Hunting Nature's Fury: A Storm Chaser's Obsession with Tornadoes, Hurricanes, and other Natural Disasters

by Roger Hill, Peter Bronski

Ride into the Storm! Each year, at least 1,200 tornadoes batter the United States. While most occur in Tornado Alley--a vast, weather-beaten swath of middle America-in truth, tornadoes can occur almost anywhere. And where there are tornadoes, there are storm chasers. They come in all shapes and sizes, from hobbyists to researchers to professional chasers. There is one, however, who stands well above the Roger Hill . Hunting Nature's Fury tells the story of Roger Hill and his love affair with storm chasing, taking you on a suspenseful and dramatic ride across the Great Plains, into the Deep South, even into the eyes of such recent hurricanes as Katrina. You'll accompany Hill as he braves close calls, makes history, and gains insight into the science of severe weather. This is a story of a storm chaser obsessed with the storms that almost killed him; of resiliency in the face of disaster; and of humility in the presence of the awesome power of nature. Includes eight color pages of jaw-dropping photos taken by Hill showing many of the storms chronicled in the book.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

205 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2009

Reviews

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stories of a storm chaser. Not the best chaser book I have read but not the worst either.

[Colin Haggerty · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If this road comes to an end, we’re dead.” In the book Hunting Nature’s Fury by Roger Hill, the author takes the reader on a journey of storm chasing from the eyes of a professional. During his early life, he was influenced by the Civil Rights movement as well as World War II. The author was born in Chicago but moved many times as a child because his dad was in the military. In the first part of the book, the author describes the first tornado that he witnessed as a child and how it affected his community. After that traumatic experience, he decided to live a life of chasing tornadoes and not to be afraid of them. People chase storms for different reasons and his was to experience the thrill that comes along with chasing very dangerous storms. During the journey, his crew experiences the highs and lows that come along with chasing tornadoes. He witnessed some of the most dangerous tornadoes, and barely escaped with his life.

The first part of the book was interesting because it gives the reader a background understanding of how he got into chasing tornadoes, and some of the first ones that he witnessed. The author uses good diction throughout the entire book which makes the reader want to keep reading and find out what is going to happen. In the chapter titled, “We’re Gonna Die!” the author gives a detailed, step-by-step, description of what happens right before he is chasing a storm. I found that this part was beneficial to read because it shows the reader all the setup and preparation that goes into chasing a tornado. In this chapter, the author states, “Go ahead and get out. Have fun.” This part illustrates that even while chasing very dangerous storms, it is critical to stop and relax. The author adds this part in the middle of a violent tornado to break up the action for the reader. I think that the book has a very nice mix of action parts as well as calm parts. Because storms are not always predictable and have calmer periods, this allows the reader to feel what the storm chasers are feeling.

Overall, I enjoyed this book because it contained good action and suspense in relation to the natural disasters. The author provides a good mix of what was happening with the tornadoes along with his own interpretation and reaction to the storms. As the reader, this helps to know what it is like to be in the shoes of the storm chaser who is following the tornado. I would recommend this book because it contains suspense, action, and facts about tornadoes and what it is like to chase them. The audience that would enjoy this book are people that are interested in natural disasters. Even though most of the book is about tornadoes, it also elaborates upon hurricanes and other natural disasters. I also think that people who are looking for a book that gives them an inside perspective of what it would be like to chase a tornado should read this. I would say that the age range for this book is from teenagers to adults based off the reading level and amount of suspense in the book.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I imagine this book is exactly as it seems: Roger sitting around telling "war stories" to Peter; Peter asking for more and more detail; then Peter going off to write down what Roger explained. And occasionally explaining the more scientific terms as he went.

I enjoyed it, mostly because I would go storm chasing in a heartbeat. "Fortunately" for me, the storms tend to come to me in the form of 37 hurricanes/tropical storms passing near or over me since 1979.....

Anyway, it was a fun read.

[Beth Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good explanations

This book had some of the best and most easily understandable explanations of different weather phenomena. It was a fun and exciting read and had a lot of different storm chases included. If you just want to sit down with a book and be on the road with a storm chaser, this is the book for you.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, interesting, particularly if you like tornadoes or severe weather

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

First hand accounts from storm Chaser Roger Hill. Obviously passionate about weather and slightly insane, this book charts the beginning of his passion - his own near miss with a tornado that struck his home - and how it became all consuming, leaving his work and family to chase tornados. As these are first hand accounts from someone up close, they read a bit like watching the movie Twister - flying cars and livestock included. Plenty of enthusiasm in the accounts and you learn a lot at the same time. It makes interesting reading, not dry and Hill's obsession is clear,
concentrating on the beauty he finds in the storms rather than exploring the tragedy it leaves in its wake.

[Jonathan Martinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was hoping for. Roger does state his passion for storm chasing but does not come through the pages to me. Has one photo caption that is exciting with no story to back it. Overall, it is an easy read that does give some information about chasing tornadoes.

[Ayelet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick read. You feel the excitement of chasing the tornadoes. Sometimes a little bit wordy when explaining the actual chase but it kept my attention.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very detailed, at times so much so it can be repetitive but it details the adventures of a Storm Chaser starting out in his career and well down the line. Not sure where the "other Natural Disasters" comes into it as it mainly concerns tornadoes and Hurricane Katerina. This is a very interesting read though.