Storm Chasers (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Storm Chasers


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genre = Documentary film
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starring = Sean Casey
Joshua Wurman
Byron Turk
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composer = Didier Rachou
country = USA
language = English
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 4
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network = Discovery Channel
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first_aired = October 17, 2007
last_aired = Present
preceded_by = Tornado Intercept
followed_by = The Science of Storm Chasing
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website = http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/storm-chasers/storm-chasers.html
imdb_id = 0907833
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Storm Chasers is a docudrama television show that follows a team of storm chasers as they attempt to intercept and film a tornado from inside it. During the 2007 season, the team used a fleet of three vehicles, the Tornado Intercept Vehicle or TIV, the Scout car, and a Doppler on Wheels or DOW. For the 2008 season, the team and its vehicles have been expanded and upgraded as follows: 1) the original DOW has been replaced by the new DOW6 with improved speed, power and range; 2) the original TIV has been augmented by the new TIV2 (both versions are still used in the field); and 3) two new vehicles, PROBE 1 and PROBE 2, are now used to deploy probes. Additionally, the crew and TVN vehicle from Tornadovideos.net has joined the team.

The team is led by Joshua Wurman, a renowned scientist and tornado expert. Josh's goal is to collect tornado data in order to improve warnings systems. Team members for the 2007 season included Herb Stein (DOW driver), Mara McFalls (scout driver/journalist), Justin Walker (scout navigator/meteorologist), Danny Cheresnick (DOW navigator/meteorologist), and Karen Kosiba (DOW navigator/meteorologist). For the 2008 season, Justin Walker (navigator/meteorologist), and his wife Hannah (driver) ride in PROBE 1, while Danny Cheresnick (navigator) and Aaron Rupert (driver) man the original Scout vehicle. The TVN vehicle's crew consists of Reed Timmer (Lead Storm Chaser, Meteorologist), Joel Taylor (Driver/Meteorologist) and Chris Chittick ( Photographer/Probe Technician).

The original Scout, and the new PROBE and TVN vehicles, all carry probes that are designed to be placed in the projected path of tornados to collect data and film footage from the lowest portion of the tornado.The TIV crew is pioneered by Sean C. Casey, a documentary IMAX filmmaker, who is aided by Ronan P. Nagle, driver and Co-Executive Producer of the series, and Byron Turk, navigator and a shooter/producer for the show. The TIV is also outfitted with weather instruments that collect data from apx. 12 feet off the deck that, when combined with the DOW radar imagery and the probe data, can help to give Josh a more complete picture of a tornado's structure.

Sean is producing/directing his second IMAX feature about tornados. The first, Forces of Nature, was released in 2003 with a third of the film dedicated to tornados, the other 2/3 were dedicated volcanos and earthquakes. Ronan is an executive producer on the film tentatively entitled, Into Tornado Alley, expected release 2009.

The show is technically in its second season, as an original season was filmed in 2006, but never aired. The second season will premiere October 19th, 2008. [ [http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/storm-chasers/about/about.html "Storm Chasers Return to Tornado Alley!"] ]

References