May 25
Twister— Oh hail yeah! Storm chasing for real
Program Description
Trekking cross the wind-swept Plains, the characters of TWISTER encounter some seriously intense weather and make some pretty dubious decisions that might not work out as well for you in real life. KCRG-TV9 Meteorologists Corey Thompson and Jan Ryherd join us for a pre-show presentation on how storm chasing really works, what the movie got right about it and the science of weather, and where Hollywood embellishment served to make for a good movie but makes certain scientists chuckle.
Film Synopsis
Bill and Jo Harding, advanced storm chasers on the brink of divorce, must join together to create an advanced weather alert system by putting themselves in the crosshairs of extremely violent tornadoes.
As a powerful storm approaches, university professor Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) and an underfunded team of students prepare the prototype for DOROTHY, a groundbreaking tornado data-gathering device conceived by her soon-to-be ex-husband, Bill (Bill Paxton). When Jo tells Bill that the device is ready for testing—and that their privately funded rival Dr. Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes) has stolen the idea and built his own—Bill rejoins the team for one last mission. In a race against time, the estranged couple finds themselves in the crosshairs of one of the most violent and powerful storms ever recorded.
About the Speaker
Corey Thompson is a Meteorologist with the KCRG-TV9 First Alert Storm Team. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Valparaiso University. While at Valpo, Corey developed an interest in storm chasing by participating in two 11-day storm chase trips on the Great Plains, taking him and a team of 20 peers wherever the wind led them. During college, Corey spent a summer as an intern in the KCRG-TV9 Weather Lab, working with Chief Meteorologist Joe Winters and the rest of the First Alert Storm Team to begin to hone his skills as a television meteorologist. After college, he returned to KCRG-TV9 for several years in a behind-the-scenes role, helping to conduct research and create weather graphics for use on-air.
Jan Ryherd is a Meteorologist with the KCRG-TV9 First Alert Storm Team. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Iowa State University. While at Iowa State, she was an active member of the American Meteorological Society ISU student chapter and the Central Iowa National Weather Association chapter. She was also active in the school's weather broadcast, Cy's Eyes on the Skies, which she was a director and producer for. After graduating from college, she started her first job just 2 days later in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she worked for Gray TV’s network of stations across the state for 3 years including KOLN, KSNB, KNOP, and KNEP. In 2021, Jan earned the American Meteorological Society's Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation.