NEW ORLEANS, LA.—Tornado Hunter Greg Johnson has carved out his own path in terms of his legacy, and chasing the largest tornadoes or capturing once-in-a-lifetime storm shots is only one part of it.
"I love what I get to do for a living, but at the end of the day the memories I cherish aren’t the pictures of the storms. These are the things that we care about," he said, pointing to pictures of his four children. "My legacy is those children and that life experience I’m giving them."
Building the best legacy you can while you still have time was the key message Johnson stressed in his address during the Canadian Construction Association’s 98th annual conference in New Orleans, La.
"The word build is in there for a reason, just like working on a construction project, there takes vision, there takes planning and there takes execution," he explained. "When we’re talking about erecting a building, or building a road…this room represents billions of dollars in infrastructure spending. But that’s not the legacy I’m talking about. We would put all that aside and we would talk about that personal legacy we have, our kids, our communities."
On top of all the storm chasing and the destruction Johnson has witnessed and captured through his camera lens, this is the lesson he carries forth, while recognizing it’s also important to "chase after your passions."
"There is a difference between taking risks and being reckless. What we regret is when we don’t try something at all," he explained. "My particular brand of risk is chasing tornadoes. I get to see some of the most intense winds on planet Earth. This is an incredible part of my legacy."
"I don’t have a death wish, I have a life wish."
Johnson became interested in tornado hunting through his passion for photography and has been storm chasing for over 10 years. The Tornado Hunters website reads that the number of tornadoes he’s chased is 112.
"I’m not a meteorologist, I’m not a scientist. I really wanted to capture the most amazing images I could. I always wanted to get a little bit closer — just push that boundary just a little bit," he added. "Good photographs are like the scrapbook of our lives. They stick with us."
Throughout his career he has witnessed some of Mother Nature’s most incredible and deadly moments, including the largest tornado on record, which occurred in El Reno, Okla. in 2013. That same tornado was also where Johnson and his team encountered a very real version of the Hollywood move Twister.
"It was about four kilometres wide," he described. "We survived being in the air in that tornado. It was a terrifying day. We learned so much. It was very emotional for me."
Johnson and his team have also been able to inform meteorologists in real time through live-streaming where a storm is headed, helping warn communities about what’s coming, but more importantly, they are often the first responders for people in need minutes after a storm hits.
"Probably the most rewarding part of what I do is being a first responder," he said, recalling the aftermath of one tornado in Joplin, Mo. in 2011, where more than 8,000 buildings were destroyed.
"We were at ground zero and it affected everybody. It’s been rebuilt better than it was. Communities rebuild. The best of humanity comes out in the face of those tragedies."
Storm chaser Greg Johnson was the keynote breakfast speaker at the 98th annual Canadian Construction Association conference in New Orleans, La. Johnson spoke to the construction industry members in attendance about the importance of building a legacy and taking risks in whatever one chooses to pursue.
Photo: VINCE VERSACE"
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