MUNCIE, Ind. -- Tornadoes are among the most dangerous natural weather creations and a group of Ball State University students wants to catch one -- on video.

Led by geography professor David Arnold, 15 to 20 students have formed a storm-chasing team to help track tornadoes and other severe storms that pass through east central Indiana.

"They are pretty excited about the whole project," said Arnold, who saw his first tornado in 1992 near Ellettsville, Ind. "While it can be fun to enjoy mother nature, it isn’t too glamourous to get up at 1 a.m. to go looking for a storm. But, when you see a tornado the payback is something else."

Arnold joined the Ball State faculty last fall after a stint at the Mississippi State University. It was there that he developed a videotape education program used to accredit most television meteorologists.

He began forming a student storm-chasing group last fall in anticipation of Indiana’s annual bout of severe weather in late spring and early summer. Many of the students will be pursuing a proposed operational meteorology and climatology option as majors within the Department of Geography.

While the initial reaction from the students was somewhat overwhelming, the group has dwindled down to a core of dedicated storm chasers.

"To be a good storm chaser, one has to take a lot of time to become educated about storms," Arnold said. "You also have to be calm in all situations. You have to understand the threats of lightning and be a very good driver."

While tornadoes in the flat lands around Muncie are nearly as powerful as any created in Oklahoma’s infamous Tornado Alley, the area lies on the fringes of radar based in North Webster and Indianapolis. This gap leaves a less than perfect picture of developing storms.

"We can’t see the lower edge of the storm where tornadoes develop," Arnold said. "By creating this team we can get our people out in the field, improve our chances of spotting severe weather, and contact the National Weather Service and area emergency management officials in real time.

"Hopefully, we can help improve reaction time by giving residents additional time to prepare for a tornado," he said. "It a great educational opportunity as well as good community service."

While the student group may be providing valuable community service, they are also entering a lifestyle that has been portrayed as strange by movies and television programs.

Several Hollywood movies have romanticized storm chasers as well as played up the fringe element of society attracted to the field.

"One of the accuracies of the movies are the personalities because you get the whole range out there and some people are on the edge," Arnold said. "However, it is very much like a fraternity. We get together at conventions a couple of times a year and swap stories. Then we all go out and try to outdo each other in getting the video footage."

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Arnold by e-mail at darnold@bsu.edu or by phone at (765) 285-1768. For more information about the storm chase team, visit their website at http://www.bsu.edu/geog/html/98sct1.html.)