Jason Persoff Stormdoctor/Image Source/Getty Images (tornado); Courtesy of Amy & Val Castor (Castors)

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Chasing Twisters

Meet two people whose job is to get up close to nature’s most violent storms.

October 14, 2024
By Nicole Tocco

As You Read, Think About: Why might someone decide to become a storm chaser?

What You Need to Know About Tornadoes
Find out just how dangerous twisters can be.

Val Castor drove through a blinding thunderstorm. He and his wife, Amy, kept their eyes on the road ahead. It was last May, and the Castors were driving through Arnett, Oklahoma. Pouring rain made it difficult to see through the windshield. 

Winds of more than 80 miles per hour rocked their truck. Dirt, branches torn from trees, and other debris began swirling through the sky. Suddenly, a tree was uprooted and flew across the road. 

A massive tornado had just touched down a few hundred yards away. Val sped off. But instead of driving away from the twister, he headed toward it. 

It’s all in a day’s work for the Castors. They’ve been chasing tornadoes together for more than 25 years. They’re storm trackers for News 9, a TV station in Oklahoma City. They live stream twisters and provide real-time reports to viewers at home. 

“It’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly,” Amy says.

Val Castor drove through a blinding thunderstorm. He and his wife, Amy, kept their eyes on the road ahead. It was last May. The Castors were driving through Arnett, Oklahoma. Pouring rain made it difficult to see through the windshield. 

Winds of more than 80 miles per hour rocked their truck. Dirt, branches torn from trees, and other debris began swirling through the sky. Suddenly, a tree was uprooted and flew across the road. 

A massive tornado had touched down. It was just a few hundred yards away. Val sped off. But he didn’t drive away from the twister. He headed toward it. 

It’s all in a day’s work for the Castors. They’ve been chasing tornadoes together for more than 25 years. They’re storm trackers for News 9. That’s a TV station in Oklahoma City. They live stream twisters and provide real-time reports to viewers at home. 

“It’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly,” Amy says.

Courtesy of Amy & Val Castor

Amy and Val Castor's storm chaser truck

Danger Zones

Tornadoes are some of the most destructive forces of nature. These spinning columns of air produce winds that can reach 250 miles per hour. They can destroy homes, schools, and anything else in their paths.

More tornadoes occur in the United States than anywhere else on Earth. On average, about 1,200 twisters touch down in the U.S. each year.

Part of what makes tornadoes so dangerous is that they’re unpredictable. At the National Weather Service, meteorologists track tornadoes and then issue warnings. But experts can’t predict exactly when a twister will form or what path it will take.

Tornadoes are some of the most destructive forces of nature. These spinning columns of air produce strong winds. The winds can reach 250 miles per hour. They can destroy homes, schools, and anything else in their paths.

More tornadoes occur in the United States than anywhere else on Earth. On average, about 1,200 twisters touch down in the U.S. each year.

Part of what makes tornadoes so dangerous is that they’re unpredictable. At the National Weather Service, meteorologists track tornadoes and then issue warnings. But experts can’t predict exactly when a twister will form. They also can’t predict what path it will take.

Courtesy of Amy & Val Castor

Amy and Val Castor

On the Chase

That’s where storm chasers like the Castors come in. News 9 sends them to areas where tornadoes are likely to strike. Val drives while Amy films. They pay close attention to the radar in their truck. It measures wind speed and direction.

If Val and Amy spot a tornado forming, they call in to the station to give its exact location. Then they make up-to-the-minute reports so people in its path can quickly take shelter.

 “It’s not very smart to try to get close to a tornado,” Amy says. “But in order to track it and know exactly where it’s headed, you need to.”

That’s where storm chasers like the Castors come in. News 9 sends them to areas where tornadoes are likely to strike. Val drives while Amy films. They pay close attention to the radar in their truck. It measures wind speed and direction.

If Val and Amy spot a tornado forming, they call in to the station to give its exact location. Then they make up-to-the-minute reports. This helps people in its path to quickly take shelter.

 “It’s not very smart to try to get close to a tornado,” Amy says. “But in order to track it and know exactly where it’s headed, you need to.”

Staying Safe

The Castors have chased close to 1,000 twisters together. Over the years, they’ve learned how to protect themselves. For instance, they stay a safe distance from twisters and know when it’s time to drive away.

“I usually have a couple of escape routes in mind,” Val says.

Making these kinds of split-second decisions is often tricky. Val also has to worry about dodging downed power lines, flying debris, and baseball-sized hail. Despite the many dangers, the Castors drive more than 50,000 miles each year chasing violent storms. 

“We love our jobs, and we’re helping people make lifesaving decisions about what to do in extreme weather,” says Val.

The Castors have chased close to 1,000 twisters together. Over the years, they’ve learned how to protect themselves. For instance, they stay a safe distance from twisters. And they know when it’s time to drive away.

“I usually have a couple of escape routes in mind,” Val says.

Making these kinds of split-second decisions is often tricky. Val also has to worry about dodging downed power lines and flying debris. And sometimes there’s baseball-sized hail. Despite the many dangers, the Castors drive more than 50,000 miles each year chasing violent storms. 

“We love our jobs, and we’re helping people make lifesaving decisions about what to do in extreme weather,” says Val.

How a Tornado Forms

Here’s how huge rotating thunderstorms, called supercells, can spawn tornadoes.

Here’s how huge rotating thunderstorms, called supercells, can spawn tornadoes.

Shutterstock.com

1. Supercells form when cool, dry air mixes with warm, moist air. 

2. As the warm and cool air move in different directions, the winds collide. This creates a column of rotating wind called a mesocyclone.

3. When the funnel-shaped cloud hits the ground, it’s considered a tornado.

1. Supercells form when cool, dry air mixes with warm, moist air. 

2. As the warm and cool air move in different directions, the winds collide. This creates a column of rotating wind called a mesocyclone.

3. When the funnel-shaped cloud hits the ground, it’s considered a tornado.

1. How do storm trackers like the Castors help people who live in tornado-prone areas?

2. What details in the article demonstrate that tracking tornadoes can be dangerous? 

3. What are three facts you can learn from the sidebar, “How a Tornado Forms”?

1. How do storm trackers like the Castors help people who live in tornado-prone areas?

2. What details in the article demonstrate that tracking tornadoes can be dangerous? 

3. What are three facts you can learn from the sidebar, “How a Tornado Forms”?

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