Epic April – Tour 1 – 10 Days

Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days by Tornadic Expeditions in 2018

  • Starts: 2018-04-20 (This tour has already been executed)
  • Ends: 2018-04-29
  • Price: $3400
  • Chase days: 10
  • Price per day: $340 / day
  • Departure city: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  • Description:
  • Tour guides: Erik Burns
  • Vehicles used No vehicles specified yet.
     

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Name: Laurent
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2023

General review

Although it was my first time chasing in the tornado alley, I was already a weather enthousiast when I embarked on the journey with Tornadic Expeditions. These guys are experts and their tour is super on the chasing part. I learned so much from them, they were really patient answering all my technical questions. We had the chance to observe 3 tornados during our 7 day tour. And chased almost everyday. We saw some incredible cloud structures and lightning shows. I highly recommend!

Tour guide review

We got super good service between the chases. We went visiting a national park during a good weather day. We even had a chase when there was almost nothing on the models, but Erik somehow saw something and we ended up directly under a supercell and almost had a touchdown.

Vehicle review

The tour vans were some comfy Toyota sienna vans so we each had a captain seat. We had plenty of outlets to charge our gear, wifi and even a big screen were we would watch the radar and models
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Name: ChasingStormsNotWomen
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2022

General review

Erik was a lot of fun and very personable and very helpful and even though chasing storms is an adventure he took it seriously to make sure that everyone's experience will be a very memorable one! Highly recommend tornadic expeditions

Tour guide review

Everything was handled very well and long days and efforts were put into it so that everyone can get the best experience possible, safety was always taken seriously as well as moments of downtime to include lots of fun!

Vehicle review

They always took the time to explain everybody's questions and made it very fulfilling and enriching and fun!
Comment on this review

Name: Ciaran G (Ireland)
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2022

General review

My first chase tour; my expectations were we would see some mad weather but would be dependent on mother nature. In reality, it exceeded my expectations. While we didn't get to see a full on tornedo on my week/tour, got to see/experience everything else, coming from Ireland, the thunderstorms we got to chase most days were epic, the lightning intensity, the large hail we had to shelter in a steel shed was epic (the noise alone!). Felt safe at all times but was surprised AND DELIGHTED how close we could get to these systems, had situations where we were under a storm cloud where we could hear the hail in the cloud + getting behind a storm where the wind inflow was (must have been 100kph+ ... as it was like storms on west cost of Ireland) + seeing the circulations/spinning clouds where a tornedo would emerge (or tried to). Dusk/nightime lightning storms usually ended the chase days which was magic. The tour was much more than weather/chase; being from Ireland, it was a fantastic road trip to boot; travelled 2500 miles in 1 week across Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas through varied landscapes and towns/cities; highlight being San Antonio where we had a few hours to spare. Would never in a million years get to see/stay in these places in a week. And then there was the food/dining; what an experience... steak house (72lb steak special in Amarillo) to tex-mex to some mad (in a good way) diners; Erik knew where all the good places were to go in the towns/areas we landed in. Ours was the first Tour1 so was with a couple from Chicago, and got on great and were there for the reason and expectations (just added to the experience). There will be another trip for me; probably 2024, will be with Erik/team for certain, may just go for later tour which is in the northern plains; just to see another part of the states. If you are comin form Ireland, let me know!

Tour guide review

Erik was very enthusiastic.. which was infections; and added to the tour experience. Clearly demonstrated he had years of experience and knowledge; which was tested on our tour week given it was early season and we had to choose carefully what 1/2 chances/opportunities there were (which invariably, we went to the right location). Erik also explained the conditions/weather setup's with the online radars we had in the van (screens). Special mention too for Brian Press who was our driver for that tour; he was also very knowledgeable ... and some great stories to boot!

Vehicle review

Van was excellent; less van actually, more people carrier (6 seater; own separate seats) ; screen in back so could see radar/weather screens; USB power + wifi too.
Comment on this review

Name: Samdebaldwin
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2022

General review

One of the best trips of my life! This was my second year going with Erik and his crew and I plan on booking again for next year. They work very hard to find you gorgeous supercells! And on storm-less days we checked out national parks and monuments I’d never been to. Everyone is super nice and extremely knowledgeable. As a vegetarian it could be a little tough to find options on the road but I brought plenty of snacks and was fine :) thank you guys!!

Tour guide review

Erik and his fellow guides are great. Super nice, down to earth and give personal attention. They’re also very patient with my endless weather questions!

Vehicle review

The vans are really comfortable - part of the reason I chose tornadic expeditions was the smaller tour group experience, I didn’t want to be crammed in a 15-person van. Free WiFi in the van was also nice as we spend so many hours on the road!
Comment on this review

Name: Mitch
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2022

General review

Having been on tours with another company for 4 years, I decided to give Tornadic Expeditions a shot this year. And I was not disappointed at all! I went on tour 6 in mid-June with a pretty decent weather pattern - 4 out of 6 days were chase days. And on all 4 of those days, I felt that we were on the best storm of the day, despite not seeing any tornadoes. There was one day where we chased a storm that was moving so fast that most other chasers weren’t able to keep up, but Erik and Tornadic Expeditions stayed on it for 6 hours! That was possible because of how small the group was. While other tours can have 12 and even up to 18 guests, this one just had 8, which made for much quicker stops and a more personal experience. I also enjoyed how we stayed in nicer hotels - including 2 nights in Hilton hotels - and not the old run-down motels you see in a lot of towns. And there were always fun activities on down days. On one of them we went to Rocky Mountain National Park, and on the other we explored the Badlands.

