Curiosity Weekly The Batmobile Lab That Chases Storms
Nov 19, 2025
Join meteorologist Dr. Reed Timmer, a professional storm chaser and star of Discovery's In the Eye of the Storm, as he dives into the thrilling world of extreme weather. He discusses the engineering marvel of his armored 'Dominator' vehicles, designed to collect vital tornado data right in the storm's path. Reed also shares epic tales from the field, the perils of storm chasing, and insights on the behavior of hurricanes. Get ready for a wild ride into the science of storms!
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Lifelong Storm-Chasing Career
- Reed Timmer has chased storms professionally for nearly 30 years and has intercepted over a thousand tornadoes.
- He began chasing after getting his driver's license and moved to Oklahoma in 1997 to study meteorology full time.
Measuring Tornadoes From The Ground Up
- The Dominator vehicles let researchers gather ground-level tornado data that hardly exists historically.
- Measuring winds near the surface reveals impacts most relevant to people and structures.
When A Suction Vortex Struck The Dominator
- In northern Alabama a suction vortex hit the Dominator, spun it briefly, and launched a probe that was never found.
- They measured nearly 200 mph winds and still hope to recover the parachute probe for higher-resolution data.