Tornado Quest is a website created by yours truly, Jeff Richardson, a long-time weather enthusiast.  I provide links to important weather data sites, display photographs of weather phenomenon and their effects on our world, and hopefully will give many of you who are interested in the atmospheric sciences a glimpse into the wonders of our atmosphere.  Our Home Page has an easy-to-navigate listing of important weather links, educational material, and even a taste of my take on the world.  The Weather Links page can lead you into a vast array of information about weather and related geoscience subjects.   And be sure to read the FAQ.  It may answer some questions you're just itching to ask.  On a personal level, I've had a life long interest in geosciences in general and meteorology in particular.  An outbreak of tornadoes in the southern plains on June 8, 1974 set the standard for my interest in the atmospheric sciences.  I witnessed my first tornado on December 5th, 1975.  Two days later, I was fascinated to see the damage first hand.  On March 15, 1982, I began my storm chasing hobby in earnest with a chance to photograph a tornadic supercell.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into or how addicting this hobby can be.  Since the spring of 1982, I've annually documented and observed severe weather events throughout Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Kansas.  My interests in meteorology encompass many areas of study: thunderstorms and tornadoes, tornado climatology & historical tornadoes, damage surveys, mesoscale meteorology, hurricanes and tropical cyclones, winter weather events,  sprites  & red/blue jets, numerical weather forecasting models, Great Plains climatology, and even collecting radiosondes...some of which date back to the mid 1950's.   In addition to storm chasing, I've  conducted over thirty five damage surveys, objectively collecting a great deal of information that otherwise goes unnoticed.   I regularly attend conferences and meetings of interest to keep abreast of the latest in atmospheric science research.  There's no point to being interested in weather without studying it diligently year round.  To me, the pursuit of meteorology as a hobby is a never ending academic endeavor.  Currently, I'm working towards completing my Ph.D and pursuing career plans in college education/academic research or government.  I hope you enjoy your visit here.  Please come back often for a look at new changes, ever-changing weather data, and have fun!