KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s Severe weather season and 41 Action News has assembled a team of experienced storm chasers to help keep your family safe as storms roll through.
But before you see them on TV, we wanted you to know a little about them
“I have always had a fascination with storms, I used to be afraid of them,” storm chaser Eddie Aldrine said.
They all have their weather love-stories about how they got started
“I lived on a farm in northern Missouri,” chaser Steve Polley said. “We had a grain bin bounce over the top of our truck as we were backing hay into a machine shed and ever since then it just tripped with me.”
They all share the same passion for weather but come from different backgrounds.
Aldrine, is a deputy sheriff, Gribble a director of engineering and Polley, an automotive technology teacher.
“I was always fascinated with severe growing up in Wichita in the middle of tornado alley," chaser Mikey Gribble said.
The trio has been pursuing storms all over America for more than 20 years.
But the last couple of years haven’t yielded much.
“The last few years have been bad," Aldrine says.
Gribble echoed Aldrine's assessment.
“The last few years have been slow, I think the slowest on record," he said.
Despite that lack of action, their passion and mission remain the same.
“A lot of people think we are only in it for the thrill,” Aldrine said. “We also report a lot to the National Weather Service and emergency management.”
“I take a great deal of pride in being part of the solution and helping,” Gribble says.
“Chasers aren’t out there just to thrill seek, we are out there to help," Polley said.
With the help of these chasers and the 41 Action News StormTracker, we are able to bring you to the storm with the latest information to keep your family safe.
