FAQ’s

We certainly hope for that! While we can’t guarantee you will encounter a tornado on your storm chasing adventure, it ultimately depends on the atmospheric conditions. We can promise that you’ll witness storms and severe weather, but the specific elements necessary for thunderstorms to generate tornadoes must align perfectly. For this reason, we can’t assure you of a tornado sighting. However, we are committed to doing our best each day to put you in the path of the most impressive storms, thereby enhancing your chances of experiencing a tornado. In addition to the excitement of storm chasing, our tours provide the chance to visit locations featured on television and online, learn from experienced professionals, and connect with fellow storm enthusiasts. Who knows, you might even meet someone special and create unforgettable memories, just like some of our previous guests who found love and got engaged in the presence of a tornado!

A typical day of chasers starts with a morning weather briefing for all tour guests before we leave the hotel. This briefing aims to update you on the day’s potential for severe weather and our travel plans. We usually aim to depart the hotel around 9:30 AM (central time) and wrap up the day by 9:00 PM (central time). While these times can change based on weather conditions and the distances we need to cover, they provide a general outline for the day’s activities. Expect to spend an average of 6 to 8 hours in the vans or SUVs. At times, we may experience long waits for storms to develop once we reach our target area, so be prepared for this scenario before the chase starts. Whenever possible, we try to wait in locations that offer food, drinks, and restrooms.

Our team is committed to delivering exceptional storm chasing adventures for our customers. We ensure that you are taken to the optimum locations to witness severe storms and tornadoes, whether they are nearby or farther away. Our personalized tornado tours give you the chance to photograph stunning storms and document tornado events. Based on the weather conditions, we may journey through Tornado Alley or concentrate on local chases in Oklahoma, Kansas, and other surrounding states. Typically, we cover distances of 200 to 400 miles each day and range from 1500 to 2500 miles weekly to guarantee that your experience with us is truly memorable.

Our storm chasing tours focus on all tornado alleys, spanning the expansive prairies of Eastern Colorado, the western portion of Kansas, Nebraska, Eastern New Mexico, the western part of Oklahoma, South Dakota, and the western half of Texas. Our in-depth understanding of these areas and their severe weather trends makes them our primary focus. While we typically operate within these regions, we may occasionally explore areas beyond our usual chasing boundaries. Nevertheless, we prioritize your safety by choosing locations with open prairies and minimal tree cover, ensuring you have clear views of these incredible severe weather events.

When pursuing severe storms and tornadoes, it is crucial to acknowledge the potential dangers and prioritize safety. Like any travel, traveling through Tornado Alley and searching for severe weather comes with its own set of hazards. Our foremost priority is ensuring the safety of everyone on the road, including ourselves as storm chasers and other motorists. Nevertheless, we aim to position ourselves and our passengers in optimal spots to safely witness the storms, capture breathtaking photographs, and record incredible videos. It’s essential to recognize that some storms may introduce additional threats, such as lightning or flying debris. In such cases, we focus on the safety of our passengers by implementing necessary precautions and adhering to safety protocols. By doing this, we can continue to pursue and revel in the thrill of severe weather while ensuring everyone’s safety.

Our storm chasing tour dates have been scheduled to coincide with the peak of tornado season, giving us equal opportunities to witness a tornado. Ultimately, whether or not we see a tornado will depend on the weather patterns during our tour. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to predict what those patterns will look like months in advance when the date of your tour arrives. Even forecasting tornadoes can be challenging just a few days prior due to the numerous micro-scale processes involved in tornado formation. In May, storm activity tends to focus on the southern states, while by mid to late June, storm tracks shift to central and northern states such as Nebraska and South Dakota. One year, we experienced 22 tornadoes in the third week of June. Therefore, the tours in June can be just as exciting as those in May.

Hotel information will be emailed to you in January of the year your tour takes place.

We can definitely accommodate additional vans on a tour, but doing so compromises the tour’s safety, our ability to move efficiently, and ultimately, your experience while storm chasing. No one enjoys waiting for 45 minutes at a fuel station with only one restroom while a large group takes turns answering nature’s call. We’ve discovered that managing more than two vans becomes quite challenging in storm conditions, and we prefer to remain in close proximity for safety purposes.

We consciously restrict our capacity to just six guests per van. This is why our prices are slightly higher; we focus on delivering an exceptional experience. Each guest is guaranteed a window seat, so you won’t have to deal with any elbows poking into your sides! Additionally, the van features an open aisle for added comfort!

We operate our tours using spacious passenger vans. Each of our storm chasing vans was originally built to accommodate a minimum of 12 passengers, which provides ample space in the back for luggage. However, we limit our capacity to a maximum of six passengers per van to ensure your comfort. As we travel long distances, your comfort is our priority.

The tour fee includes our services, such as transportation and accommodation, but does not include your flights, meals, or any incidental expenses. It’s advisable to budget around USD 40 each day for your meals and other miscellaneous costs. Generally, transportation between the hotel and the airport is arranged by the hotel.

We offer a discount for double occupancy for two people sharing a hotel room during the tour; however, you must secure your roommate prior to booking with us. Additionally, group discounts are available. All discounts will be automatically applied at checkout during the booking process.

We experimented with it but concluded that it was too distracting. We prefer to concentrate on the storms, driving, and ensuring your tour is a success.

Yes, you’ll need to cover the cost of the final night’s accommodation when we return to our base city at the end of the tour.

