Meteorologist and extreme storm chaser Reed Timmer — among the few to ever document both an F5 tornado and the most devastating hurricane in U.S. history — will headline the 2015 Nebraska Science Festival on April 10.
Gearing up for its third year, the Nebraska Science Festival — scheduled for April 10-18 — will feature an array of science- and technology-related activities in communities across the state.
On April 10, Timmer will present at Joslyn Museum’s Witherspoon Concert Hall in Omaha. His 7:30 p.m. presentation is free to the public (but requires a reserved ticket) and is suitable for ages 12 and older.
Tickets for the general admission seating to Timmer’s presentation will be released in February on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets will be available to obtain online; please check the Scifest website for more information. Although the presentation is free, tickets are required for admittance when doors open April 10 at 6:30 p.m.
One of the most successful and extreme storm chasers in the world, Timmer has intercepted more than 250 tornadoes and a dozen powerful hurricanes during the past decade, including Hurricane Katrina. He currently is working on a Ph.D. in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma.
Timmer’s “hands-on” experience with a vast assortment of hazardous weather and natural disasters, as well as his extensive education in the science of meteorology, have made him one of the world’s most respected experts on severe weather forecasting, safety and survival. He is a strong advocate for extreme weather and disaster education, and conducts storm spotter seminars for the National Weather Service, emergency managers and the general public.
As a star on Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers in 2008, Timmer became the first person in history to capture high-definition video inside a tornado. The eight-episode series had a record 19 million viewers during the 2008 season and was one of the highest rated shows on Discovery Channel.
Timmer also appeared on Discovery Channel’s “When Nature Strikes” in fall of 2008, which featured his intercept of Hurricane Ike on Galveston Island as a deadly 15-foot storm surge threatened their position on the sea wall. He also has appeared on all major news networks, including Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer, CNN with Wolf Blitzer, CBS, NBC and The Weather Channel.