American Storm Chasing Culture

Compiled by Andy Mair

Storm chasing is a growing field of interest in the world of science and in the United States. Professional storm chasing teams draw a lot of attention and as a result, it has affected their culture. Most of the chasers are normal acting people and fit in with the American culture. However, they tend to be a little closed off to outsiders of the group. Most storm chasing groups do not get along with other chasing groups, which will affect this conference. In an interview with Ben Mcneill, a storm chaser, he points out many cultural differences that are different from the standard American. In addition, writer Andy Mair has gone out and been around this culture for the past 2 years and has learned to live in this culture. In this section, you will find ways to greet storm chasers and how to make sure this company satisfies their needs from greetings, boardroom etiquette, dining, communication, educational background, communication, religion, entertainment, and rooming.

Greetings

For the most part, professional storm chasers tend to be very typical cultured people and have very standard introductions compared to most Americans; however, they do have a few differences. For professional chasers, they tend to be conservative towards the general public. They will greet people; however, they tend to hold back from giving away any information. Most of the time, they do not even like to give their names away, unless they know you are going to let them do their job instead of continuing to chat with them. They also tend to avoid talking about being on TV or any other media attention. In an interview with Ben Mcneill, a storm chaser, one has even been witnessed as lying to someone saying he was not on TV at all, but is actually on Discovery (Mcneill). When meeting a professional chaser, the best way to "get on their good side" is to introduce yourself, shake hands, state your name, and talk about things not related to storm chasing. Here is a list of questions or topics not to ask the chasers upon first meeting them: Most professional chasers really avoid answering these questions and making a good impression is much easier when these topics are not brought up.

Boardroom Etiquette

Chasers have very good boardroom habits and are accustomed to being in a professional setting when at a conference. They will be respectful and quiet and will generally ask questions at the end of a presentation. They conduct themselves very professionally and will fit in great at this conference. Chasers have been witnessed to be very scientific and like to understand how things work, so if they are unclear on something, they are not afraid to ask (Mcneill).

Dining

Chasers will eat most anything that you provide to them; however, they do not like to eat fast food. Most of the time chasers will go to a sit down restaurant of some kind instead of stopping quickly for food. This needs to be considered for the conference because many chasers will choose not to eat if fast food is provided.

Communication

Emails are the most different aspect professional chasers have from the general public. They are very careful about who can see things and who cannot. Storm chasers tend to be very worried about others stealing data so they place disclaimers at the end of their email. Here is an example disclaimer that has been attached on the end of an email:

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution of any kind is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender via reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. Thank you.
Emails are the preferred way for chasers to talk because everything is documented for easy access. They will talk on the phone, but it is not preferred. When on the phone, be concise and to the point; this holds true for all types of communication. Chasers also tend to avoid answering their phones unless they know it is an important issue (Mcneill).

Education

Chasers tend to have a wide variety of educational backgrounds. Most of the chasers tend to have at least an Undergraduate degree in Meteorology; however, many Storm Chasers have Master's and Doctorate degrees. There is no degree required to chase, but most professionals have some sort of upper level degree. Most are very knowledgeable about weather in general and will have no education barrier problems at this conference.

Religion

Religion amongst chasers is very different and really has no impact in their interactions with the group. A majority of chasers tend to be more hidden about their religion and do not share it with anyone to avoid conflicts. Therefore, at this conference, their religion really does not need to be considered.

Entertainment

Chasers tend to be open in terms of entertainment, they will go out to the bars occasionally, but in most instances, they tend to relax in the hotel instead. Most of the people that are on a professional chase team tend to be very intelligent and prefer to do more knowledge based activities, but they are open to most activities as long as they are in good taste.

Accommodations

Storms chasers tend to be very accommodating when deciding on hotels. They have two very important factors that need to be considered for this conference. First, storm chasers need to have hotels where they know their vehicles will be safe. There are two requirements they need to achieve this. They need to have a well-lit parking lot, where if someone were to try to break in or destroy the instruments on the car, they will be caught. They also need to be placed where they can see the car so they can watch it as well. Motels are great and chasers tend to stay in them often. The other important factor that needs to be considered is the location. They like to be very close to their destination. They also like to be close to food and gas. Chasers dislike having to go on 15-minute ride for a meal. They normally do not care about the condition of the rooms as long as they are livable. Another problem that needs to be addressed is that professional chasers normally like to diversify from other professional groups to avoid attention, as well as keep a distance from each other. Therefore, it is recommended that each chase group be placed in a different hotel.

Summary

Overall, American storm chasers should be easy to please at this conference. They fit in well with most American culture and are not confrontational. They tend to be more closed off, but will be very friendly and courteous to most people. Email is the best way to contact them so they have documentation. Do not bring them to a fast food restaurant when they are here because they really enjoy sitting down and enjoying their break in the day. They tend to be smart people who will understand the topics talked about at this conference. Chasers really do not have any religious or entertainment concerns and as long as their cars are protected at the hotel, they are ok. They should be amongst the easiest to please at this conference.