Storm Chasers

We all try to avoid dangerous situations, but there are some people who like danger. In this article, you will read the stories of storm chasers.

We see bits of metal, parts of houses, TVs and cars lift up from the ground and disappear in the tornado funnel. They spin in the twister’s wind which is more than 150-miles-an-hour. Before the tornado hits the town, the people are told to evacuate the place so there is nobody around. 1) ........................ The surprising thing is it doesn’t leave the scene plus it heads towards the tornado.

25-year-old John Hammond and 24-year-old Emma Wells are storm chasers. They are in a van carrying six metal disks called probes. 

2) ........................ They use probes to measure the characteristics of a tornado. With the help of this device they can measure wind speed, direction and the temperature of the tornado. They have to put them directly in the path of the tornado to get as much information as possible. Joe stops the car and gets out to leave a probe on the roadside. Emma is stressed out because the tornado is moving towards them. All of a sudden it is over. The tornado changes shape and vanishes. 

Joe and Emma have travelled more than 80,000 km around America to chase storms. They are in love with their job. You may think that this is crazy, but they aren’t the only people who chase storms. 3) ........................ Their vehicles are covered with devices like radio antennas and radar dishes. They also have computers and satellite-linked televisions.

I asked Joe why people like him were so interested in tornadoes. He said that most tornado chasers liked the challenge. 4) ........................ Some chasers found an interesting way of making money out of their job. They opened travel companies that take tourists on tornado safaris. 5) ........................ He said that it was a risky business because tornadoes may change direction. Joe said that he was an adrenaline junkie and that’s why he chose this job. 

Even though science and technology have developed a lot, there are still things that science can’t explain like why tornadoes happen. 6) ........................ Meteorologists admit that storm chasers provide them valuable information by risking their lives. 

Adapted from Countdown to First Certificate