Would You Be Brave Enough to Go on a Tornado Tour?

The other day, I was poking around on Facebook and I came across a group of people who were observing a large tornado. The caption from content creator Ricky Forbes, posted "Would YOU ever join a Tornado Tour? An epic chase with our tour group as we tracked down this wild EF2 tornado in Texas! "

It's Not AI - You Can Go on an Extreme Weather Tour in the United States

At first, I thought this has to be AI. You can't believe anything anymore. But my curiosity got the best of me, so I googled "tornado tours" and fell down the rabbit hole.

Apparently, tornado tours are real, and you can book one in the spring months!

We Are No Strangers to Tornadoes

As a tri-state resident, I'm no stranger to tornadoes. In fact, one zipped through my backyard last spring. Luckily, it was very small and only damaged our little shed. It was dark, so I didn’t get a front-row seat to the destruction, but when I was a kid, I witnessed one tear through our horse field, which was just meters from our home. An experience I'll never forget!

It feels like we’re seeing more tornadoes now than ever before. This year is a La Niña year, and while they predicted an uptick in tornadic activity, so far, we’ve definitely seen that play out.

Chris Chittick / Canva

Chatting with Chittick

I wanted to learn more about these tornado tours, so I reached out to professional storm chaser Chris Chittick, who hosts tornado tours. Chris is one of the top storm chasers in the world. His show Tornado Hunters aired on Netflix, Hulu, CMT, and Dtour, and he’s also been on the hit show Storm Chasers, which ran for five years on Discovery Channel, Disney, and Netflix.

How Chris Chittick Went from Business Major to Extreme Storm Chaser

Chris shared that his obsession with extreme weather started in 1998, when he was a business major at Central Michigan University. A friend from Oklahoma University invited him along on a storm-chasing trip. But it wasn’t until 2000 that he saw his first tornado in person. He was hooked and moved to Oklahoma to become a full-time storm chaser.

Storm Chasers & Tornado Hunters

In 2008, Chris starred in the documentary reality series Storm Chasers, which aired on Discovery Channel. He served as the Photographer/Probe Technician on the show, which ran for five seasons.

Around this time, Chris also started offering tornado tours in his downtime. From April through June, he takes groups of people wanting to experience the craziest weather possible out into areas that are known for tornadic activity.

Who Books a Tornado Hunt?

Chris told me that his tours are booked by people from all over the world.

"I'm running tours this year again for this upcoming storm season, and it's booked from people all over the world, which is kind of cool, you know. I got Austrailians, I got people from Germany, the UK, Italy, a couple of Americans and a couple of Canadians."

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What Can You Expect on Chris's Tornado Tour?

I was curious how the logistics work on a tour. Chris told me that you can book a 7-10 day tour. The team watches the weather, and during that time frame, there's a very good chance that there will be a weather event. He said that not every tour experiences a tornado, but they do see cool lightning storms, cloud formations, and crazy hail.

"I can't guarantee a tornado. I wish I could, but I mean, I can guarantee you are going to see stuff that you don't normally see. We get an average of 1800 tornadoes a year in the US, and with La Nina, the Pacific Ocean is a little warmer than normal, which then creates an undulation of the jet stream, which is good for us but bad for you!"

Is Chasing Like the Twister Movie?

I asked Chris if the way they "find" tornadoes was anything like the original Twister movie. He told me that, although it was just a movie, it was pretty accurate in terms of how they decide where to go. The team, which consists of Chris Chittick, Kieran O'Neill, and Kurt Stechman, who are all storm chasing guides, monitor the weather models about two weeks ahead of time and then look at real-time radar and data to make decisions where to head.

How Does He Keep Tornado Tourists Safe?

My next question was about safety. How do they keep the 'tourists' from getting sucked up in a tornado?

"For my old [storm chasing] team, we used to try to get inside the tornado. We had an armored vehicle that we would use to try to get inside. But for tours, our comfort zone is probably a quarter to half mile away. I'm an extreme chaser. I like to get close to hear it, see it, smell it, and feel it. Most of those who come out with me are in the same boat. They are both weather enthusiasts and photographers. They want to get as close as they can. But safety is most important. Now, if I'm by myself, I get a little closer."

The Most Epic Storm Chase Ever

I was curious if Chris had any close calls or seen anything that stuck out in his mind as the "craziest thing he'd ever seen."

"So, my craziest day chasing was April 26, 2011. There was a super outbreak in Alabama, and just that one day, there were 360 or 370 tornadoes. I saw four EF-1 tornadoes in just that one day alone. My craziest tour was back in 2016 in Dodge City, Kansas. We had a tour with us, and we saw tornadoes on six of the eight days of the trip. We were up close and personal. One tornado was going perfectly parallel with the road, so we got right next to it. I told everyone on the trip that they shouldn't come back on a tour. They should retire from storm chasing because they just had the most epic trip."

Chris's Warning

Chris also told me that as a professional storm chaser, he knows just how strong these storms can get.

"People in the Midwest get tornado warnings on their phone and news all the time and they don't really heed the warning, especially if they live in tornado alley. But it's when you let your guard down that's when sh*t really hits the fan. Warnings just happen all the time, and they think 'it's not going to happen to me,' and then boom that's it. That's when it really happens."

How Has Social Media Changed Storm Chasing?

I was curious about how Facebook has changed the face of meteorology and storm chasing in recent years. Chris told me that social media, especially Facebook, has had a huge impact on the field. It’s become a vital tool for storm chasers and meteorologists to share real-time updates, track storms, and connect with the public. But there are some drawbacks too.

"Social media can be a good thing but also a bad thing. People can see exactly where they are located and what they are seeing in real time. But you also get the 'facebook meteorologist' who puts the scare factor into people which is not necessary."

Book a Tornado Tour with Chris and His Team

Chris, who now resides in Canada, spends much of his time doing public speaking at schools and businesses, educating people about severe weather and the science behind storm chasing. He's also still conducting tornado tours and has a few spots open for 2025. It’s clear that even though he’s moved north, his passion for sharing his knowledge and experiences with others remains strong.

Read to go tornado chasing? You can read more about his tours, including pricing and tour details on his website chrischittick.com.