MUNCIE, Ind. – During May and June 1999, members of the storm-chasing team at Ball State University were able to capture six tornadoes on video. 

The summer storm-chasing team, headed by geography professor David Arnold, spent three weeks in the Plains States documenting severe weather as part of a field class offered through the university.

"Last summer there were very few severe thunderstorms to chase in east central Indiana, so there was not really much to do here," said Arnold.

The team, made up of about 20 Ball State students, is preparing for peak severe storm season, which lasts from April through July.

The team works with the local Delaware County Emergency Management Agency during storms and provides real time reports of evolving weather conditions via a VHF radio, similar to ones used by the police. It is then up to the agency to determine if the tornado sirens should be sounded.

"Chasing tornadoes is a rush that can’t be compared to anything else, except possibly a roller coaster," said Middlebury, Ind., native and senior operational meteorology and climatology major Doug Berry. "Seeing that first tornado was an experience that changed the whole team."

In the field, Berry said the team began most days with a weather check via the Internet. If there was any severe weather in the area the team would then drive to where the storm was predicted to be, with periodic stops to check the Internet for the latest weather conditions. Once they got to a storm, which sometimes meant driving hundreds of miles, the team would look for a wall cloud and watch for any tornadoes to develop.

Students interested in becoming a storm chaser must contact Arnold, fill out an application and go through training to be eligible for team membership. There are five meetings to attend where prospective team members learn what to look for when chasing storms and how to stay safe in the field. Most team members are meteorology majors.

By Kortney Reinitz, Graduate Assistant

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Arnold by phone (765) 285-1776 or email at darnold@bsu.edu. The video (which is linked to above) was produced by Brian Dockter, a senior telecommunications major from Lawrenceburg, Ind., and Mike Kimmet, a junior telecommunications major from Fort Wayne.)