Meet an Ottawa storm chaser who runs into the face of danger

When there's a storm brewing most people take cover, but Andrew Macklin dives right in.

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"Some days you'll see something you'll never see in your life," he said.

"That’s what draws me, it's the unknown."

Macklin has been a storm chaser for over ten years and has captured footage of storms across the province and the country.

"The morning of a storm, I'll drive to the target area and once it fires, you get on it like a dog on a bone and you relay info to Environment Canada as accurately as possible so they can warn the public," he said.

Now, he's sharing his adventures with enthusiasts at the Ottawa Public Library.

"Tornados are something quite beautiful in the beginning with the formation of the clouds and the colours," said Kathy Veck, a storm chasing enthusiast.

"But there's the bad part of tornados, too."

Ottawa has 'weathered' several storms and tornados in 2023. Two tornadoes in Barrhaven left behind a trail of destruction last July, ripping the roof off some homes and scattering debris across the neighbourhood.

Homes are left damaged following a tornado in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven on Thursday, July 13, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean KilpatrickJust weeks later, another tornado touched down in the capital in Findlay Creek and Riverside South.

Most tornado activity in the country happens in July, Macklin says. As Ottawa approaches the summer months, many are keen to educate themselves.

"It was heartbreaking to see some of the damage and that's why we have to take it seriously," said Veck. "We want to be storm savvy to protect ourselves."

Macklin says while anything is possible, he doesn't anticipate a repeat of last year's tornado season.

"I don’t have a crystal ball, but 2023 was an above average season," said Macklin.

"We are moving from an El Nino to a La Nina year, so the storms are favoured more in the southwestern region of Ontario, but that's not to say we won't see storms here in the summer."