Since I was a child, I have been fascinated by storms and severe weather. After graduation from college in 1974 I attended my first spotter training provided by the National Weather Service and began to call in reports of severe weather in my area. A few years later I became a weather watcher for KSN TV channel 3 in Wichita and attended their spotter training. I began to chase storms in the mid 1980s because I wanted to see tornadoes but no tornadoes were occurring around my fixed spotting site. Up until 2004 I had caught only 3 tornadoes, but caught up with 9 in 2004 and 3 in 2005. In the early “dry” years that I chased I did gain experience and my chasing has evolved to the present time where I am a storm reporter for the KSAL radio group in Salina as well as spotting for KSN in Wichita. When storm season arrives, I will post accounts and pictures from my chases.

© Henry Diehl

February 12-14, Storm chaser convention at Denver.

Liz and I took Kody T. with us to the chaser convention this year. We had a great time. Liz and I meeting old friends, Kody, who is just starting chaseing, got to meet chasers he heard of. I got to meet the meterologist who will cover severe weather on KSAL radio. He will describe the warnings as well as give radar updates while Todd P., myself and others give reports from the field. It was cool to just be talking to him at the vender fair and find out we will be working as a team later on in the spring. Presentations at the convention were about forecasting storms, Vortex II and a thought provoking talk by Dr. Erik Rasmussen, "Whats left to learn about tornadoes?". Dr. Greg Forbes gave a banquet address on the past ten years of severe weather. Each year the convention draws more chasers and is organised by Roger Hill and Tim Samarus.