StormReel

Storm chaser Max Olson joins us on this episode of the StormReel podcast to talk about his harrowing experience chasing the monstrous and historic Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 beast whose 185mph sustained winds devastated the island of Jamaica. As the eyewall moved in, Max and his chase partners found themselves in survival mode after barricading their door shut with furniture. Hunkered down in the bathroom, they could only list...

The legendary storm chaser and YouTube sensation Pecos Hank (Hank Schyma) joins us to talk about his amazing new book titled Storm: Chasing Nature's Wildest Weather. Hank and the team also chat about the ups and downs of storm chasing and how the world of storm video and photography is rapidly changing in the face of AI generated content.

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Storm chaser Aaron Jayjack joins us on this episode of StormReel to share about his odyssey into chasing severe weather as a career. Aaron talks about his most memorable tornado intercepts, meeting his storm chasing wife and about the incredible circumstances surrounding the birth of their son Jett. It's a wild ride across two countries fill with epic stories of amazing tornadoes. 

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On this special episode of StormReel, we talk with founder and co-host of the long-running Storm Front Freaks Podcast, Phil Johnson, about the end of the legendary weather podcast. Phil shares how his fascination with storms evolved, about his journey into podcasting, favorite guests and moments on the podcast, and discusses the future of the Storm Front Freaks Network. It's a wonderful look back at the podcast that inspired u...

Storm chaser and content creator Edgar O'Neal joins Gabe and Jeremy on this episode of the StormReel podcast to share about the dramatic shift in his experiences with tornadoes. After moving to Oklahoma, he found himself desperately trying to escape the largest tornado on record—the 2013 El Reno tornado—with his wife and kids, having never experienced a tornado before. The traumatic incident drove him to learn more about the m...

Storm chaser Gabe Garfield joins Jeremy and Gabe on this episode of the StormReel podcast to talk about his journey into the weather world and about chasing the two largest tornadoes on record. On May 22, 2004, while still in college to study meteorology, Gabe chased the Hallam, Nebraska F4 tornado which grew to an enormous width of 2.5 mile's wide. At the time, it was the largest tornado on record, only to be eclipsed by the ...

The Weather Channel's Chris Bruin joins Gabe and Jeremy on this episode of the StormReel podcast to talk about his meteorological journey. A childhood dream, Chris found himself working alongside his weather hero's after receiving a call from the Weather Channel while working as an on-air meteorologist in Idaho. 

Chris also shares some of the most memorable storms that he's covered out in the field, and gives us a pea...

The family that chases together, stays together; and they have a great story to tell! On this episode of the StormReel podcast, Gabe and Jeremy invite a very special guest to talk about her first tornado experience. Jeremy's wife, Jane, shares how she accidentally intercepted one of Colorado's most notable landspouts on June 7, 2021, when a 10,000ft tall EF2 tornado emerged from a nearby storm on Jane's commute home....

On this episode of the StormReel podcast, Aaron Rigsby joins Gabe and Jeremy to talk about his prolific career as a professional storm chaser. Aaron shares how a tornado in his home town changed the trajectory of his life and started a journey that eventually led to him winning the Storm Chaser of the Year award at the 2025 National Storm Chaser Summit. Discussing historic weather events like Category 5 Hurricane Michael, Hurricane...

On this episode of the StormReel podcast, Denver-based extreme nature chaser and photographer, Jen Walton, joins us to share her journey as a storm chaser and entrepreneur. Armed with a 20+ year career in strategic communications and public relations, Jen created the Girls Who Chase initiative - an organization created to educate, elevate and equip girls & women globally to pursue the sciences, the weather and their passions. J...

On this episode of the StormReel podcast, Ethan Moriarty, founder of JuneFirst Severe Weather Research, and prominent YouTube content creator, joins us to discuss all things weather related. With a background in engineering, Ethan brings a unique perspective to storm chasing, damage analysis and to his video creations which dive deep into an array of storm related topics, and which have garnered 100,000's of views. Ethan also ...

On this episode of the StormReel podcast, The Weather Channel's Mike Bettes joins Gabe and Jeremy to share about memorable events he has covered during his 30 years as a broadcast meteorologist. Mike discusses the shock and heartbreak of being first on the scene after the 2011 Joplin, MO EF5 tornado, the terror of his vehicle being tossed by the 2013 El Reno tornado - the largest tornado on record - and of nearly being hit by ...

On this episode of the StormReel podcast, Gabe and Jeremy catch up on the last 3 years of life, and the personal journeys they've been on since the last episode. The two also share the story behind a wild 24-hour storm marathon in Colorado that ended with a tornado forming directly in front of their chase vehicle near the town of Akron. The episode a lesson in persistence and allowing necessary healing in all aspects of life. 

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The Tornado Trackers Podcast is back with a new season and a new name. We are now StormReel: a podcast about the intersection of people and weather. While the name is new, we'll be bringing back all of the things you loved in our first two seasons, like our own personal stories of tornado and hurricane chases, gu...

After a long break, the Tornado Trackers Podcast is back with a new episode detailing the reasons for the long break along with a behind-the-scenes look at two epic storm chasing days from this spring. Jeff and Gabe share stories from the busy start to the 2022 Central Texas tornado season and what went into tracking two tornadoes that occurred too close to home: the March 21st Round Rock - Granger EF2 and the April 12th Salado EF3...

Cue the sad trumpet. In this episode of the Tornado Trackers Podcast, the team shares a few examples of when  storm chases did not go according to plan.  From struggling  to even get out the door, to unexpectedly ending up under water, to an ill-timed stomach bug - these are the stories of chases gone bad.

Editor's Note: In this episode we mentioned that there were no High Risk days this year. In fact, there were two:...

On this episode of the Tornado Trackers Podcast, Gabe shares the story behind one of his wildest solo chases ever.  After a day of emotional ups and downs, Gabe finds himself within 50 yards of a multivortex tornado as it begins to move into the town of Selden, KS during the 2021 chase season. The team discusses the importance of having outside perspective during stressful moments, and of persistence when motivation is low. 

In this episode of the Tornado Trackers Podcast, legendary storm chaser Tim Marshall sits down with the team to share about his expansive career in storm chasing and damage assessment that included crossing paths with Dr. Ted Fujita, the creator of the original Fujita Scale. Tim provides amazing stories of chasing tornadoes, including almost being overrun by the Sulphur, OK wedge tornado in 2016.  He also discusses details of the n...

In this episode, the team discusses one of their wildest hurricane intercepts ever: the historic Category 5 Hurricane Michael. The storm, which made landfall in Panama City, FL with 160mph winds, intensified at a frightening speed, catching forecasters and residents off guard.  Jeff and Gabe share what it was like to witness one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States as it ripped buildings apart directly in front...