Reed Timmer

Profile Overview

Reed Timmer (born March 17, 1980) is an American meteorologist and storm chaser. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he took an interest in science, including weather, at a young age, before experiencing severe weather, including a hailstorm at age 13. After presenting weather forecasts at his high school, he began studying meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, completing his PhD in 2015.
During his storm chasing career, Timmer filmed his first tornado in 1998 in Oklahoma before taking part in numerous chases of tornadoes. Timmer then observed the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado, a year after his first tornado filmed; the 2011 Philadelphia, Mississippi and Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornadoes, which were included in the 2011 Super Outbreak; and the 2013 El Reno tornado, an EF3 tornado which he was injured in. In 2022, he chased and filmed the eyewall of Category 5 Hurricane Ian.
Timmer is known for starring in the Discovery Channel reality television series Storm Chasers, as well as in the documentary film Tornado Glory and in the television series Tornado Chasers. He later appeared as a guest star in Jay Leno's Garage in an episode, and Storm Rising as himself with Mike Theiss, another storm chaser. Timmer also appeared in a 2010 episode of Mythbusters, alongside Sean Casey, where they showcased the performance of their storm chasing vehicles (Dominator 1, and TIV 2) against EF5-level tornado winds.