t really have one. All my long-term relationships have ended in part because of storm chasing. I’ve skipped out on things at the last minute—obligations like weddings. It’s pretty hard to plan things, and I think that can be frustrating for someone who wants a more normal life. To be honest, it’s kind of depressing sometimes.

Is it all worth it? Oh yeah, yeah. I’m happiest when I’m 200 yards from a tornado. You would be, too. It’s life-changing, I promise you. Once you start, you never stop. I’d be fine if a tornado took out my house here in Norman, as long as I had my dog and all my tornado tapes. I’d park right next to my house in the Dominator and watch it blow away.