Hurricane Chasers Gathering - Islamorada Florida Keys
Posted by Jeff Gammons on 01 Apr 2008 at 10:44 am
Tagged as: Chaser Gatherings
Storm and Hurricane Chasers Gather In The Tropical Florida keys
Been very busy the last day or two, and I wanted to catch up on this past weekend events. On Saturday, I headed down to the Florida Keys for a Hurricane Chaser gathering that veteran Hurricane and Storm Chaser Jim Leonard was hosting at his beautiful Islamorada home. This turned out to be a fantastic afternoon and evening packed with tons of tornado and hurricane video, great weather discussions on past severe weather events, and hurricane intercepts over the years. The turn out was pretty good, I’d say about 10-11 people showed up. I had the chance to meet some very nice and interesting new people, and we all geeked it up weather-style without a problem.
The Storm Chaser Lineup Of The Weekend Event
Some of the folks that attended the Hurricane Chaser Gathering were, of course Jim Leonard, who cooked up some great burgers and dogs, and has quite the chill chaser pad among the coconut palms and tropical waters. Chris Kridler and her husband from the Space Coast, and who is well known for her encounters with very large hail over the last few years. Dr. Jack Beven, a Senior Hurricane Specialists and forecaster at the National Hurricane Center. Jack had some great dropsonde stories from Hurricane’s Charley and Felix, and outstanding discussion on past hurricane and tornado chasing events. Jack has a great personality, and made my afternoon listening to his long history of tropical meteorology.
Then I finally got to meet Mike Laca, a veteran Hurricane Chaser that I have spoken with over the years through email. Mike was another great personality, with lot’s of stories going back to Hurricane Gilbert. He also brought a Hurricane Charley DVD he found on Ebay, that had us all on the floor as we watched a couple of guys attempt to kill themselves while driving around (this is crazy dude!) in the southern fringes of Charley’s eyewall. Cheryl Chang, a chaser I have not seen in a while, but fun to talk storms with. Cheryl is know for seeing the 1998 deadly Spencer, SD tornado and a photogenic tornado she captured in east central Florida several year back just north of me.
A few new faces to me was Martin Kucera, and outstanding water spout and lightning photographer from the Florida Keys, and has a great site to prove it. Martin plans to do some up close and personal spout chasing this year in his new boat. I can’t wait to see the boat chaser reports. Chris Downs from the Midwest, a very educated new chaser, that was quoting scenes from old Weathervine Chaser video’s that I can’t even remember. Chris is looking forward to making his own chase memories this season, and he’s going to be a great future chaser.
There was a few more folks that I’m having a hard time remembering names to faces. I believe there was a Max from Miami. A Rob from Miami as well, and a few others that I’m having a hard time placing names. Please forgive me if I have forgotten a name, and I’ll try and edit them in later on.
All in all, an outstanding Storm Chaser gathering on a beautiful weekend in the Florida Keys. A big thanks to Jim Leonard for hosting the gathering, and everyone that attended making it a excellent pre-storm chase season warm up.
(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Jeff
Your work never ceases to impress me here. It would be a great honor to go on a intercept of any kind of storm with you one day, I am sure I would learn a lot that I thought perhaps I never would.
I hope this can be so because I am suffering from lymph edema in the lowe left leg which has no cure and the doctors say I must be very careful or I could likely loose my lower left leg.
I am trying to get back into school here even at almost 46 years of age. It is beginning to look like I will be helping the National Park Service at Mount Rainier National Park with some visitor use statistics while in the Student Conservation Corps under supervision of National Park Biologist Darin Swinney. I will also perhaps be putting together climate data with some of the other park staff as well for Mount Rainier National Park’s various weather stations. This will be a 12 week project and I could likely get some college credit for it also.
Keep up the great work down your way Jeff and I hope you have a great season catching great storm footage.
Greg Carstens
NWS Seattle Spotter Pierce 3
AMS Associate Member
Greg - Thanks so much, I really appreciate the comments. I try my best to keep the site full of interesting content and my daily ventures. I’m really sorry to hear about your health. I have had my share of health issues, and I continue too this day. My weather is what has been a big help with keeping positive over the years. It keeps me so motivated, and has been my walking stick through my health issues.
If you ever get down to Florida or in the Plains, we’ll defiantly have to get together for some chasing. I’ll shoot you a more private email in the coming days with some contact information. Take care and thanks for supporting the Weathervine sites over the last few years.
Jeff, sounds like some great cane chaser convergence. We still need to plan ours.
Miss Dew Dew Dew - Yes we Do.
Since most of your gang is up there in the Southeast, It would likely be wise to host it up there some where. Something before Hurricane season would be cool. We shall chat about it soon!