Storm Chasers wait out conditions in Hebron

Darin Brunin (pictured left) and Brandon Ivey (pictured right) were in Hebron Wednesday, May 23, as weather conditions ripened for severe storms throughout the afternoon. The two storm chasers were leading filmmaker Sean Casey (middle) “Tornado Alley” and three television cameramen from Spain into weather conditions conducive to tornadoes.

The chasers, funded by the Discovery Channel, have been following storms for at least 11 years although Brunin said he had been working for the Discovery Channel for about three. “We’ll be on the road until mid-June,” he said.

Their tornado intercept vehicle (TIV), an armor-plated, bullet-proof “tank,” allows the team to get up very close to actual funnels in order to collect scientific information.

Brunin said the most dangerous thing about chasing storms is the lightning because it is so unpredictable.

Thayer County was placed in a severe thunderstorm watch at 4 p.m. Wednesday.