When it comes to indie films, timing is everything, and with the massive success of 2024’s Twisters comes the real-life story of the storm chasers in Martin Lisius’ documentary, The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky.
After watching Twisters, what The Chasers of Tornado Alley does is demystify some of the dangerous and thrill-seeking aspects of this highly scientific profession/hobby.
The documentary first takes us into the science of Tornado Alley, the massive stretch of territory starting in Northern Texas and stretching into the Dakotas. This area is the perfect meeting point between the warm, moist air emanating from the Gulf of Mexico and the dry air coming from the desert west. Ironically, storm season coincides perfectly with the wheat harvest.
Storm Chasers are men and women equipped with scientific equipment installed on their rather average-looking cars. Unlike Twisters, the storm chaser vehicles are pretty standard. As long as they are reliable and can be equipped with off-road tires, one doesn’t need any more frills beyond it. Some storm chasers chase for scientific research, and others do it for more personal, often spiritual, reasons.
“…demystify some of the dangerous and thrill-seeking aspects of this highly scientific profession/hobby.”
Another group of people is the Storm Spotters. These are volunteers trained by the National Weather Service to spot certain weather conditions, primarily known as the Supercell, and rely upon that information to give potential early warnings to the National Weather Service. Their work is needed to potentially save lives and property in cities and towns lying in a tornado’s probable path. As a documentary, The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky probably gives the best explanation of how tornados are formed in the simplest of terms. The documentary is incredibly easy to follow from a scientific standpoint and is perfect for any eager young learner thirsting for knowledge.
The highlight of the document is the incredible high-resolution videos of a storm. This footage could only be obtained by the Storm Chasers and, quite frankly, served as inspiration for Twisters, as capturing video is a major plot point.
I mentioned the Twister-ish thrills being demystified. The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky contains dozens of interviews with Storm Chasers, and as exciting as the job sounds, there is a lot of downtime, and no one is going into the center of a tornado to light fireworks. We get a glimpse of the chase, the dangers, and the safety precautions involved.
The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky is an insightful documentary that demystifies the thrilling world of storm chasing, contrasting the Hollywood dramatization in Twisters. Martin Lisius offers a grounded look at the scientific and personal motivations behind this profession, enriched by high-resolution footage and expert interviews. It’s a must-watch for anyone fascinated by the real-life heroes who study and track these natural phenomena.
For more screening information, visit the The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky official website.
"…a grounded look at the scientific and personal motivations behind this profession..."
Excellent perspective of which I agree wholeheartedly. The reality of storm chasing is much better than the films, if they only could capture what we see all the time.