SIUE Students Chase Storms Across the U.S.
As the rain pours and summer storms make their way through the St. Louis area, some Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students now have a greater appreciation for meteorology and climatology thanks to two storm chasing trips that took place at the beginning of summer.
“There are many courses where we talk about these storms and I can show hundreds of pictures in class, but nothing comes close to observing the storm in the field,” said Alan Black, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Sciences (GIS) and co-principal investigator (PI) for the GEOPATHS-EXTRA program. “The purpose of both trips was to allow students to observe severe storms in the field. Students got to use their knowledge to forecast storm formation and guide the chase team to the areas that are most likely to have storms on a given day.”
A group of geography majors and GEOPATHS Scholars participated. The destination of the trips relied solely on the path of the storms, which took them from SIUE across Missouri to Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. In total, the two groups traveled over 4,800 miles round trip.
One of the trips, funded by the National Science Foundation through the GEOPATHS-EXTRA program, allowed students to take part in an unforgettable excursion.
“Apart from the storms, I was given the opportunity to see parts of the country that, otherwise, I would never have the chance to see,” said Wade Filges, senior geography major and GEOPATHS Scholar from Collinsville. “Experiencing the desert and great plains climate was incredible alone, but when accompanied by monstrous supercell thunderstorms, high winds, dust storms, and jaw-dropping lightning strikes that lit up the entire desert sky, it made for an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience.”
“I had a wonderful experience on our storm chasing trip,” said Cahokia native Chelsea Henry, a graduate student studying geography. “It was fun to get outside the classroom and study in the field. I learned a lot about what goes into a storm chase, where you should be to stay safe, and the unwritten rules of storm chasing that every chaser is expected to follow.”
Even though storm chasing is an incredible experience, it is essential to take the proper precautions when severe weather is expected.
“The best thing people can do is have a way to get weather information, especially one that can wake you up if you are sleeping, such as a weather radio.” said Black. “Have a plan for what to do if severe weather approaches. Be ready to put that plan into action and take shelter if you are in an area that receives a warning.”
Photos: Panoramic view of a storm sighting.
SIUE students storm chase across the U.S.