The tour package includes all hotel stays while you’re with us, as well as accommodations on the day you arrive. We strive to book nationally recognized hotels and motels, typically from chains like Choice Hotels, Best Western, and Wyndham (for instance, Clarion Inn, Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Mainstay Suites, La Quinta Inns and Suites, Days Inn, Super 8, and Best Western, with occasional stays at Hyatt properties).

Occasionally, when we’re in major cities like Oklahoma City or Wichita, Kansas, we aim for more upscale accommodations. However, during our storm chasing activities across rural regions of Tornado Alley, our hotel options become limited. While we work within a budget for our lodging during storm chasing, we always seek national hotel brands when it’s possible.

Please keep in mind that you won’t spend much time in hotels, as storm chasing involves lengthy driving days. We typically do not stay in one hotel for more than a single night during any tour. Our priority is to ensure you have a clean, comfortable room and access to a shower.

Storm chasing is anything but predictable; there’s no such thing as a “typical” day. Each outing brings its own distinct challenges, highlighting the need for a skilled team to lead your expedition.

Our day generally kicks off with a morning weather forecast that helps us identify a region where storm activity is most likely. Following this, we gather our group and hit the road, traveling through Tornado Alley towards our chosen destination.

As the day progresses, the atmosphere remains dynamic and ever-changing, allowing us to narrow down our target area. We combine storm chasing technology, our collective experience, and gut instinct to fine-tune our focus, frequently adjusting our target area, which means ample driving is involved.

Once we identify a developing storm, we’ll devise our strategy for safely intercepting it and securing the best possible vantage point to observe any potential tornado formation. At this point, the distances between our stops typically shorten, sometimes only a few miles apart. Each time we pause, our team assesses the safety conditions, and if everything checks out, we can experience one of nature’s most powerful storms up close while capturing the moment with our cameras.

Our day starts in the town where we concluded the previous day. Our tour director analyzes data meticulously—often with a cup of coffee in hand in his hotel room. By mid-morning, he’ll have pinpointed a promising area for severe weather, gathered the group, shared insights on the weather forecast, and laid out a plan of action.

Be ready for that plan to change frequently since the atmosphere’s fluid nature means our chasing strategy must be adaptable!

Driving and waiting are the two primary activities of any storm chase day. While we’re on the move, we typically have a solid understanding of where we need to be and when. In contrast, as we wait, we’re already positioned in the target area, eagerly anticipating the right moment to spring into action. The waiting can be less exciting, as storms often develop in remote locations without the amenities we usually enjoy.

For example, we might find ourselves spending a considerable part of our day at a truck stop within our target zone, which provides some comfort with access to restrooms, food, and beverages. When conditions start to heat up and our chase begins, get ready for a lot of driving!

It’s important to monitor your fluid intake throughout the day to stay hydrated, but be cautious not to overdo it, as restrooms can be few and far between once we’re on the road!

We strongly suggest getting to the base city by 4:00 p.m. local time (Central Time Zone). The day before our initial chase day, and with your hotel room already covered, we will hold a mandatory orientation meeting at 9:30 a.m. This meeting is essential for obtaining vital information regarding your upcoming tour experience on our first chase day.

The hotels where we stay allow you to park your vehicle in their parking lot. Additionally, since our hotels are near the airport, you have the option to use the extended airport parking and take a shuttle from there to the airport. We suggest exploring the best option for your needs.

That’s a risky choice you’ll need to make. If you opt to wait until the week before a storm chasing tour to decide, it’s safe to say that your chances of participating will be nearly nonexistent, as we will likely be fully booked by then. Our storm chasing tours typically fill up well in advance of the season’s start. Occasionally, we may have an opening due to a cancellation, but we maintain a waiting list and handle it on a first-come, first-served basis. There are individuals on that list who have been waiting for several years, making last-minute opportunities highly unlikely. Therefore, we do not recommend this approach for you.

We apologize, but smoking is not permitted in our vehicles. If you can manage several hours without a cigarette, you should be fine. Additionally, we cannot guarantee that we will secure a smoking room at the hotels where we stay. Many businesses, including hotels, are adopting “smoke-free” policies and do not permit smoking. In such cases, if a guest disregards the hotel’s smoking policy, they may incur a cleaning fee, typically exceeding $300. Many of our regular tour guests smoke and have a great experience—just make sure to take smoking breaks during our stops and be considerate of your fellow non-smoking travelers at all times.

Deposits are non-refundable. However, any remaining balance (excluding the deposit) can be refunded as a credit for a future tour if requested up to 60 days prior to the tour start date. This credit will be valid for one year from the date the booking was made.

Ensuring safety is our utmost priority at all times. We’ll provide a comprehensive discussion of the general safety rules during our orientation meeting prior to the start of your tour. Our safety record has been flawless, and our goal is to maintain it.

We do not permit “tag-along” vehicles in our tour group. This decision is primarily because we cannot ensure your safety when you’re outside our vehicles, and also because our skilled drivers are much better equipped to handle storm conditions than the average driver. As a result, there’s a high chance we would become separated, detracting from your storm-chasing experience. In the rare instance that we may allow you to follow our vehicles, you will need to sign a vehicle waiver and accept full responsibility for your safety, including your windshield and any other items attached to it!

We operate a maximum of three vehicle units per tour, with most of our storm-chasing outings involving two or fewer units. Additionally, we may have a television crew of up to three members accompanying our tour vehicles. Consequently, our group sizes can vary from eight to twenty-five participants. We strive to keep our group sizes small for various reasons, such as providing a more personalized experience and ensuring compatibility with a wider range of hotels.