News release issued November 29, 2000, effective immediately.
For media inquiries, contact Caroline Booth Lara, Communications Specialist, (580) 224-6379.
  email: cblara@noble.org

Note: This event occurred in 2000. Please see our news releases section for upcoming events.

"Real" Tornado Chasers to Clarify "Twister" Myths Dec. 11

ARDMORE,Okla. -- David Gold and Charles Edwards wait with great anticipation for spring to begin across the American Great Plains. For these two adventurers, late spring means tornadoes, and tornadoes become their proverbial pots of gold at the ends of the rainbows.

Gold, based in Houston, Texas, operates Silver Lining Tours. Edwards, a Norman resident, runs Cloud Nine Tours. Both companies specialize in guided storm chasing adventures for those willing to devote two weeks and a couple of thousand dollars to the pursuit of nature in its unbridled fury.

Gold and Edwards will be the featured presenters in the Noble Foundation's "Profiles and Perspectives" presentation Monday, December 11, at 6:30 p.m. in downtown Ardmore's Goddard Center. The presentation will be free to the public. Seating is limited and will be filled on a first-come basis.

Included in their December 11 presentation will be video footage of tornadoes and supercell thunderstorms, anecdotes about individual chases, and an explanation of how "real" tornado chases differ from the Hollywood script and effects portrayed in the movie "Twister."

For Edwards and Gold, the "reality" of chasing is an annual experience. From the end of April through as late as early July, Edwards and Gold live a continual routine of motel rooms, fast food, and several large vehicles loaded with luggage, camcorders, laptops, cell phones, and a dozen or more eager clients whose dream is to experience the thrill of the chase and the possibility of seeing a tornado. Day after day, Gold and Edwards scan the meteorological charts and check the forecasts to determine the most likely area for severe storms and tornadoes, then head in that direction, driving all night if necessary.

"Our chase area is extensive," Edwards explained. "Our chase territory ranges from the Mexican border to the Canadian border and from the Rockies to Indiana. Most chases will be in the southern plains, central plains, and the high plains. We typically will follow a system as it moves east day by day. For example, the first chase day may be in eastern Colorado and western Kansas. The next chase day may be in eastern Kansas and the third chase day in Illinois. We will go to the best target area each day. We try to keep down days to the minimum."

Of course, not every spring day proves suitable for chasing.

"On days when there are no storms expected – and we hope those are very few – we will offer a few optional recreational activities," Gold stated. "These will be weather-related whenever possible. Last year, for example, we toured the Storm Prediction Center/National Severe Storms Lab in Norman, toured three National Weather Service forecast offices, viewed severe tornado damage in Oklahoma, and visited the Twister Museum in Wakita. We have also visited Devil's Tower, Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands – I love South Dakota!"

Tour participants are urged to "pack lightly." Other essential or recommended gear includes four or five days of clothing for different types of weather, camcorders, still cameras, and personal music devices.

Gold holds a master's degree in meteorology from Texas A&M and a bachelor's in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. He taught a course entitled "Introduction to Weather Forecasting" at Texas A&M. He participated in two major field experiments for the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). He chased with IMAX for the filming of "Stormchasers" and worked with National Geographic on an upcoming documentary. He worked at NSSL from 1989 until 1992 while attending the University of Oklahoma and is currently working on a doctorate in atmospheric science at Texas A&M.

Gold has plenty of help during chase season. Three other guides work with him at Silver Lining Tours on one or more of the five tours scheduled each year.

Edwards is a meteorology major at Texas A&M and the University of Oklahoma. He has been a chaser since 1990 and was a VORTEX (Verification of Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment) participant. He serves as a storm tracker for KWTV-9 in Oklahoma City and is a licensed amateur radio operator (KA5TYP).

Edwards' chase partner and tour co-leader is Jim Leonard, a veteran chaser with 26 years of experience.

Both Gold and Edwards have websites with information about their operations.

Silver Lining Tours at www.silverliningtours.com

Cloud Nine Tours at www.cloud9tours.com

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Photos: David Gold | Charles Edwards | Tornado 1 | Tornado 2 | Tornado 3

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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, check out the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release