'It’s just you and Mother Nature': Sask. storm chasers share their experience
Saskatchewan is the ‘Land of Living Skies’ and while everyone loves to take a photo of some nice clouds, storm chasers take it to a whole different level.
Jenny Hagan, a severe weather chaser, said while the activity this season is not uncommon for the province, it is more than we have seen in recent years.
Fellow storm chaser Braydon Morisseau of Prairie Storm Chasers described it as “crazy” out in Saskatchewan so far, chasing storms in the province nine times already this season.
Morisseau chases across the prairie provinces as well as south of the border, but a supercell here is already a front runner for the season.
“The storm last week on July 17 was probably the most beautiful supercell that we’ve had in North America this year,” he said.
Hagan also chases all around the prairies, and her standout moment is in Paynton, Sask.
“We were watching a very large tornado come down in front of us, that one lifted up, I packed my gear into the truck and I closed the door and another tornado dropped right on the south end of the highway,” explained Hagan.
She then drove a little ways away to see two more tornados, although one of those two is still pending confirmation from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
Hagan’s favourite thing to capture while out chasing is the structure of clouds, while Morisseau said seeing a tornado contrast against an open canola field is something he can’t put into words.
He was in the outer circulation of the tornado near Edgeley, Sask. on July 15.
“It’s just like you’ve completely left this world behind and you’re somewhere completely else,” Morisseau explained. “Everything else just fades away and it’s just you and Mother Nature and that’s it.”
“You’re witnessing a moment that everything has to be perfect for that moment. Nobody will ever get to see it again; it will always be different in some way.”
However, there is more to storm chasing than just capturing a once in a lifetime moment on camera.
“Us severe weather spotters are reporting what’s actually happening, from hail size right up to if tornadoes are actually on the ground,” said Hagan.
This real-time reporting of information is used when it comes to ECCC issuing watches and warnings.
Hagan said the public should take the Environment Canada warnings seriously, adding mid-July is the “prime time” where the season starts to pick up.
Morisseau said the best place to take shelter is somewhere that puts as many walls as possible between you and weather.
He also said you should seek shelter inside a building if you are in a vehicle, if not, get in a low lying area.
Additionally, the worst place to be is under an overpass. Morisseau said not only does it restrict the traffic and impede other people’s safety, it also restricts wind speed, has lodged debris and when the wind shifts, that debris comes from the opposite direction creating a dangerous place for shelter.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Service Canada holding back 85K passports amid Canada Post mail strike
Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike.
Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway
Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Thursday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre.
Manitoba RCMP issue Canada-wide warrant for Ontario semi-driver charged in deadly crash
Manitoba RCMP have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the semi-driver involved in a crash that killed an eight-year-old girl and her mother.
Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays
Canadians won’t have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday.
Mother charged after infant dies in midtown Toronto: police
The mother of an infant who died after being found at an apartment building in midtown Toronto on Wednesday has been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life.
B.C. man who sold Porsche to scammers shares cautionary tale
A man from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who was scammed while selling his Porsche Cayenne online is sharing his cautionary tale – while calling for increased protections from the government.