There’s a lot at stake when it comes to chasing tornadoes in the field. To help gather the data, and keep the team safe, the chase team brings along trucks full of equipment, including the actual trucks themselves! Here’s a sampling of what was brought along for this year’s season.
-
- Weather balloons:
- Numerous balloons are sent up into the clouds each year. The chase team is responsible for preparing each one, from start to finish.
-
- Doppler Radar:
- Essential tool for tracking storms
-
- Spare tires:
- For those times when the back roads were a little rougher than anticipated
-
- Anemometers:
- Used to measure wind speeds
-
- Safety helmets:
- For protection from hail and flying debris
-
- Computers:
- Multiple computers and monitors to track storms
-
- Logs:
- To record daily surface chart readings
-
- Cameras:
- Multiple cameras, still and video, along with varying lenses for capturing the storm
-
- Doppler truck:
- Roaming Doppler radar used in the field
