Most of North Texas is probably sick of all the severe weather we’ve had over the last couple of weeks. How many of you stay up at night because you can hear the outdoor warning sirens blaring in your head?
For some though, they can’t get enough of the rush severe weather brings and are paying thousands of dollars to capture that feeling firsthand.
It’s called “Tornado Tourism,” and people are willing to pay upwards of $5,000 to ride with a storm chaser and chase tornadoes!
Eric Burns is the owner-operator of Tornadic Expedition Storm Chasing Tours based out of Whitebsoro, TX, and he’ll take clients on a seven-to-ten-day tour of various spots right in the middle of tornado alley, including tours out of Oklahoma City, Denver and Rapid City, South Dakota.
Burns told KRLD they’ll try to get as close to a tornado as possible, which is usually from a half mile to several miles away, and although most North Texans probably dread tornadoes, Burns says some clients say seeing them in-person has a calming effect on them.
He said, “Some of my guests have told me it has a calming effect on them. Other people get a rush of adrenaline. Other people get emotional. It affects them on an emotional level to where they're in tears, whether it's tears of happiness or excitement.”
Tickets for a tornado tour range from $2600 to $5,000, and a typical seven-day tour covers 2500 to 3000 miles.
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