5/17/21 | Sterling City, TX

I find storm chasing to be ironically hectic most of the time. We spend months forecasting the weather pattern in advance, trying to get any possible clue as to whether or not the Spring ahead will be conducive to tornadoes. We over-analyze and engage in heaps of hyperbole in the days leading up to a chase, nitpicking individual details of possible tornadoes. We fanatically plan roads, networks, and terrain the day of the chase. And yet nine times out of ten, the chase itself finds a way to take us completely off the rails and into an area we hadn’t researched before. This day was no different.

At around 6:30pm on May 17th, I found myself on a random dirt road near Sterling City, Texas watching a developing wall cloud. Many hours of flying, driving and chasing had finally paid off – it was clear that this storm was about to produce a tornado. There was one problem: The road network was absolutely atrocious. This area of Texas is filled with wind farms, ranches and gas plants. In other words, you’ll be lucky to get two or three roads to choose from every 30 minutes. You better choose wisely.

Navigating to view this tornado was challenging and frustrating. After planning a route and understanding the best plan to guarantee a good road network and internet/cell service, this tornado was developing in the one area I hadn’t planned for at all. There’s that irony again.

Still, I was able to position myself for a view of the tornado for a few moments. A white cone-shaped tornado emerged from the rain as the storm system came into view. This was a beast. The tornado would go on to be rated an EF-2 with 115mph winds. It unfortunately destroyed a farm, bent a wind turbine, and caused significant damage at a gas plant. The tornado lasted quite a while, cycling and redeveloping several times, but its was near impossible to get a good view of it.

Eventually, the supercell wrapped the tornado in rain and the structure of the storm itself became the main show. I let the storm pass by (again – no road network to stay with it) and decided it was time to call it a day. I took the one, long road back to the main highway as the sun set to my left. In the golden light I had some time to reflect on the day of chasing. It was like most of them: fun, hectic, exhilarating, frustrating, challenging and beautiful all at once.

I think that’s what keeps me coming back.