Question 1

+      What is a "Storm Chasing Tour?""

Accepted Answer

If you book a tour with us, you'll get to ride along in our armoured storm chasing vehicle as we traverse tornado alley, searching for the worlds most extreme storms. Each tour guest gets their own window seat and door for quick entry and exit (unlike 1 door for 9 people in tour vans), as well as power outlets for charging laptops, cameras, phones, etc..  Our goal is to get you up close an personal with tornadoes, hail, and incredible storm structure, all while keeping safety as our number one priority. We take pride in our meteorological knowledge and forecasting abilities, and love to share our knowledge whenever we can.

Question 2

+      The Vehicle

Accepted Answer

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       You can expect peace of mind and comfort while riding in one of the safest storm chasing vehicles out there. The StormCruzzer is our 6 door, fully loaded, top-of-the-line storm chasing truck, armored with bullet resistant Rhino Lining and window debris guards. We have specifically designed the truck to be able to get us both into and out of any situation we need; whether it be high winds, thick mud, or softball size hail, we've built the StormCruzzer to take on almost anything. The interior of the truck has nice comfortable leather seats with plenty of leg and storage room for each guest. Each guest gets their own window and door (as compared to most tour companies who use cargo vans) for easy and quick loading and unloading when we stop to shoot footage. We take a maximum of four guests per tour to ensure that every guest has ample space and comfort to avoid people being stuck in the middle seats. The truck is equipped with wireless internet and has enough power and power outlets for each guest to charge their phones, laptop, and camera batteries if they so wanted. We have a wireless internet signal booster and antenna to allow us to get stable internet where cell phone service coverage is low, and we have both CB and HAM radios with hard-mounted antennas in case of emergency. Smoking of any kind is prohibited inside the vehicle.

Question 3

+      The Arrival/Departure

Accepted Answer

We will have predetermined home base cities for each tour that we choose based on the time of year. We will have a set location for an orientation and safety meeting at 9am the morning of departure, and will drop you off at the same location in the evening on the last day of the chase. You are responsible for arranging your flights as well as rides to and from the orientation location.

Question 4

+      Costs

Accepted Answer

The only out of pocket costs you'll need to pay for once the tour starts are dinners that aren't eaten on the go and any drinks or snacks you may want to pick up at our gas station stops. Sandwiches, chips, fruit, and cold water and Gatorade will be provided, as most lunches and dinners will be eaten on the go. If we stop for dinner and you'd rather save money and have a sandwich, you're more than welcome to. Bathroom stops will be minimal so keep that in mind when choosing your food and drink. Lodging and transportation are both included in the price of the tour.

Question 5

+      Average Chase Day

Accepted Answer

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The average chase day starts out with an early morning for the tour guides. When we first wake up, we check the overnight weather pattern changes to make sure that our forecast time and location from the night before is still accurate. If it is, which it is most of the time, we'll hangout in our room at the allotted meeting time chosen the night before. If the pattern has changed and we need to hit the road, we'll notify you of the new departure time. Departure can be anywhere from 7am to 12pm depending on the initiation time of storms that day. We'll have a short meeting either at the truck or in the lobby to talk over the plans for the day and then hit the road. Once storms start to initiate, we go into chase mode, which can last anywhere from 2-12 hours, depending on the atmospheric dynamics. During the longer chases dinners will be eaten on the go and bathrooms stops can be few and far between unless it's an emergency. On shorter chase days we always try to stop at a sit down restaurant for dinner. Once the chase ends, we'll start narrowing down the target area for the next day and start our drive toward that general location. Once we stop at our lodge for the night, we'll have a short meeting to go over our forecast and plans for the next day and then let you go for the night.

Question 6

+      Education

Accepted Answer

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Education: Both of your tour guides will hold at least a Bachelors of Science in Meteorology, and have ample experience driving and navigating the StormCruzzer. We are lucky enough to not only get to experience the beauty and power of mother nature, but we also understand the raw science behind it. Severe weather is our passion, and we would love to share our weather knowledge with you. Each guest will receive a short educational video to watch prior to their chase, but we're here to answer any weather or weather related questions you may have. If you'd rather just sit back and observe, you'll still learn plenty as well. You'll be able to watch us forecast for the day each morning, watch us forecast in real time as storms develop, and learn new weather terminology and chaser lingo as we talk about the formation and structure of the storm clouds.

Question 7

+      What to Bring

Accepted Answer

What to Bring With You: Plan on bringing one travel size duffle bag and one or two personal bags to carry your electronics. You can bring a medium-sized suitcase if need be, but it will be stored at the front of the truck bed so access to it will be limited to hotel arrival unless there's an emergency. Make sure to pack light! Comfortable pants/shorts and t-shirts and tennis shoes or boots are recommended, along with a rain jacket and sweat shirt. Feel free to bring your own laptops, although we ask that you don't use the wifi for any computer games, steaming videos, or anything that use up large amounts of data. Camera equipment is of course welcomed, but if you plan on bringing a tripod, make sure its small enough to fit comfortably under your seat or at your feet.

Question 8

+      Lodging

Accepted Answer

As stated above, lodging is paid for in the tour cost itself. While we won't be staying in 5-star hotels (sorry!), we make sure you feel comfortable and safe in your hotels. We've experienced all kinds of hotels while out chasing and know which to avoid and which to stick with. Hotels that we look for include: Super 8, Reed Roof Inn, Best Western, Holiday Inn Express, Quality Inn and Suites, Comfort Inn/Suites, and a few others. We also try to find hotels that have a complimentary breakfast.

Question 9

+      Tour Cost

Accepted Answer

Tour Cost: We're still working on price, but one week tours this first year will be anywhere from $2990-3490 per seat for a 7 day tour this year. This covers lodging, transportation, on the go meals, education, and a few extra goodies that we'll send you home with. A ~20% non-refundable deposit is required to book a tour, and the remaining cost paid at least 60 days prior to your scheduled tour. We will have discounts available in the future as well.

Question 10

+      Non-Chase days

Accepted Answer

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Although we're extremely good at forecasting and getting you to storms when available, we sadly can't control the atmosphere. Our tours take place during the peak of the severe weather season, but even still, there may be down days. On days where storms are not expected there are many other activities we can partake in. The great plains are filled with national parks, canyons and other geologic formations, and quite a few chaser favorite restaurants such as the Big Texan that we can make a day out of. If the tour guests have any other specific requests on down days we may be able to accommodate them as well.

Question 11

+     Additional takeaways

Accepted Answer

Each tour guest will receive a StormCruzzer T-shirt and high quality video of the storm highlights from all of tours of that year.

StormCruzzer LLC

Forecasting / Outreach / Stormchasing

What Should You Expect?

when you join us for a storm chase in our armored vehicle