Chasing Hurricanes, Online and Off
Aug. 25 -- Not everyone is unhappy about the arrival of hurricane season.
When there are 100-mph winds raging around him, “I feel like I’m in my element,” explains Richard Horodner.
Horodner says he’s been in every hurricane to hit North America since 1965 — except Hurricane Camille, which struck in 1969 as he was getting married.
While most people in hurricane-affected areas grit their teeth for another few months of worrying about their property and safety, hurricane enthusiasts are breaking out their storm charts, flocking to Internet weather sites, and in some cases preparing to chase the storms to experience them firsthand.
Horodner says it’s a combination of scientific fascination and the rollercoaster-like thrill ride, as well as the satisfaction of chasing an elusive, fast-moving prey.
“The chase is a sport,” he says. “There’s a real skill to getting to that core alive.”
He admits, though, “Some people say, ‘That guy’s got to be stupid.’”
Horodner says he supports his hurricane habit by filming the storms and selling the tapes. His Web site (see links on the right) also offers “Hurricane Chase” tours.
Catching the Storm on the Net
Not every hurricane buff feels compelled to put himself in the eye of the storm, though.
Some, like amateur meteorologist Robert Brookens, gather information and plot the storm’s movement and development from home, and post their findings on the Web.
When a storm with hurricane potential starts brewing, Brookens, known on his Web site as “Barometer Bob,” positions himself in his office command center in his north Florida house, with access to satellite TV, the Weather Channel, the Internet, weather radio reports, and a wall-sized chart of the Pacific Ocean, he says.
Brookens, a forklift operator, says he leaves the actual forecasting to the professionals — primarily the National Hurricane Center. He prefers to focus on compiling information and making educated guesses about what a storm will do.
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