Human instinct, as we know it, is to run away from life-threatening situations. 49-year-old Josh Morgerman is, however, a walking contradiction. The popular American storm chaser has been putting himself in danger for an adrenaline rush — and for science, since 1991. “My obsession with hurricanes goes as far back as I can remember. I was born with it,” says Josh, about his unique interest.
Born in an island off the East Coast of the USA, Josh remembers getting excited even as a child, every time a hurricane approached.
“When the wind howls, trees wave and the house shakes, I will have an emotional reaction – almost like taking a drug,” he says, about his love for storms. “When I was a teenager, we had a really bad hurricane. I was excited about that one too – until the destruction made my mother cry. Then I felt terrible about it – like I had caused the calamity, by wishing for it. That began my complicated relationship with hurricanes.”
All set for his TV show Hurricane Man, the California-based adventure junkie promises that with it, viewers will get to go on a high-octane rollercoaster ride through the world’s biggest hurricanes and typhoons of 2018. “On each mission, I’m hunting for the eye of the hurricane – the exact centre, to collect scientific data in order to understand its true intensity. At the same time, another team documents the people who are in the storm’s path – families attempting to save themselves and their homes.
Taking us through one of his chase experiences, Josh elaborates, “A chase happens in three parts. First being, ‘The Hunt’ where I feel like a wolf – totally alert, adrenaline pumping, hardly eating or sleeping, and focused on one single goal – penetrating the eye of the storm. Next is ‘The Impact’. Being in a severe hurricane is thrilling, but it’s not fun. It’s a strange, intense combination of feelings. It’s scary and surreal. There’s a strange beauty to it – a dark, terrible sort of beauty. The last part is ‘The Crash’. After a storm passes, I fall apart. All the adrenaline wears off, and for several days, I just eat and sleep. It’s like getting over an illness.”
Having intercepted over 52 tropical cyclones including Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines (2013) and Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas (2019), Josh says his passion has taken him around the world. But what keeps him going? “Sometimes, when I leave for a chase, I’m not in the mood. I almost feel a sense of dread, as I head to the airport. It’s like I can’t help it. I need to experience these storms to feel complete. It’s an addiction,” he signs off.
(Hurricane Man airs at 10:00 pm on Sony BBC Earth.)