Specialties
Tempest Tours has been leading storm-chasing expeditions across the Great Plains since 2000, giving guests the opportunity to experience some of nature’s most extraordinary weather up close.
What sets Tempest Tours apart is our combination of experience, meteorological expertise, safety, and a genuine passion for severe weather. Our expeditions are designed to put guests in the best possible position to witness supercells, spectacular lightning, dramatic skies, and—when conditions come together—tornadoes, while making thoughtful, safety-focused decisions throughout the journey.
For more than 25 years, photographers, filmmakers, weather enthusiasts, and adventure travelers from around the world have joined Tempest Tours for an experience unlike an ordinary sightseeing tour. Every expedition is dictated by the atmosphere, making each day a real forecasting and storm-chasing adventure.
Tempest Tours is more than a tour company—we’re storm chasers, meteorologists, photographers, and severe-weather enthusiasts who love sharing the science, beauty, and power of the atmosphere with our guests.
History
Established in 2000.
Founded in 2000, Tempest Tours is a Texas-based company specializing in storm chasing expeditions. A significant portion of the staff began chasing storms between the 1970's and early 1990's. The company has established an exceptional tornado intercept history and a solid safety record . Tempest Tours emphasizes safety, education and professional conduct.
Meet the Business Owner: Martin L.
Martin Lisius, "The Storm Whisperer," began tracking storms in the mid-1980's. He is cinematographer, producer and founder of StormStock, the world's largest storm footage library. In addition, Martin founded and chairs the Texas Severe Storms Association (TESSA), a national non-profit dedicated to severe weather education and host to the National Storm Conference. Martin produced, directed and wrote several television programs relating to severe weather including "Chasing the Wind" (1991), "Beneath Stormy Skies" (1994), and "The Chasers of Tornado Alley" (1995). He directed, co-produced and co-wrote "StormWatch" for the National Weather Service, which employs it nationwide as their official storm spotter training video. Martin worked as a technical advisor on the Warner Bros. blockbuster movie "Twister" and appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show with the cast and crew. In 1998, he photographed the first-ever violent class tornado on 35mm motion picture film at Spencer, South Dakota.