Name: Straya2019
Tour: Prime Intensity - Tour 4 - 10 Days
Year: 2019

General review

I have now toured with Tornadic Expeditions and Erik Burns 3 times. I did a 10 day tour in 2018 and two 10 day tours in 2019 (Tour 4 and Tour 7). In fact, I booked my 2019 tour on the third day of my 2018 tour (as did all the other guests) which says it all - what better advertising is there. Erik is an excellent communicator. He keeps in regular contact in the lead up to the tour starting so you know all the logistical details and makes sure all the arrival arrangements are handled smoothly with no fuss. Once you are on tour, you would struggle to find someone more passionate about giving his guests a great experience. Erik is a patient teacher who is keen to share his amazing knowledge about weather, tornadoes (and local points of historical interest). He always enthusiastically answers guests' questions. Erik is absolutely committed to finding severe weather for his guests. He thinks nothing of driving 5000 miles in 10 days (across Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana) to ensure that his guests have the best chance of witnessing tornadoes/severe weather/amazing super-cells/structure. There have been multiple occasions touring with Tornadic Expeditions when we were the only tour company on a tornado (often when it was the only tornado in the USA). If there is a tornado to see, rest assured Erik will find it. Not once have I missed a tornado or even been out of the best viewing position in 30 days of chasing with Erik. In 4 years touring with another company I saw 1 tornado. In 2 years touring with Tornadic Expeditions and Erik, I have seen 30 tornadoes including breathtaking tornados in Waldo Kansas and Golden City Missouri (tour 4 2019). The other company I toured with, does not get reviewed by stormchasing usa and probably for good reason. Having toured with another company, I can now properly appreciate just how fantastic Erik and Tornadic Expeditions are.

Tour guide review

Erik sets the standard right from his first email communication. All of his emails are clear and professional (and engaging). Once booked, Erik makes sure you know all of the details you will need before arriving - what to pack, when to arrive, how to contact him when the plane lands, how to arrange transport from the airport to the arrival hotel, etc. He then arranges an orientation and dinner on the first night before chasing so that the guests can get to know one another. The orientation presentation (a little over an hour in length) is comprehensive and provides a great basis for understanding for what you will see on tour. During the tour, Erik always keeps his guests informed about where you are headed to chase and what to expect. You will not be left in any doubt about Erik's enthusiasm. He loves chasing and genuinely loves making his tour guests dreams come true. He is genuinely thrilled to see the look of joy on his guests' faces when they see severe weather and tornadoes. Erik, unlike other operators I have encountered, also does not stop once he has found tornado for his guests. There have been multiple chase days where I have witnessed a tornado following which Erik has kept chasing until very late into the evening always looking for more. Erik wants his guests to have every opportunity to see tornadoes and will chase into the late evening without hesitating. I can't speak highly enough of Erik's customer service and commitment to his guests. He ensures the tour is an amazing experience (even on down days where there is no weather to chase - which has been a rarity in my time touring with him).

Vehicle review

The tour van is very comfortable - I would know as I have done around 15,000 miles in it on three 10 day tours over the past 2 years. It is easy and quick to get in and out of (even when you are tall) and every guest has a good view. Erik ensures that all guests rotate seats to make sure that everyone gets to have the same experience. The van is equipped with WiFi (unlimited) so you can stay in touch with those at home. Erik also has the van equipped with multiple cameras and provides his guests with his best of the tour photos and a video of all the season's highlights. The video is amazing and a great reminder of a fantastic experience.
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Name: Lauren Wingate
Tour: Prime Intensity - Tour 4 - 10 Days
Year: 2019
Blogged about the tour: Read more

General review

I really can’t say enough about my experience with Tornadic Expeditions. It far exceeded my expectations on multiple levels. My guides were not only highly knowledgeable, professional, educated and extremely experienced, they were loads of fun to be around! Over the years they have attracted like minded people as well, that have come year after year so it was like being with one big happy family! But the tour was perfectly sized! The perfect amount of people (not too big). Only two vans and only 4 guests per van. This is essential when choosing a tour company. Storm chasing can move super fast depending on the storm you are chasing, so being able to get moving at a split second can mean seeing a tornado or missing it. All it takes is one person to hold up a group, so the smaller the group, the better. Our group size was perfect! The vans were spacious and very comfortable. Each van had its own WiFi and sockets to charge phones, batteries, etc. There were also TV screens facing all the passengers that displayed what the guides were looking at on their radars. This was beyond helpful in understanding what chasers look for in a storm cell that sets one apart from the others. I loved how educational this was and how consistent our guides were with explaining everything we were seeing (on the screens and outside our windows). Tour 4 2019 had epic and record breaking weather, but that is not what made this tour incredible. Erik and Adam were able to pin point exactly where to go and get us to the cells that had the most potential for tornados. Half of the time, they were not even favorable on the radar projections. They used their own experience and knowledge of what these storm cells need to create “The Perfect Storm” that would actually produce tornados. And amazing ones at that! I’m beyond impressed! Some of these storms were tiny little blips on the radar that ended up producing 5 tornados that we were able to see. I was able to see every kind of tornado that exists and over half of them i had front row seats for! The whole experience was very emotional and moved me to tears on more then one occasion. I’ve never been in such awe of mother nature. I felt safe and happy the entire time and feel blessed I was able to make the right choice in choosing Tornadic Expeditions as my guide. No matter how lucky we were with the weather, these guys continued to chase into the night until there was nothing left to chase. Their energy was always so exciting to be around and never once did I feel like they were tired or needed a break. We were on the road for 10 days strait, chasing a dream i’d waited my whole life for! I can’t wait until next year! These guys are the best!

Tour guide review

Erik and Adam are amazing! These guys don’t quit! If there is even the slightest chance for a storm, they are on it! They will find the needle in the haystack and i watched them do it multiple times. They’ve got a great sense of humor, love to laugh and share their love of storms and all they know about them with the tour. They were very professional, made our safety a top priority, and made seeing us happy their number one goal. Chase day or not, their goals stayed the same! There was never a dull moment.

Vehicle review

Our van was spacious and very comfortable. It was clean, it had WiFi, chargers to charge your phone, batteries or whatever else you needed to charge throughout the day. Screens to see our guides radar while chasing. Comfortable air circulation that guests had control over. Every guest had a window seat which is so important. Easy access to get in and out of the vans quickly and efficiently. Great tires to keep everyone safe and sound when on slick roads, dirt, mud, rain, etc.
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