Tornado Tourism: Despite Dangers, a Perfect Storm for Business

For some people, this is their kind of vacation. (Photo: Roger Hill at Silver Lining Tours)

Despite the danger and devastation wrought by this week’s tornados in North Dakota, the trend of tornado tourism continues to grow, with nearly a dozen companies selling out their 2014 storm-chasing trips along tornado alley in the central plains of the U.S.

“It’s not just for the adrenaline rush,” tour operator Roger Hill told Yahoo Travel, “it’s about seeing Mother Nature in all her majesty.” Hill operates Silver Lining Tours, a storm-chasing tour company that for 17 years has been driving visitors across the central United States to get up close and personal with tornados. But not too close: “Anything less than a mile, and you’re taking a serious risk.”

Tornado-chasing is a risk Hill knows well: His best friend and next-door neighbor Tim Samaras was killed last year when a tornado turned on his professional storm-chasing crew. “But they were on a different mission than we have — they were essentially going to ground zero and placing scientific instruments. We’re just trying to get a good view of the system.” And Silver Lining gets plenty of views: Hill cites over 400 tornados spotted since he began operations, with a staggering 43 photographed during one six-day trip in 2010.

(Photo: Roger Hill at Silver Lining Tours)

Tornado tours typically pack a group of people in a van specially equipped with radar and satellite equipment, and follow a forecasted storm system wherever it may take them on a weeklong trip. “We start in Tulsa, but can end up almost in Canada,” said Lanny Dean of Extreme Chase Tours. He told Yahoo Travel that his tours have ranged across Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. “It can be sort of a gypsy experience,” he said, speaking by phone from the north Texas countryside. “I’d love to pop up to Saskatchewan right now. They’re having some really intense weather.”

For people interested in joining a tour, it’s recommended to find an operator who has a good track record of both safety and success in hunting tornadoes. A few of those companies are listed below. The storm-chasing season runs from about April through June. Most of the tours begin in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, or Denver, with an itinerary dictated by Mother Nature. They cost upward of $2,500 for a one-week trip, including lodging and ground transport. There’s never any guarantee you’ll see a tornado, but at a minimum you should see some spectacular storm systems. And on the hated sunny days, you can take a field trip to the National Weather Center and other meteorological meccas.

(Photo: Roger Hill at Silver Lining Tours)

Silver Lining Tours: “Are you ready for the weather adventure of your lifetime?” reads their promo. With “350 verifiable” tornados viewed in the last 10 years, the company has 17 years of storm-chasing experience. Their 6-10 day tours start at $2,400 and include lodging, ground transport, and a DVD of trip highlights. Itineraries begin in Oklahoma City, Denver, and Rapid City, S.D., and run from late April to early June. Their 2014 schedule of a dozen trips is nearly sold out.

Tempest Tours: “The premier storm-chasing tour company in the U.S.” since its founding in 2000 has certified meteorologists with “nearly 200 years of combined storm-chasing experience.” They boast a 90% success rate for tours that intercept a tornado. Maximum eight passengers per van.

Extreme Chase Tours: Their tours have sold out for the past eight years. They offer 6-10 day storm-chasing, tornado tours and “severe weather photography tour vacations,” and pride themselves on their well-trained staff and focus on one-on-one service.

Extreme Tornado Tours: “Over 400 tornados intercepted since 1998.” Oklahoma City and Denver-based tours from April to July, starting at $1,700 for a five-day tour, which includes lodging and transport in their customized storm vans equipped with mobile radar and satellite equipment. On non-storm days, the tour visits tornado tourism spots like the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla.

(Photo: Roger Hill at Silver Lining Tours)