WKU News

The Western Kentucky University meteorology program’s 16th annual Field Methods in Severe Weather Analysis and Forecasting course, known as the WKU Storm Chase, will begin Saturday (May 17).

Eight students will forecast and document severe storms during the two-week trip to the central and southern Great Plains. Since the course was launched in 2010, Dr. Joshua Durkee, University Meteorologist, Professor and Vice Chair for the WKU Department of Earth, Environmental, & Atmospheric Sciences, said WKU groups have visited 20 states and traveled a total of 112,013 miles, (an average trip distance of 7,500 miles, or roughly 500 a day) or 4.5 trips along the equator.Students participating in the May 17-June 1 trip are: Harmony Guercio of Knoxville, Tennessee, a spring 2025 graduate and Meteorology major; Lexi Fugatt of Knoxville, Tennessee, a senior Meteorology major; Wyatt Crutcher of Clinton, Illinois, a senior Meteorology major; Nick Zrelak of Wadsworth, Ohio, a senior Meteorology major; Donovan Roach of Newport, Tennessee, a senior Meteorology major; Jackson Powers of Hardinsburg a spring 2025 graduate and Meteorology major; Trevor Bramblett of Louisville, a senior Meteorology major; and Luke Ferguson of Ironton, Ohio, a graduate student in Homeland Security Science-Emergency Management Disaster ScienceThe course is designed to train students on how to forecast all forms of severe weather by not only identifying exactly when and where severe weather events will occur but also traveling to the predicted areas in time to document the outcomes. This type of hands-on learning will require daily drives of hundreds of miles to commit to the forecast to see how predictions play out. 

According to Dr. Durkee, students will rotate roles each day to lead technical forecast discussions and travel logistics. Students will also translate these discussions and communicate the predicted expectations back to another class of remote online students studying Emergency Management Disaster Science (EMDS). 

EMDS students will learn how to understand the severe weather forecast process as it applies to hazard planning, mitigation and response to disruptive and severe weather emergencies. Once the travel component of the course is complete, EMDS students assemble for a week-long capstone exercise that integrates the field course weather data into a simulated event to learn how to manage a weather crisis

“There are many elements to severe weather beyond the science of forecasting and the focus on accuracy,” said Dr. Durkee. “At WKU, we are committed toward broadening our application and understanding to more multi and interdisciplinary approaches of natural hazards through the lens of Disaster Science. In doing so, students can commingle core skill sets, such as forecasting with communication, emergency management and societal impacts, among others, for the purpose of training the next generation to help improve the preparedness and safety of our communities. The design for this is with all of that in mind and brings an innovative learning experience unmatched anywhere.”

According to Dr. Leslie North, Department Chair and Associate Professor for WKU’s Department of Earth, Environmental, & Atmospheric Sciences, the annual storm chase trip is an invaluable applied learning opportunity for students, allowing them to test and apply their classroom knowledge in high-pressure situations.

“It’s one thing to study severe weather in a classroom, but it’s another to witness the phenomenon firsthand while also learning how to safely analyze and forecast these events. Unlike several other storm chase experiences which often are primarily focused on the thrill of seeing a storm, the leaders of our course have learning at the core of their activities. It isn’t about seeing a storm; it is about truly putting everything the students have studied for years to the test. It is about adding to that knowledge base through experiences that can’t be taught in a classroom and having abstract concepts finally ‘click’ as the students witness the concepts in real-time,” Dr. North said.

Dr. North said the department is excited to expand the experience by incorporating virtual options, making the field-based experience accessible to more students. The expansion has allowed them to integrate it into the Emergency Management Disaster Science program, which not only broadens participation but also strengthens the connection between meteorology and disaster response, preparing students for a range of careers in meteorology and emergency management. 

“I couldn’t be more proud of the opportunity Dr. Durkee creates for our students. It is a hallmark experience of our department and I am honored to help facilitate it from the administrative perspective,” Dr. North said.

For more about the 2025 Storm Chase, follow @WKUstormchase on Twitter/X.

Contact: Josh Durkee, joshua.durkee@wku.edu

• More: Follow WKU Disaster Science Operations Center (DSOC) at @WKUDisasterSci