Tour guide review

Erik was awesome!!! From the moment he picked me up from the airport I could tell how enthusiastic he was about storm chasing. Even though he chases for a living and he’s seen pretty much everything, he still gets very excited when he sees a pretty supercell, and he shows it. He’s also very knowledgeable, as I’d expect a tour guide to be. But he had some moments where he seemed like a psychic, which really impressed me. The one that stuck out to me most was the time he booked a hotel in Sturgis, SD the day BEFORE the chase, knowing that the chase would likely take us there. And lo and behold, the chase literally ended on the outskirts of the town, so we only had to drive about 10 minutes to our hotel. The other guides, Colt and Steve, had experience with chasing too, and they were always available to answer questions when Erik was busy looking at data.

Vehicle review

I loved the vans. They were very comfortable with enough leg room for someone tall like me. There is a monitor in the front that shows the radar or whatever else Erik is looking at. On one down day, he played tornado videos on it. There’s also a power strip in the back so everyone can charge their phones and other electronics. Guests are asked to switch vans and swap seats in the van every day so we all get a turn to experience the chase in different positions.
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Name: Bruce
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2022

General review

My daughter has been fascinated by severe weather, especially tornados, since she was 6. So, the 2 of use (she is now 12) went on the upslope Tour #6 of Tornadic Expeditions in early June 2022. It was everything we hoped for, even though we did not see a tornado. The lead tour guide, Erik, got us to all the bad weather he could during our 7 days of chasing. Usually we were in the lead and first to the scene of all the other chasers (who were reporting their location). We got into large hail and under super cells and saw many beautiful weather formations. We chased until there was no more to chase, which meant very late nights at time. But that is the excitement of it. We had one night when the severe weather chased us about 170 miles east of where we wanted to be in South Dakota; we finally hide at a truck stop and weathered the storm. Usually when my daughter and I vacation, we have fun but after 4 nights are ready to go home --- we are both home bodies. Not this trip, both of us could have gone longer than 7 nights. Erik said we were the first father-daughter pair to come and Jade was the youngest he's ever taken on a tour. For those reading this and thinking of taking a younger child, you need to know that Jade is a super traveler and road tripper, that usually it is dad and his coffee that request the first stop. Understand there is lots of down time, too, waiting for and planning for the next chase, which could be 500 miles away. But, the down times were a blast: went to Estes Park, Badlands National Park, spend time in general stores or village playgrounds out in the middle of nowhere. One thing we both loved is we saw rural America from roads we would never ever probably see. Maybe we were just lucky, but the other tourists were great to be with and we all became friends and had fun together. After a few days my 12 year, who is reserved and shy, had warmed up to some of the other adults and I would find here going off and talking with them and not needing dad around. It is a unique time. Pretty awesome trip and would like to go again, and if we/I do, it will be with Erik. One thing I would do differently, when there is a Walmart stop get lots of healthy, non-perishable snacks because you really don't know where you will be from day to day. Looking back, Erik and his team have a pretty good handle on dining and motel logistics given you don't know where you are going to be from day to day.

Tour guide review

Erik was the lead tour guide with Steve and Colt supporting. They knew what they were doing and tornados, knew how to find and chase the weather, and knew how to keep us comfortable. We could ask any questions, even 2 or 3 times, and they would explain and answer. Erik likes good food, so be ready to eat, if/when you stop. They never seemed to tire, and I don't know how they did all the driving they did, 2500 miles in 7 days. All 3 are very personable and created a friendly, relaxed and fun atmosphere. Again, if you are looking for a tour, try to get in with Erik.

Vehicle review

Our tour had 2 Toyota vans with a total of 10 persons between the 2 vehicles: 3 guides and 7 quests. Now this is the first time I've ever done anything like this, but this seemed like a ideal combination: not too many vehicles or too many people that made it hard to stay together or made the stops long and time consuming. Advice: if you go with a big group, then the number and length of stops could be a very big pain. Ask about the max size of the group before you sign up for a tour. The vans were comfortable and had all we needed including a WiFi hot spot that had service ability to all major carriers/ internet providers, so there were only a few times we were out in the boonies with no service. What to take: have a medium suitcase or duffle that goes in the trunk and then you can have a backpack of daily essentials/water/snacks/electronics in the seat/floor with you. A perfect combination. The vans were not big, so less agile folks may feel constrained or have trouble getting in and out, but that was not a problem for anyone on our tour. We were on the road 7 days for over 2500 miles and we loved it!
Comment on this review

Name: Will
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2022

General review

I went on two tours this year. One in late May and one in late June. Although the outlook wasn’t the best for both tours, we still managed to see four tornados and tons of beautiful supercells. One day, we were on the only supercell in the country and we were the only chasers there! Erik always manages to get us into the perfect spot. The tours are very comfortable with only 4 guests per van. If you ever need to stop for anything, he will gladly stop. You don’t just get a wonderful tour and an awesome experience, you get lifelong friends. All in all I would 100% recommend Tornadic Expeditions.

