Melanie Metz

I was born to chase tornadoes, just as some people are born to sing or become doctors. I've always been drawn to the storm, wanting to understand it, watch it and feel it. Standing in the wind of a passing supercell is where I truly come alive.

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I have had a passion for storms since I was a young girl living in Arizona, where I would stare in awe at the incredible lightning shows and dream often about tornadoes. As I entered high school, photography became my other love. I began actively chasing tornadoes after earning my B.S., and have been on the road with my camera every spring for over 20 years now. Outside of the storm season, I have also worked as a Wedding & Portrait Photographer,  Chemist, Corporate Manager, Foster Care Provider, and Massage Therapist. 

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During my earlier years of chasing storms, I partnered with Peggy Willenberg. Together, we became known as the "Twister Sisters" with a reality TV show on the WE Network. We also worked as Chasers for FOX 9 News in Minneapolis, taught Skywarn classes and did many severe weather presentations for various audiences, including "Girls in Science" for FOX 9. For the past several years I have been living my dream as a solo storm chaser, as Melanie Metz Storm Chasing. I work to capture the power and beauty of the storm on film.  I am just now beginning the journey into the World of NFTs, where I hope to offer my work and support other artists in the community in a new, exciting way. 

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I have recently partnered with Girls Who Chase (GWC), founded by Jennifer Walton. GWC is an initiative to elevate the content and voices of female & female-identified storm chasers. The mission is to empower and inspire girls & women to pursue the sciences, weather, and their passions.

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I need to share just one more tidbit!  After many years of hard work, one of my tornado photographs was just licensed for commercial use in the cover and poster of the upcoming movie, "13 Minutes". It is such a huge honor! The film is about survival and community coming together when a town is hit by a tornado.

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For current info about my projects and chasing trips, please visit my social media sites.  For information about accomplishments and features, visit the Features page.

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Thank you for stopping by!