Sometimes going out to the Plains to chase storms is very fruitful and other times it’s a bust, over Memorial Day weekend both happened as I went searching for tornadoes. The storms all produced tornadoes but I was either not in position or too far away to see them, including a rain-wrapped tornado that threatened the town of Hugo as I was driving through it.

While I haven’t been to Nebraska for quite a while, I seem to always be navigating storms when I visit that state. This time though I went looking for storms and found them near McCook as I was fortunate to witness my first tornado. But how did I get there? Was it just dumb luck that I arrived and saw a tornado? Did I keep chasing?

Each and every year, thunderstorms feed off of the moisture-laden atmosphere and well up into severe thunderstorms that are capable of producing large hail, damaging wind, lightning, and tornadoes. In recent years, the activity of storm chasing has exploded as people have an interest in seeing these thunderstorms up close. There is a magnificent dichotomy about severe thunderstorms, while chaotic and potentially destructive they are always awe-inspiring and breathtakingly beautiful.

One of the most fun and dangerous forms of photography that I participate in is storm chasing, specifically I chase to capture photos of lightning and severe weather. The beauty of nature is breathtaking and frightening when a severe thunderstorm is on top of your location, but what an incredible rush it is to come away with photos!