Tornadoes and hurricanes are the most dangerous storms nature can throw at us. They can destroy entire buildings and cause thousands of injuries or deaths. Most people who live in areas susceptible to these storms keep a close eye on weather reports and take cover or evacuate when one is on the way. Storm chasers keep an even closer eye on weather data, but for a different reason. When a tornado or hurricane happens, they want to be there to observe and record it.

Storm photographer Mike Theiss documents Hurricane Katrina
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Professional storm photographer Mike Theiss documents Hurricane Katrina's record-setting storm surge from the emergency door of a beachfront hotel stairwell in Gulfport, Miss., on Aug. 29, 2005.

There are some really good reasons for chasing storms -- mainly, scientific research, though a few people make a living selling photographs or footage of storms. There are also several reasons why amateurs shouldn't go storm chasing, no matter how fun it looks. For one thing, the eight to 12 hours spent driving around with no guarantee of actually seeing a tornado is anything but exciting. But also, storms are very dangerous. Professional storm chasers have meteorological training that allows them to understand the storms they're chasing. They know when conditions are safe and when it's time to back off. They also learn by chasing with other experienced storm chasers. Amateurs should never chase storms. Ever.

We're going to talk to some people who drive thousands of miles to place themselves near tornadoes, some of the deadliest storms in the world. We'll find out why they do it, how they do it and what we can learn from their experiences.

Hurricane Hunters
Most of the time, when we talk about storm chasers, we're talking tornado chasers. There are people who track and even enter hurricanes, but no one really has to "chase" a hurricane. If there's a hurricane going on, you'll know where to find it.

People have been flying planes right into hurricanes since World War II. The key is high altitude. The severe winds throw planes around in seemingly random directions, sometimes thousands of feet at a time. If the plane was flying too low, it could easily be slammed down into the sea or land. By flying inside the hurricane, meteorologists can get extremely accurate measurements of the conditions there. They can also fly above the hurricane and drop weather instruments down into it.