Fall 2020 October 2020 Blue Umbrella | Página 11

Jessica prefers chasing alone since she can make decisions without consulting a partner . She has a few friends she enjoys chasing with , though , because she trusts their forecasting and decision-making skills . Whether chasing alone or with friends , this career calls for long hours of driving . Moore explained , ? The biggest physical toll of chasing storms is road fatigue from hours of driving .? Getting adequate rest is vital to a Storm Chaser . A sleepy driver is not only endangering themselves , but also those driving around them . Along with that , Storm Chasers must make many quick decisions . A sleep-deprived Chaser may be able to make a quick decision , but it might not be the smartest decision .

Another Storm Chaser difficulty is stress . ? I know first-hand that many Storm Chasers have developed PTSD from some of the traumatic scenes they ? ve witnessed after devastating , deadly tornadoes .? Jessica commented . Though she hasn ? t witnessed one herself , she knows it is an inevitable part of what she does . Moore stressed the importance of calling in weather reports while chasing . She does her best to keep as many people safe as she can .
Jessica encourages students who want to chase storms to take courses such as Skywarn Spotter Training and COMET ( website : meted . ucar . edu ). Also , she said the ? Storm Chasing Handbook ? by Tim Vasquez has much needed information . On the flip side , for students who fear storms , she has words of encouragement too . She said , ? A healthy fear of storms is not a bad thing . I ? ve been chasing for 8 years and I still have moments of fear while chasing storms .? Don ? t be ashamed of your fear , there are many things that are unpredictable about storms . Just don ? t let your fear consume you .
Thank you , Jessica Moore , for sharing your story and providing the photos for this article . If you are interested in following her storm chasing career and photography , you can find her work by using any of the links below .
Unknowing civilians aren ? t the only people who experience injuries from storms , though . Thankfully , Jessica ? s injuries have only been minor . Bruises from hail are the worst she ? s received . Some of her friends , though , were not as lucky . Three different Chasers that she personally knows have been struck by lightning . None of them died , but one has permanent nerve damage and some hearing loss .
https :// jessicamphotographer . com / https :// www . youtube . com / channel / UCTyp7MEduZTRNnvbp-HbMOQ

Features 11