Jessica the Storm Chaser

Jessica Ratner accepts services from Imagine! in Longmont. She attends CORE/Labor Source classes during the week, Out & About field trips on the weekend, and lives in one of the Imagine! Group Homes. 

At seven years old, Jessica fell in love with severe weather and storm chasing. “I would save up my money and buy weather gear whenever I could,” said Jessica. She ventured into the fields with her cousin and his friends to track the weather and spot tornados.

It had been a while since Jessica was on a storm chase and she had an itch to get out there. With her 40^th birthday coming up in July of 2018, she decided to give herself a present and go on a storm chasing adventure. She talked with her Primary Care Provider and they searched for an outfit online that could quench her adventure seeking thirst.

Watching a super cell thunderstorm south of Grenora in
North Dakota. Jessica is second from the left.

The storm chasing outfit they decided on was Tempest Tours, a professional storm chasing expedition company. Jessica was one of six guests on the five day trip, accompanied by two staff members. They rode in a company van, equipped with radar modules and computer screens to track the weather.

“It was a good tour in terms of experiencing severe weather,” said Kim, staff member at Tempest Tours. “A lot of breathtaking moments.”

With safety as their top priority, this group had their hands full. At one point, lightning struck just 100 feet from their van. Another company’s van was not so lucky and did catch some lightning, startling all other tours in the vicinity. “The van that got struck was ok,” said Kim. “I’m just glad everyone got out okay.”

They also experienced very heavy winds of 65-70 mph. Jessica witnessed swirling debris, floating dumpsters, and rooftops torn off homes. The tour director, Charles, stood next to Jessica and helped her stay upright so that she could experience the heavy winds. “It felt like ocean waves flowing through me,” said Jessica.

Group photo at Devil's Tower

The group also witnessed the serenity of Mother Nature and hiked a National Monument in Wyoming called the Devil’s Tower, standing 5,112 feet tall and composed of igneous rock. They soaked in the vast landscapes and mountainous views on a sunny day hike.

As the five day adventure came to an end, Jessica did not want to say goodbye. “It was heart wrenching,” said Kim, “she seemed sad to leave us all.” Jessica got the best of both worlds, witnessing severe weather that she could feel in her bones, and getting out safe to tell the story.

“I saw about six tornados on this trip,” said Jessica. “At some point, I’d like to go into the eye of a hurricane. I’m not chicken in any kind of weather.”