Warren Faidley

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Warren Faidley, the world's first, full-time professional storm chaser.

Warren Faidley is an author, lecturer, journalist, photographer, cinematographer, corporate spokesperson, extreme weather celebrity and storm safety consultant -- specializing in the coverage of severe weather, global warming and natural disasters.

Although there are many people who chase storms for various reasons, the majority are hobbyists, students, thrill-seekers and part-timers who chase seasonal events. Faidley however, is an "original" professional storm chaser -- covering all forms of severe weather and natural disasters as a full-time, year-round occupation.^[1]

Recently billed as "America's top storm chaser" by MSNBC, Faidley has made a 20-year career out of pursuing some of the planet's most extreme weather. He is one of the few individuals who has experienced and survived both a Category 5 hurricane (Hurricane Andrew) 1992 and an F-5 tornado. (Red Rock, Oklahoma, 1991).

Faidley’s career began at age 12 after he was swept away by a flash flood. After recovering from the near drowning -- he moved on to riding his bicycle into the heart of dust devils. His very first tornado chase in 1987 landed him in Saragosa, Texas a small community that had been swept away by a violent tornado. His professional career was launched after he took a photograph of lightning hitting a light pole in an oil and gasoline tank farm in Tucson, AZ. The shot nearly cost him his life. The image was published in Life Magazine^[1] -- billing him as a "Storm Chaser”. In 1997 the US Trademark Office recognized Faidley’s unique business enterprises by awarding him with a Service Mark for the term "Storm Chaser."

Faidley was an initial motion picture consultant for Twister.^[1] He has been featured on numerous television specials including National Geographic, The O'Reilly Factor and The Discovery HD Theater and The Weather Channel. His images and footage have been used by clients including Paul McCartney, NASA, The New York Times, MTV, Sheryl Crow, Life Magazine, NASCAR and USA Today. He also serves as a severe weather consultant and expert for major news cable channels. Most recently, he provided live reports during Hurricane Katrina.

Faidley is an advocate for extreme weather, global warming and disaster education. He is the founder and Chairperson of the Storm Angel Foundation a charity that educates children about severe weather. He has received numerous awards for his photography, journalism, educational and public service contributions, including certificates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a William Randolph Hearst Foundation Journalism Award. He has written two books and collaborated on over 20 literary projects. His 1996 book Storm Chaser was a best-selling nature and science book. In 2006 his popular safety guide "The Ultimate Storm Survival Handbook" was released. The handbook includes severe weather and disaster survival tips based on Faidley's first-hand experiences.

Warren's photographs and footage are frequently used for educational and safety projects, including those of the National Weather Service, FEMA and the American Red Cross. Faidley is the CEO of Weatherstock Inc., a stock picture and footage agency and Storm Risk, a severe weather consulting company. He has consulted and/or appeared as a corporate spokesperson for clients including DuPont, SureFire and Johnson & Johnson.

Faidley is a graduate of the University of Arizona and Pima Community College. He is a pilot, and has received EMT-B and Arizona State Land Wildland Firefighter certifications. He resides in Tucson, Arizona.

Faidley has worked on over 60 literary projects including magazines and children's books/publications. He is the subject of Stephen Kramer's book Eye of the Storm.^[2]