Moore To The Story: Stormchasing with Brook Smith
We’re kicking off our new series, “Moore to the Story,” where we shine a light on what our employees are passionate about outside of the office. First up? Brook Smith, our awesome GIS Technician from the Bismarck office, who has a pretty wild hobby – storm chasing!
A Love for Weather and the Chase
Brook has always been fascinated by weather, snapping pictures of cool weather scenes since she was young. In 2020, she took that passion to the next level with storm chasing. A year later, she upgraded to her first real camera, and since then, she’s been diving into storm photography, capturing incredible images of thunderstorms, tornadoes, and supercells. You can also catch her photographing the Northern Lights (aurora borealis).
The Science Behind Her Passion
Brook spent a year and a half in college studying meteorology, which gave her a solid foundation for storm chasing. She’s also a certified SkyWarn Spotter and has completed severe weather training to help her better understand what she’s seeing in the sky. Plus, she is married to a meteorologist who is always willing to lend a helping hand when she has questions. Fun fact: they met through their love of weather!
Favorite Part of the Hobby
For Brook, it lies in the chase. “I love driving up to a huge thunderstorm with beautiful structure to it. There’s just something so amazing about being at the right place at the right time to see a small storm grow into a beautiful, powerful storm. I also love the weather community. It is so fun to meet new people as you’re chasing- especially those who share the same passion as you!”.
Achievements in Storm Chasing
Brook’s proudest achievement to date is a significant storm chase in Mound City, South Dakota on August 28, 2024 (below). She saw five tornadoes in the span of a few hours and shot many photos and videos, one of which was selected to be featured in the 2025 edition of a calendar that showcases women in chasing and weather. (Girls Who Chase 2025 Calendar) The storm chase was monumental for her career as it brought connection with many other well-known storm chasers in the area and across the United States!
Dreams for the Future
Brook has exciting goals for the future. She hopes to win a prize in an annual storm photography contest and wants to get more creative with her storm documentation to incorperate more video. Plus, she would love to chase in Oklahoma and Kansas to live out her Twister dreams in Tornado Alley!
Translating Skills to Moore Engineering
Her passion for storm chasing significantly influences her professional life. The ever-changing nature of storms teaches her to approach each chase with a mindset focused on learning, which is crucial in her GIS role, where updates and new skills are a regular part of the job. Additionally, the problem-solving skills she develops while storm chasing translate directly to her work. Storms move quickly, requiring her to adapt her plans on the fly if she needs to reposition herself to capture the best view.
Advice for Aspiring Storm Chasers
For anyone interested in storm chasing, Brook recommends participating in SkyWarn training offered by local National Weather Service offices. It provides a great amount of information on weather safety and spotting!
Connect with Brook!
Want to follow Brook’s storm-chasing adventures? You can find her on social media and see all her amazing storm photos:
- Instagram & Threads: @freckled_weather
- Twitter: @FreckledWeather
- Facebook: Freckled Weather
- TikTok: @freckled_weather
She also has a website where she shares stories and sells prints of photos from her chases: Freckled Weather.
