FAQs

There are three main reasons for chasing - number one is to do cutting-edge research, from suicide drones to firing probe rockets into tornadoes.  For more details, check out the DomLabs page.  The second is to keep people warned in the path of storms.  The third is because severe weather is a lifelong passion of Reed’s.

The Dominators are iconic, and expensive to maintain and operate.  Each of them is currently sidelined for extensive repairs, or in agreements for use with local weather stations.

But there’s another reason that they’re not on chases - their design is built around Reed’s old instrument deployment model: park in the path of the tornado, anchor to the ground, have the tornado hit directly, and launch probes from the inside of the vehicle into the updraft.

After years of work, Team Dominator has found methods with higher success rates which they use today, which don’t require the tank design.  Additionally, Reed chases just about everything, and often flies to a target area, then rents a vehicle.  When not renting a car, Reed uses Dominator Fore.

Many stormchasers have regular jobs.  Additionally, may other chasers don’t see the point in driving 400 miles on a 5% risk day.  But Reed’s job is chasing and he’ll always put in the miles, so he pairs up with other chasers in the area, or he goes it alone.  It’s fun, and it keeps the stream fresh.

Gizmo has seen far more tornadoes and put on more miles that almost any other stormchaser on the planet.  She’s a tough one.  But much of the time these days, Gizmo is with Reed’s mom in South Carolina.