Even before the tornado, I'll admit I loved science...but felt no special attraction to atmospheric science or weather; but that all changed forever the early morning of March 21st, 1974....a date which will live in infamy (at least in my family
Experiencing the roar of the approaching tornado...the hail pelting down, continous lightning, and then the feel and sound of our roof being ripped off....the west wall collapsing into the living room...it was scary as hell, but afterwords...as I surveyed the damage to my home and neighborhood (as only a 12 yr old boy can do
-- I felt the urge to learn EVERYTHING about the swirling beast...the tornado which killed my pet rabbit, mangled my bike, and flung dad's prized new Snapper riding mower into the woods below our house (not to mention his car 
From that day forward, all I cared about was storms....first tornadoes (the infamous April 3-4, 1974 "Superoutbreak" only occurred two weeks later...only sending my tornado interest higher into high gear); then adding hurricanes to my libary research year later when "Eloise" smashed into the Florida panhandle...bringing 50-60 mph gusts to my Georgia hometown.
How storm crazed is this mild-mannered Georgia gentleman? At age 13, half my friends at school were calling me "weatherman".....by 9th grade, all my friends did...not to mention several of my teachers
I'd spend my spare time living in local libraries, the local radio station, anywhere I could get weather and storm info. Once I got my drivers license, the bonds were loosed. I drove to every weather office that would let me in.....drove 650 miles to the National Hurricane Center, just to see it....and look at their archives on past hurricanes. At age 16, I purchased $160 worth of Weatherwise magazine back issues....to learn about tornadoes and hurricanes back to the 1950's. I ordered old surface synotic charts of past tornado outbreaks from NCDC....bummed (pleaded) NHC forecasters for radar images and satellite photos of hurricanes from Carla to Allen. Everytime a major hurricane or tornado would occur, I'd make sure I receieved the NOAA Natural Disaster Survey....or the NHC "Preliminary report" (no wonder my dad labeled me a "certified storm nut" 
The NHC hurricane specialists must have felt my passion...because over the years they were beyond generous. I recieved satellite photos, archived hurricane advisories, model plots, books and technical memoranduns. The director of the National Severe Storms Forecast Center (now called SPC) mailed me a computer spreadsheet listing every violent tornado since 1950...a listing of every Georgia tornado since 1950); along with text copies of post tornado surveys, synoptic charts, and other items.
At age 17, I drove over 300 miles to Mobile, Alabama just to experience hurricane Frederic. Frederic trashed my dad's station wagon....but I didn't care...I just wanted to say I'd been in the eyewall of a major hurricane (took me almost a year to pay for the damage--but it was worth it
How storm crazed am I?? Continous AM radio static from severe thunderstorms is music to my ears. I've stayed up all night long to watch a hurricane make landfall on the Weather Channel....just to tape the radar images on the VCR. I've broken dates and ditched work/ school to experience a tornado outbreak or hurricane (or watch it via TWC). I've left work early to watch a tornado break unfold....even before I became a spotter in 82'.
I currently have two home weather stations mounted at my home...a Davis Weather Wizard anemometer on a pole above my roof....a Davis Vantage Pro in my backyard (needed a wireless rain gauge, and a backup anemometer never hurt anyone
Oh yeah...like George Washington, I cannot tell a lie: tornado sirens are music to me.....nothing is more of an adrenalin rush (except hearing tornado sirens wailing while knowing I'm in a SPC "High Risk" area and under a "PDS" tornado watch -- which causes a better rush than skydiving
Yes...I'm a certified storm nut/ maniac, and make no apologies. I've experienced the fury, destruction, and fright of a tornado up close....I've earned that right.
FYI - one thing I've noticed about folks who've ever experienced a tornado or hurricane up-close...it either 1) makes them storm-crazy like me; or 2) it makes them totally afraid/ paranoid of storms....my younger sister a vivid example (a major reason she lives in Oregon?...because tornadoes and even t-storms are rare there).
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