The reward for dicing with death

Tour guide and owner of Weather Adventures Storm Chasing Tours, Blake Knapp, most certainly is, as these incredible pictures of tornadoes show.

A 10-day itinerary, where tourists chase down tornadoes all around the United States, begins at just £2,300, but it's the memories and, hopefully, the stunning photographs that should last a lifetime. 

And to see the best of nature's most destructive force, each storm-chasing journey may cover up to 5,000 miles (or just over 8,000 kilometres). 

Thirty-five-year-old adrenaline-junkie Knapp decided to share his high-octane hobby with people who are equally passionate about the incredible natural phenomenon after discovering his own love of tornadoes several years ago.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing for Knapp during his early storm chasing days - and a close call, which was due to his tour guide's miscalculation, ultimately gave him an entirely new perspective.

'From day one of my chasing career, I knew there were severe consequences for getting things wrong,' he explains.

But even for the safety-minded guide, the reward far outweighs the risk.

'Visually, the storms are stunning,' he says. 'Not just the tornadoes, but the actual structure of the storm itself.

'But I'll never forget the sound of the debris striking the tour vehicle, or the rain, leaves and branches being pulled into the tornado as we backed out of the circulation.

'Three people were killed by those tornadoes and it gave me a unique perspective,' he remembers of his early storm-chasing days.

'I never had the chance to grow complacent about storms, never developed a bad habit for under-estimating their power.'

But what Knapp loves most about his unique line of work is that it allows him to combine his love of photography, travel, nature and the challenge of forecasting severe weather.

'What I capture in a photograph of a storm might only ever exist for a few brief moments and then it will be gone forever,' he said.

Knapp, who is originally from West Chester, Pennsylvania, assures guests that he takes every precaution and carries out meticulous planning to ensure that no risks are taken when leading his tours.

Most of the storm chasing takes place in The Great Plains of the United States in an area known as Tornado Alley, and often the tours run during the spring and early summer.

May and June are particularly busy months in the storm-chasing calendar.

(dailymail.co.uk)