By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — For Chris Chittick, following his dream has taken him to some close calls.

On May 31, 2013, he and his crew were tracking a pair of tornadoes near El Reno, Okla., when the two twisters merged into one.

The resulting storm was two-and-a-half miles wide, the widest ever recorded.

With their camera still running and thousands of people watching the live stream online, driver Ricky Forbes steered their truck into the ditch — their best hope of avoiding the storm.

The truck continued rolling with debris flying all around them, including a two-and-a-half tonne farm truck.

Chittick caught some air as the truck went over a bump, inadvertently closing his laptop computer and cutting off the stream suddenly.

His mom, who was watching online, called him moments later: “I think it’s time for you to grow up, get a real job, become a teacher, baker, whatever.”

But he said he has no plans to give up the life of a full-time storm chaser, saying that even near-misses like the El Reno storm have only served to increase his curiosity and passion.

Chittick, a member of the team from TV’s Tornado Hunters, visited Craik School on Monday morning.

Students, staff and visitors got to see video footage of some extreme storms, along with firsthand stories from Chittick’s unusual career.

They also got to check out one of the two trucks used by Chittick and his team — outfitted with custom equipment and covered with a bulletproof Kevlar composite material.

Chittick, a native of Michigan who now lives in Regina, has been observing nature’s might up-close for nearly 20 years.

He began chasing storms in 1998 while still a university student, driving west during his summer breaks. He spotted his first tornado in southeast Wyoming in 2000.

“I’ve been hooked ever since,” he said. “I’m a big believer in following your dreams, following your passions.”

As his hobby gradually morphed into a career, it has taken him all over the world.

In late August, he was in Texas witnessing Hurricane Harvey firsthand. Chittick described it as “a crazy, crazy storm,” noting it set a new record for rainfall in the continental U.S., with Cedar Bayou, Texas, receiving close to 52 inches.

Beginning in 2008, Chittick and his team were featured in the series Storm Chasers, which ran for five years on the Discovery Channel.

After that series wrapped up production, Chittick met with Greg Johnson in Regina, where he was offered a position as videographer.

Johnson, Chittick and Forbes are featured in Tornado Hunters, which began airing on CMT in 2013.       

In his presentation, Chittick showed many video clips of storms, offering his own commentary in between.

Each year, he and his team travel through the famed “Tornado Alley” from March to July, starting in Texas and Oklahoma and following the jetstream as it moves north.

The alley covers a large band across much of the midwestern United States as well as parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The team frequently encounters hail while chasing storms — often the size of a softball. As a result, Chittick estimated that they go through six or seven windshields each season.

Chittick identified three major goals for their team as they track storms.

His job as videographer is to capture the storm with high-quality footage. They also serve as “eyes on the ground,” calling in reports to help authorities track the progress and development of storms.

Finally, they also act as first responders, dropping the chase when circumstances require to assist with search and rescue efforts.

He also explained some of the science behind the storms and provided tips on how to find safety and shelter during a tornado or lightning storm.