Some moments in life arrive without warning, yet they have the power to reshape a person’s entire future. This was what happened to Chad Crilley when, at just 13 years old, he was given a rare opportunity by a chief meteorologist in Joplin, Missouri, to shadow him during severe weather conditions. What seemed like an exciting learning experience quickly turned into a life-altering event as Chad found himself witnessing one of the deadliest tornadoes in the country’s history. Not only did he see the destruction unfold firsthand, but he also lived through the terrifying ordeal.
Chad Crilley said that his fascination with weather began as far back as he could remember, often watching weather reports on the news. However, growing up in the calm climate of San Diego, California, he had limited opportunities to explore severe weather firsthand.
Eager to deepen his understanding of forecasting and experience extreme weather conditions, he decided to reach out to chief meteorologists across the Midwest in the spring of 2011. At just 12 years old, he sent numerous requests asking if he could shadow them. Chad was made aware that there were no guarantees he would witness severe weather during his visit. Despite this, he and his mother flew from their hometown and arrived in Joplin, Missouri, on the morning of May 22, 2011. Although they experienced some turbulence during the flight, he had no idea of what awaited him.
He could not get in touch with Heady and said that he immediately felt something was not right as the former had been quite prompt. While they were seated at a local café, tornado sirens suddenly blared. However, the locals reassured them that such warnings were common and usually nothing to worry about. Still, Chad decided to check his radar, and what he saw left him stunned - an enormous storm was rapidly approaching the town.
The tornado passed less than half a mile from where Chad and his mother were sitting with others in the restaurant. Although they were fortunate to escape unscathed, the devastation left behind was unimaginable. As soon as the immediate danger subsided, he sprang into action.
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With local and national news crews struggling to access the disaster zone, they sought firsthand reports from those on the ground. He seized the opportunity, grabbing a phone and delivering a vivid account of the destruction and chaos that followed.
While he couldn’t make it to the news station that day, Heady honored his invitation and allowed Chad to shadow him in the days that followed. Chad has often reflected on how the events of that day left a profound impact on him, both personally and professionally. Witnessing the aftermath of the tornado not only deepened his understanding of severe weather but also taught him valuable lessons about resilience and human connection.
What stood out most was the solidarity and kindness people showed to one another as they came together to rebuild their community. He began his career in Jefferson City, Missouri, before seeking new opportunities in Lexington, Kentucky, where he joined WTVQ-TV.
Over the years, he has built an extensive career, contributing his expertise across various platforms and stations, including Yahoo News, Yahoo, KMBC-TV in Kansas City, Missouri, and WGXA-TV in Macon, Georgia. Chad Crilley previously served as the chief meteorologist at KMBC-9 in Kansas City, Missouri, before departing in May 2024. Following his time there, he worked as a broadcast meteorologist at WDHN in Dothan, Alabama.
However, in March 2025, he announced that he would be leaving the station to focus full-time on creating content for his YouTube channel. Now fully dedicated to his digital platform, Chad provides daily weather breakdowns, live severe weather coverage, and even live storm-chasing broadcasts. Proudly identifying as a “professional storm chaser,” his passion for observing and understanding weather phenomena remains as strong as ever.
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In the age of social media, many young chasers are moving to online platforms to share video and to grow their following.
One of those is 21-year-old Freddy McKinney from Rising City, Nebraska. McKinney said he changes the style of his videos based on what online audiences want to see.
“People want something they can see and clearly say, that’s a tornado. I would say closer video definitely garners more views,” McKinney said.
McKinney's father, John, has a front row seat to his son's online success.He says his Freddy's fascination with weather began when he was four years old. After reading meteorology books and studying radar equipment, they started going on storm chasing trips. John still joins him on these chasing trips, as Freddy hopes to make storm chasing content-creation his career.
Supercell structure diagram
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“Getting that footage and being able to come back home, create a video, and put that up to social media, for me that’s another passion,” McKinney said.
Freddy chases 30 to 40 storms a year across the United States, mainly in the South and Midwest. In just a few years of creating videos for YouTube, he said he’s learned that more unique footage gets a greater response - meaning the closer, the better.
“You have to find something unique because a lot of people will take video of the same tornado,” McKinney said.
What it takes to be a storm chaser
The Role of Social Media and Safety Concerns
The prevalence of social media in storm chasing has caused some long-time storm chasers to ask if newcomers are doing it for the right reasons.
Quincy Vagell is 36 and worked in weather broadcasting before going solo as a storm chaser. He said he provides a lot of his footage to local National Weather Service offices so they can measure the impact of storm systems. Instead of seeking out social media followers, Vagell prefers to focus on the scientific side of tornadoes, his storm photography, and becoming a better storm chaser.
“I want to see different storms in different areas. I don’t like things that are easy necessarily. I want to just keep growing my knowledge,” Vagell said.
Jeff Piotrowski, a 40 year storm chasing veteran, has been featured on the Weather Channel and National Geographic. He said putting together the puzzle of a developing storm system keeps him interested in storm chasing, even after all these years.
“The key is putting all those pieces of the puzzle together, so at the end of the day, you get a clear picture of the threat and what’s going to happen,” Piotrowski said.
Both of these more experienced chasers say social media could be a negative influence for novice storm chasers who just want the clicks. If you go slow and easy and steady at it, and stay safe and smart, you’ll be around tomorrow to chase another storm,” Piotrowski said.
Safety has also become a greater concern for Vagell, especially as the number of storm chasers has grown. He said rural roads are now packed with vehicles following the same storm.
“I would be at a storm ten years ago and there would be maybe a handful of chasers, and now at the same storm I have a hundred storm chasers,” Vagell said.
He attributes the growing popularity of storm chasing to a combination of social media prevalence and boredom during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think during COVID a lot of people found time to travel and get into storm chasing, it’s almost been inherited from that point,” Vagell said.
Freddy McKinney said he has also encountered more storm chasers in the last few years. He said it’s because smartphones have made storm chasing a more affordable hobby for many.
“You have your radar on there, you have your camera on there, you have your maps on there. That didn’t use to be the case,” McKinney said.
But with the explosion in popularity also comes a greater sense of community. According to Vagell, storm chasers will often take over communities while on watch for a storm, turning a gas station or restaurant into a storm chaser hang out.
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