Wish you could tornado watch for your full-time job? Watch tornado videos in your spare time? Does the phrase “tornado warning” excite you? Well, your love for the movie Twister is about to come to life, thanks to Extreme Tornado Tours.
Yes, you read that right. Tornado tours are, in fact, a thing. Extreme Tornado Tours was founded by Dr. Reed Timmer of Discovery Channel hit Storm Chasers (during some tornado tours, you’ll even get a meet-and-greet with Dr.Timmer in the field). The storm-chasing tour company runs tours that last seven or 10 days and include lodging, a DVD with your tour highlights, digital photos, a t-shirt and more.
The intimate tours of six-people are helmed by professional storm chasers and depart from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma or Denver, Colorado. What to expect: sitting in a commercial van with on-board radar and navigation systems to get you as close to the tornados as possible (and up to $1 million of insurance for medical coverage for guests). Tours run April through June and will cost you between $2,700-$3,600 per person, though some discounts are available (note: meals, airfare and daily incidentals are not included).
Nervous the van will afford some a prime-time view while others get less than ideal tornado chasing views? Fear not: Each tour van gives a storm chaser a window seat so you’ve got a front row view to the storm action. As you drive through Tornado Alley (the area of America that experiences the most frequent tornadoes running through Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, and other states), your experienced guide will give you a chance to witness the natural beauty of a tornado.
P.S. If you dream of researching tornadoes like Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton in Twister but can’t swing the money or the fees, consider the next best thing — you can watch tours in real-time on this handy live stream.
