LAST WEEK’S storms in central Kansas produced more than wind, rain and lightning. Racing the wind across the prairie was a potentially dangerous plague.
The Hays Daily News reported that the storm was accompanied by a swarm of freelance storm chasers, all jockeying for the best position to get memorable photos and videos of the storm.
Trego County Sheriff Rich Schneider told the newspaper that there were about 200 storm-chasers following Tuesday night’s storms near WaKeeney. Many of them parked along a U.S. highway as they photographed the storm. The sheriff said the crowd was blocking traffic and making it difficult for emergency vehicles to get through.
The sheriff wasn’t talking about real storm-chasers — scientists who risk their lives playing tag with tornadoes to collect data helpful to understanding the behavior of violent storms. Those storm chasers are doing useful work that can help save lives.
The freelancers are a different matter. They insert themselves into a dangerous situation and increase the danger to other people simply for profit and, perhaps, a few seconds of fame. They hope to get a photo or a video that they can sell to a television station.
These storm chasers are like the folks who stand outside their homes taping approaching tornadoes while their families can be heard in the background, begging them to get to shelter. But those people, while foolhardy, are risking only their own lives.
Freelance storm chasers put other people at risk.
Law officers and emergency crews have enough on their hands when a storm strikes. They should not have to push their way through a crowd of high-tech rubberneckers to do their jobs.
When a storm is on the way, leave the roads to people who have to be out there.
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sciguy (anonymous) says...
Real storm chasers and storm spotters also include those who are trained to be SkyWarn participants, those who chase for media, and those who chase for local emergency management or volunteer organizations.
The National Weather Service provided "Storm Spotter" training in Emporia on February 27th.
I suspect that relatively few of the 200 "storm chasers" described in the article had the training that goes along with real storm spotting/chasing.
Rather than simply deriding a hobby, how about promoting proper training and education?
May 30, 2007 at 5:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )