This has been said many times, in many places, but it bears repeating here: While storm chasing (stormchasing) has been "romanticized" by movies such as Twister, and (to a lesser extent) on sensationalistic television documentaries (such as on the Discover Channel or National Geographic) it is important to remember that these forces of nature are serious business and result in great losses of life and property each year. Even storms that do not produce tornadoes can threaten life and property through large hail and high winds. Even less-intense storms can cause traffic delays, destroy crops, interrupt electrical power, and cause flash flooding.
This is all the more reason to be knowledgable about Severe Storms Forecasting. Responsible storm chasing (stormchasing) is not about putting oneself in danger. It is not about rejoicing in the loss of life and property that these severe storms sometimes cause (or exploiting it). Responsible storm chasers (stormchasers) feel a personal responsibility to report what they see to local authorities for the early-warning and protection of the population. There have even been times when a storm chaser has been the first person on the scene of destruction and assisted people out of the rubble of their home.
The vast majority of these storms take place in the wide open spaces of the rural Plains states where their impact on people is usually negligable. No sane storm chaser goes out hoping to see people's homes, property or livelihoods damaged or destroyed. It is the dichotomy of severe storms that they are, at once, awe-inspiringly beautiful and fearsome to experience firsthand. A well-informed storm chaser learns to stay out of harms way, and works to help others be safe, as well.
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