Warren Faidley
Warren Faidley is an author, lecturer, journalist, photographer, cinematographer, corporate spokesperson, extreme weather adventurer and storm safety/survival consultant.[1][2] Faidley was the first storm chaser (and accredited journalist) to create a full-time, professional occupation solely from pursuing severe weather. This is in contrast to the majority of "storm chasers" who are, in reality, hobbyists, scientists, students, thrill-seekers and part-timers who chase seasonal events.[3]
Billed as "America's top storm chaser" by MSNBC, Faidley has made a 20-year career out of pursuing some of the planet's most extreme weather. He is one of the few individuals who has experienced and survived both a Category 5 hurricane (Hurricane Andrew) 1992 and an F-5 tornado. (Red Rock, Oklahoma, 1991).[2]
Faidley’s interest in storm chasing can be traced to his childhood, when he spent his time riding his bicycle into dust devils. His very first tornado chase in 1987 landed him in Saragosa, Texas a small community that had been swept away by a violent tornado. His professional career was launched after he took a photograph of lightning hitting a light pole in an oil and gasoline tank farm in Tucson, AZ. The image was published in Life Magazine,[3] billing him as a "Storm Chaser”. In 1997 the US Trademark Office recognized Faidley’s unique business enterprises by awarding him with a Service Mark for the term "Storm Chaser."[2]
Faidley was an initial motion picture consultant for Twister.[3] He has been featured on numerous television specials including National Geographic, The O'Reilly Factor and The Discovery Channel HD Theater and The Weather Channel. His images and footage have been used by clients including Paul McCartney, NASA, The New York Times, MTV, Sheryl Crow, Life Magazine, NASCAR and USA Today. He serves occasionally as a severe weather consultant and expert for major news cable channels including Fox News and CNN. In 2005 he provided live reports during Hurricane Katrina and appeared with Geraldo Rivera during Hurricane Frances near Juno Beach, FL in 2004.[2]
Faidley is an advocate for extreme weather and disaster education. He is an international lecturer and severe weather survival expert. He is the founder and Chairperson of the Storm Angel Foundation a charity that educates children about severe weather. He has received numerous awards for his photography, journalism, educational and public service contributions, including certificates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a William Randolph Hearst Foundation Journalism Award. He has written two books and collaborated on over 20 literary projects. His 1996 book Storm Chaser was a best-selling nature and science book. Amazon. In 2009 the book was re-released as an eBook. In 2006 his popular safety guide "The Ultimate Storm Survival Handbook" was released. The handbook includes severe weather and disaster survival tips based on Faidley's first-hand experiences.[2]
In 1997 Faidley was the subject of Stephen Kramer's book Eye of the Storm.[4]
Faidley's photographs and footage are frequently used for educational and safety projects, including those of the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross. Faidley is the CEO of Weatherstock Inc., a stock picture and footage agency and Storm Risk, a severe weather consulting company. He has consulted and/or appeared as a corporate spokesperson for clients including DuPont, SureFire and Johnson & Johnson.
Faidley's popularity as a storm chaser and extreme weather photographer is illustrated by his Internet popularity, including an average of over 100,000 references to his distinct name in Google and Yahoo search engines, combined with over 2.2 million You Tube video views.[5][6][7]
Faidley is a graduate from University of Arizona and Pima Community College. He is a pilot, and a Nationally Registered EMT-B. He once held an Arizona State Land Wildland firefighter certification. He is a recipient of a William Randolph Heart Photojournalism Award.[2] He resides in Tucson, Arizona.[2] Faidley's personal interests include historical sword rapier play and instruction, world travel, physical fitness training and cycling. (He is a former Tour de Tucson 25 mile champion).
"The Defamation of Storm Chasing"
In 2011 Faidley began a blog and public relations campaign[8] to voice his concerns regarding the popularization of reality television shows focusing on storm chasers. Faidley has become an outspoken critic of such productions, emphasizing some shows "Promote reckless, inaccurate and irresponsible storm chasing behavior, thus diminishing severe weather safety and legitimate work done by actual researchers, storm spotters and responsible storm chasers." A growing number of well respected professional storm chasers[9] and researchers[10] have voiced similar opinions in criticizing the "Jackass Show"[8] style chasing antics portrayed as "reality" on television.[8] During a 2011 radio interview[11] Faidley said "He rarely uses the term "storm chaser" anymore to label his occupation due to the defamatory and sophomoric image now associated with the terms.
[edit] References
- ^ Roush, Margaret E. (2008). "Current Biography". H.W. Wilson Co.. http://www.hwwilson.com/Currentbio/cover_bios/cover_bio_2_08_contents.htm.
- ^ a b c d e f g Weatherstock (2008). "Warren Faidley Biography". http://www.warrenfaidley.com.
- ^ a b c Carson, Mary Kay (2007). Weather Projects for Young Scientists. Chicago Review Press. p. 82. ISBN 1556526296. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=PJEh9ce8cGUC&pg=PA82&dq=%22Warren+Faidley%22&num=100&as_brr=3&sig=3qBBTWe_nyblCZLEFG5PjhhWxSU#PPA82,M1.
- ^ Fredericks, Anthony D. (2001). Investigating Natural Disasters Through Children's Literature: An Integrated Approach. Libraries Unlimited. p. 111. ISBN 1563088614. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ERR8hFxk_uEC&pg=PA111&dq=%22Warren+Faidley%22&num=100&as_brr=3&sig=Iriq2sWAWm3Atv0EQRfN2dBo0Vg.
- ^ "Warren Faidley on Google". http://www.google.com.
- ^ "Warren Faidley on Yahoo". http://www.youtube.com/user/ExtremeStorms.
- ^ "Warren Faidley's Extreme Storms You Tube". http://www.youtube.com.
- ^ a b c "Warren Faidley's Storm Chaser Blog Entry". http://www.stormchaserblog.com.
- ^ "Irresponsible Media Storm Chase Practices". http://www.stormeyes.org/tornado/media.htm.
- ^ "A Growing Sense of Revulsion". http://cadiiitalk.blogspot.com/2011/05/growing-sense-of-revulsion.html.
- ^ "Warren Faidley 2011 Radio Interview". http://www.highinstability.com/.
Also, he is famous because there was a story about him at reading street 4.1 on page 408 to419.that is how I knew him right now.
[edit] Further reading
Kramer, Stephen P.; et al. (1999). Eye of the Storm: Chasing Storms with Warren Faidley. Penguin USA. ISBN 0698117662.
Faidley, Warren (2009). Storm Chaser eBook edition: A Lifelong Quest to Find the Perfect Storm. Weatherstock Inc.. ISBN 1888763000.
Faidley, Warren (2006). The Ultimate Storm Survival Handbook: A Lifelong Quest to Find the Perfect Storm. Weatherstock Inc.. ISBN 1401602851.
Harris/Faidley (2005). Voyages: Wild Weather - Chase The Planet's Wildest Weather With "Cyclone Cowboy" Warren Faidley. Kingfisher Books Ltd. ISBN 0753411849.
