North Texas' premier veteran storm chaser
NORTH TEXAS — For some it's sport, for others it's science: chasing storms. And for everyone who loves the rush, it's the prime time of the year to head into danger.
One of the premier veteran storm chasers lives in North Texas and believes that the odds of a major tornado striking DFW is increasing.
Few storm chasers have captured nature's fury in a way as visually stunning as Martin Lisius.
"I feel very comfortable around storms," said Lisius. "My passion for chasing storms is mostly science, however, it's largely photography."
Lisius has been captivated by tornados for 37 years and operates Tempest Tours for those who long to see what he so vividly documents on camera.
He was on the road as recently as last weekend in Oklahoma where a tornado blew right by his hotel room in the middle of the night
"I respect severe storms but I also feel like I should be there," Lisius said. "It's sort of my office, so to speak."
Some of the Arlington resident's work will be showcased in an upcoming documentary called "The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky."
Lisius's work behind the camera and acute attention to detail have gone to levels that few, if any storm photographers have ever even attempted.
"I think I'm best known for my videography," said Lisius.
In 2018, he used two cameras to capture a tornado in a higher resolution than anyone else had before.
"I decided that I wanted to try to capture storms in a very immersive way, so I developed a 16 K video system which included two still cameras that were synced together," he said. "I would say the most interesting result of my work on creating 16 K is a couple of phone calls one from Apple and one from Intel asking me how I did it."
In the 90s, Lusius created a database for fellow chasers to copyright and license their footage to movies and TV called Storm Stock.
He also launched the Texas Severe Storms Association 30 years ago dedicated to improving education among amateur chasers and the public.
While North Texas has had strong tornadoes touch down, the DFW area has fortunately avoided being hit by catastrophic ones.
It's something Lisius says he worries about often.
"Definitely it is amazing to me that a major long track violent class tornado has not struck the metroplex in recent memory," he said. "The metroplex is getting larger and becoming a larger target. It's going to happen ... and I hope people are prepared when it does happen."
Wherever it happens, there's a good chance Martin Lisius will be nearby, setting up his camera, documenting a weather phenomenon as spellbinding to see as it is dangerous to encounter.
"I continue to shoot storms because I love to do it."
