For most people who live in areas susceptible to frequent tornado strikes, information provided by The Weather Channel can be invaluable when deciding whether or not to run for cover. That same information draws storm chaser Tim Samaras into the center of the action.

To keep track of the latest weather information, Samaras relies on satellite technology typically pitched as an entertainment solution for children stuck in the backseat — KVH Industries Inc.‘s Tracvision A5 in-vehicle satellite television system. The satellite television antenna, based on KVH’s hybrid phased-array technology, measures only 5 inches high and delivers DirecTV‘s satellite television signal, even when the vehicle is in motion.

From May through June, Samaras chases tornados throughout the Midwestern United States, from North Dakota to Texas, from Colorado to Indiana, and all points in between. Samaras’ research and tornado-chasing exploits, aided by satellite television, have earned him exposure in the pages of National Geographic and on The Discovery Channel due to the live video he has captured from inside a tornado using cutting-edge technology.

Using the Tracvision system “has provided me with the most reliable means” of gathering information on the location of pending storms, Samaras told Satellite News. In some areas of the Midwest, the only updated weather information Samaras can receive on a regular basis comes from The Weather Channel feed delivered by his Tracvision system.

“There are still holes out there across tornado alley that do not have reliable or good cellular coverage,” Samaras said. “At times, the only means of information are off the satellite television. It is the only thing out there. If you go out in the Badlands of South Dakota, there is nothing out there. [There is] no cellular coverage, no [terrestrial] television and few radio spots. They don’t care what happens in the Badlands, but I have caught several tornados out there. Being out there, a lot of times [satellite television is] the only means of getting data.”

–Gregory Twachtman