The High-Risk World of Instagram Storm Chasers

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Three storm chasers set up equipment on the side of an Oklahoma road to capture a tornado producing film on May 19, 2010.

Image: Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

By Max Knoblauch2014-03-01 09:44:54 UTC

Jason Bagby has followed extreme storms across the country for over a year. Like many of his fellow storm chasers, Bagby is prolific on Instagram.

Modern storm chasing, particularly in the U.S., has seen bouts of rapid expansion since its inception in the 1950s. Popular documentaries and feature films like Twister have inspired meteorologists and adrenaline junkies of generations past to take up the chase, following dangerous supercells across the continent.

The sizable storm chasing community on networks like Instagram has helped kick off yet another expansion period. But many aren't taking the necessary precautions.

"We call them chaser-chasers," says Bagby. "In Oklahoma it's really common that when you hear the sirens, you don't see people running into their cellars; you see them running into their yard to try to see a tornado. It's common, but it's not something that should be taken too lightly."

Apps like Skywarn.org and RadarScope offer real-time, mobile weather data. Thus, anyone with a phone and Internet connection essentially has the same access to radar as professional chasers.

See also: 14 Instagram Photojournalists Who Will Open Your Eyes to the World

"People who are just going in with a cellphone are putting themselves in real danger," says storm chaser Nevin DeMilliano.

While social media makes life easier for chasing teams, these resources also create opportunities and incentives for inexperienced hobbyists to swarm high-risk storm areas. Extreme, up-close chase footage on YouTube can be quite lucrative, and a great photo has the potential to gain a lot of attention on the web and in news broadcasts.

But "chaser-chasers" can create bottlenecks of traffic, congesting roads and inhibiting first responders.

"I don't have a problem with casual chasers, as long as they're careful," says Nick Hurst, a chaser located in Alabama. "You have to remember that all of these prominent guys started somewhere."

The southeastern chase scene is much different than that of the plains, however. Hurst and his team admittedly don't experience the chaser-crowding faced by those out west.

According to DeMilliano, Instagram is best for posting images after the storm. He's not trying to create excitement or panic when people should be focused on safety.

"Instagram is where we go to repost photos of old things, so people can see storms and supercells and then familiarize themselves with those things," DeMilliano tells Mashable. "If they see these formations in the sky, they have at least a reference point of what they're looking at. That's a good thing."

That being said, social media like Instagram has allowed DeMilliano to stay in touch with professionals, learn about storms in real time and help meteorologists spread the news.

"We once had a supercell that was moving from Alberta into Saskatchewan — in a very rural area — and nobody was on it, nobody was chasing it," says DeMilliano. A picture on Instagram including the Alberta storm hashtag #ABStorm was discovered by meteorologists, proving the storm was in fact putting funnels very near to the ground. According to DeMilliano, chasers on social sites like Twitter and Instagram are giving meteorologists real time, visual updates about what's happening on the scene, even if the practice isn't entirely safe.

But Bagby sympathizes with the adrenaline casual onlookers experience when a storm bears down on their hometown. As a cinematographer, he understands the visual appeal of tornados and can't fault amateurs for wanting to get up close — as long as they use their heads.

"When I go out there, my first thought is not 'for the science.' It's 'these are amazing, these are 60,000 feet tall behemoths with 200 mph wind speeds,'" says Bagby. These things can turn a house into a mosaic with air and water."

Bagby believes the popularity of smartphones and the increase in casual chasers due to social media has added to the danger of storm chasing, but not enough to stop him or his team from doing their jobs.

"I will tell you honestly, I fear more for my life just driving on the highways than I do [...] a hundred yards from a tornado," he says. "It's everyone else around you that you have to worry about."

Regardless how careful chasers are, storms remain uncontrollable. In 2013 the community suffered a catastrophic loss with the deaths of professional chaser Tim Samaras, his son Paul and partner Carl Young in El Rino, Okla. Known for frequently evangelizing the importance of safety during chases, many in the community couldn't name a more careful team. Yet accidents happen.

As the 2014 tornado season approaches, likely bringing more casual chasers with it, the risk of danger seems to be greater than ever.

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Topics: Apps and Software, Mashable Must Reads, instagram, Lifestyle, Social Media, storm chasing, U.S., US & World, Weather, Work & Play, World