Report from the Ball State University Storm Chase Team

Report from the Ball State University Storm Chase Team

Each summer the Ball State University Storm Chase Team travels through the middle of America researching thunderstorms, tornadoes, and other extreme weather conditions. The mission of the team is “to provide the east-central Indiana community…timely information regarding the state of severe thunderstorms within the local area.” The team hopes their research will provide more understanding about the atmospheric environment of the area.

This year the team was led by Dr. David Call, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography. The team traveled the Plains from May 19 through June 3, passing through nine states and covering 6,000 miles. The team went from Indiana through Illinois and Iowa to Nebraska, then chased storms into Colorado, spent time in Kansas, and wandered into Oklahoma and Texas. Then the team ventured back to Kansas and Missouri. Most of the time was spent in Kansas. “The class was a success. We saw a tornado, and nothing bad occurred,” according to Dr. Call. Photographs of the trip can be viewed at http://dacall.shutterfly.com/?emid=collectview&linkid=link4

Dr. Call is looking forward to the 2009 trip, and student interest is growing. For more information about the Ball State University Storm Chase Team, phone 765/285-1766 or visit http://www.bsu.edu/web/stormchasers/