I know that storm chasers have done very important research such as their field work which tested doppler radar. But I see definite negatives, too. The exposure on TV, for instance, has popularized this kind of thing, creating a situation in which probably only 15% or so of the people out there supposedly storm chasing really know what they're doing. There is no way the amateurs can be kept from going out there, too. And there are way too many amateurs out there. As this case demonstrated, even the most professional people can meet a violent end.
In my opinion, though, there can be no justification for any human to voluntarily be anywhere near an EF-5 tornado with winds of 295 MPH. This tornado went from being a mile wide to 2.6 miles wide just in thirty seconds, making it the widest tornado in American history. As one Ph.D. in engineering noted in making some comments about the event, it was like a sky dragon. Of course, I'm sure no one would have gone near it if they had had any idea how devastating it would be. Or would they? I see this as one of the problems. Personally, I just don't see the point in messing with Mother Nature in such a reckless way. Opinions, of course, vary, but this is mine. Storm chasing seems to have become something which I consider often an ill-advised activity despite some of its obvious scientific benefits.
