Inspired by '93 Catoosa Tornado, Justin Walker is Now a Severe Weather Meteorologist

Chris Howell NewsOn6.com

Dodge City, Kansas---When Justin Walker was growing up in Catoosa, Oklahoma he was already fascinated by weather. When he witnessed 1993 tornado ripping through Catoosa, killing seven people and injuring hundreds of others, he knew he wanted to be a meteorologist.

‘Just seeing the power of that, and seeing the damage…of course it killed people, unfortunately, it really got me interested in meteorology,' Justin said.

Justin now works for the Center for Severe Weather Research in Boulder, Colorado. We caught up with him as he traveled through Dodge City chasing storms with the Vortex 2 project, an armada of weather research vehicles and scientists studying tornados.

‘I get paid to storm-chase, I service the vehicles, so I helped build DOW 6 and DOW 7,' he said, ‘it's a lot of fun, I mean, a lot of people as jealous of what I do.

Justin and the Vortex 2 project are be on the road tracking storms this spring, and their progress can be followed right here on NewsOn6.com or by going to the Vortex 2 web site.