Gene Thieszen

Gene grew up on a farm in central Nebraska and has always been interested in weather.  His first memories of a tornado are from the May 1964 F-5 that passed through Hamilton and York Counties a few miles west of his boyhood home.  Gene has been chasing storms since 2001 and documented his first tornadoes that year while chasing solo.   He witnessed the two largest tornadoes on record – the 2004 Hallam F-4 and the May 2013 El Reno EF-3.  He enjoys storm photography and videography during the spring season on the plains and often travels to Arizona and New Mexico for the summer monsoon to document lightning and haboobs.  He also enjoys international travel and documented the 2021 volcano eruption in Iceland.  Gene chases part-time for KAKE-TV in Wichita.