Tour guide review

Erik Burns is one of the most friendliest people ever. No matter how good the weather is during your tour week, or how good the results are, he always has a great time and you have a great time too. I still message Erik with any questions I have about weather even when I’m not on tour. He is more than a tour guide but a friend too.

Vehicle review

The vehicle space is probably the best in the business. With only four guests per van and a max of three vans, it’s never too crowded and you’re able to make personal connections with everyone. He always has water for the guests and there’s power outlets everywhere. In one tour we spent 82 hours in the van, but I never had a single complaint about the ride due to the great vehicles.
Comment on this review

Name: Kim Watson
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2022

General review

This was my 4th year chasing with Tornadic Expeditions and it didn't disappoint! 2 tornadoes and baseball size hail made for an exciting time. Have already booked for next year and the years to come! Thank you to all the guides for the wonderful time and huge thanks to Erik Burns who again outdone himself with making my time on tour one to remember.

Tour guide review

Erik and the guides made sure all the guests were comfortable and answered any questions that were thrown at them. The communication from start to finish was spot on. It was a very challenging time for weather but they got us chasing when we needed to and planned some great activities on the down days.

Vehicle review

Comfortable and roomy..no problems there!
Comment on this review

Name: Nsomnya
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2022
Blogged about the tour: Read more

General review

One of the greatest experiences of my life. Me and my son booked with them and learned so much. They explain everything from why we are chasing an area to how the storm is working. Met some great folks as well.

Tour guide review

Erik is very knowledgeable and very personable. He takes the time to explain what is going on and you can see his passion for what he does.

Vehicle review

Clean, lots of room, and monitors to see what he is seeing.
Comment on this review

Name: Ciaran G (Ireland)
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2007

General review

My first chase tour; my expectations were we would see some mad weather but would be dependent on mother nature. In reality, it exceeded my expectations. While we didn't get to see a full on tornedo on my week/tour, got to see/experience everything else, coming from Ireland, the thunderstorms we got to chase most days were epic, the lightning intensity, the large hail we had to shelter in a steel shed was epic (the noise alone!). Felt safe at all times but was surprised AND DELIGHTED how close we could get to these systems, had situations where we were under a storm cloud where we could hear the hail in the cloud + getting behind a storm where the wind inflow was (must have been 100kph+ ... as it was like storms on west cost of Ireland) + seeing the circulations/spinning clouds where a tornedo would emerge (or tried to). Dusk/nightime lightning storms usually ended the chase days which was magic. The tour was much more than weather/chase; being from Ireland, it was a fantastic road trip to boot; travelled 2500 miles in 1 week across Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas through varied landscapes and towns/cities; highlight being San Antonio where we had a few hours to spare. Would never in a million years get to see/stay in these places in a week. And then there was the food/dining; what an experience... steak house (72lb steak special in Amarillo) to tex-mex to some mad (in a good way) diners; Erik knew where all the good places were to go in the towns/areas we landed in. Ours was the first Tour1 so was with a couple from Chicago, and got on great and were there for the reason and expectations (just added to the experience). There will be another trip for me; probably 2024, will be with Erik/team for certain, may just go for later tour which is in the northern plains; just to see another part of the states. If you are comin form Ireland, let me know!

Tour guide review

Erik was very enthusiastic.. which was infections; and added to the tour experience. Clearly demonstrated he had years of experience and knowledge; which was tested on our tour week given it was early season and we had to choose carefully what 1/2 chances/opportunities there were (which invariably, we went to the right location). Erik also explained the conditions/weather setup's with the online radars we had in the van (screens). Special mention too for Brian Press who was our driver for that tour; he was also very knowledgeable ... and some great stories to boot!

Vehicle review

Van was excellent; less van actually, more people carrier (6 seater; own separate seats) ; screen in back so could see radar/weather screens; USB power + wifi too.
Comment on this review

Name: Bristow Images
Tour: Epic April - Tour 1 - 10 Days
Year: 2007

General review

I joined Tornadic Expeditions on Tour 6, 2022 after booking with different tour groups the last 2 years. I am so glad I found this company, Erik and his team did everything that his website mentioned would be done, and I am looking forward to the trip that I have booked next year with them!

Tour guide review

Erik and his drivers were great! They were all personable, friendly, upbeat, and accommodating. Most importantly, They were all excellent at what they do, their forecasting abilities were 2nd to none, and I felt very safe being on tour with them.

Vehicle review

The chase vehicles were actually the reason that made me try this company. They book 4 guests per vehicle which was enough room to be comfortable and there was enough room for my tripod and camera case. Each van has a sliding door on both sides, so getting in and out was pretty quick. The power strip in the back was nice to keep my phone charged.
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