This spring, Iowa State University students and instructors engaged in storm chasing, equipped with thorough safety training. Reflecting on their close encounter with an EF-3 tornado in Carbon, Iowa on May 21, they acknowledged getting too near as debris fell around them. Hunter Fowkes, a recent ISU graduate, described the scene as surreal, while co-instructor Bill Gallus found it hard to leave, mesmerized by the powerful spectacle.
The team, comprising three instructors and 13 students, spent eight days in late May travelling through the Midwest, chasing storms and visiting meteorological landmarks. Despite logistical challenges, the class, featuring storm chasing, was long-requested by students.
The course, which started in March, included storm formation, safety, and instrumentation lessons, along with simulated storm chases. Despite prior experience, students faced new challenges on the trip. Their journey included capturing tornadoes in Kansas, launching weather balloons, and documenting severe weather in Iowa, providing crucial data to the National Weather Service.
The trip concluded with visits to the National Storm Prediction Center and Twistex Memorial in Oklahoma and a Joplin memorial for victims of a devastating EF-5 tornado in 2011. The emotional impact of witnessing such destructive events was significant for the team.
