Storm Chaser Braves 2017’s Most Dangerous Weather

Even though he has been an avid storm chaser since 2009, 2017 has proven to be a particularly challenging year for Jason Weingart, especially due to the hurricanes that have devastated various countries. Between the months of April and May, Jason witnessed an incredible 14 tornadoes, as he chased them down, storm after storm.

“The most memorable storm of the year was the swarm of tornadoes that occurred on April 29th near Canton, Texas” he says. “It was one of those days that looked very marginal in the morning but as the day progressed, everything came together to create a prolific localized tornado outbreak.”

The storm chaser saw a supercell in New Mexico, a mesocyclone in Colorado and some breathtaking lightning in Oklahoma, all in the month of May. Jason attempted to follow hurricane Harvey, which formed on August 17 and dissipated on September 3, but struggled to keep up with seemingly unstoppable storm. Harvey hit Texas and Louisiana with devastating effect and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.

"Intercepting the eyewall of a Category 4 hurricane was intense, but nothing prepared me for assisting in high water rescues in Houston” adds Jason. “Venturing into those flood waters was the scariest moment of my life. Way worse than any tornado I have seem, including the largest in recorded history.”

2017 may have been a tough year in storm chasing, but Jason has also seen some stunning displays of nature’s fiercest weather. He said: “My favorite timelapse is the mammatus clouds on June 13th in O'Neill, Nebraska. It was a perfect scene; no danger, no fear. Just cameras and an incredible sky, to me that's what storm chasing is all about.”