Storm Chasing Safety

Chasing is as risky or safe as you make it. If you're careless, anxious, impatient, overly aggressive or merely oblivious to the danger, then all sorts of bad things can happen. Complacency may be the greatest danger. Are you truly safe or have you just been lulled into a false sense of safety because nothing terrible has happened yet? On the other hand, I believe that anyone who learns the basics of chasing safety and understands storm development and movement can stay out of harm's way. It's a matter of making safety the top priority and erring on the side of caution. Maybe that means missing the best photo opportunity to be certain of that escape route, or jumping in your car when others don't seem worried when lightning hits in a nearby pasture. Personally, I decided that if I couldn't find and photograph great storms driving at the speed limit and chasing safely, then I would keep working on my skills until I could.

Dave Chapman's Storm Chasing and Outdoor Photo Galleries

All photos copyrighted by Dave Chapman