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from the issue of June 12, 2008
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Hallam destruction provides baseline for Bower's thesis
BY SARA GILLIAM, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Long before applying to graduate school at UNL, Jeremy Bower passed through Lincoln on professional storm chasing tours. For several years he led international tourists on tornado hunts, and now he's turning his passion for severe weather into a graduate education.
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| | | STORM TRACK - Graduate student Jeremy Bower watches radar during a May 29 storm chase.
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Originally from Ohio, Bower spent summers after college logging up to 6,000 miles on the highways of tornado alley, sometimes driving customers 800 miles per day in search of super cells and funnel clouds.
"I had the opportunity to see some amazing storms," Bower said. "When I look back on it now, it was fun and an adrenaline rush, but I don't think I would be able to do it again. It was draining mentally and physically, but it was a tremendous experience."
Now finishing his master's degree in Natural Resources, with a specialization in Climate Assessment and Impacts, Bower's research focuses on the tornado that devastated Hallam, Neb., in 2004. It cut a 2 1/2-mile wide path through the town and surrounding farmland but, Bower noted, could just as easily have touched down in south Lincoln.
"That night, the storm that produced the Hallam tornado split before it entered Lancaster County," he said. "Using GIS techniques, you can see that had this cell not split, the tornado would have come right up through Lincoln; it would have touched down right around 27th and Highway 2."
Bower's thesis is a risk assessment. He asks, if a tornado had hit Lincoln in 2004, would the city have been prepared? By changing the storm's path, Bower can see what its impacts would have been on homes, utility lines, schools, hospitals, and so on. He hopes that when his research is complete, communities will be able to use it as a blueprint for taking a proactive approach to storm preparedness.
One of the best things about his experience at UNL, Bower said, has been working with professor Ken Dewey, who is known internationally as an expert in severe weather and storm photography.
"One of the biggest factors when I applied for grad school was finding a place where I'd feel comfortable. I wanted to go someplace that felt like home and that's how UNL felt," Bower said. "Dr. Dewey contacted me and offered to be my adviser if I chose UNL. That made it easier to make my decision. And ever since I've gotten here he's been very supportive, he's been there for me so many times, always making sure I am doing okay on a personal and a professional level. He's opened up his home to me, and of course we've storm-chased together."
Once he receives his degree, Bower plans to stay in the emergency management field, on a local, state or federal level. As a student, he has interned with Lincoln Emergency Management, for which he updates emergency management personnel about potential severe weather, manages storm spotter reports, and interprets radar.
GO TO: ISSUE OF JUNE 12
NEWS HEADLINES FOR JUNE 12
Born to Chase - Storms provide research inspiration for Dewey, Bower
Chang-Barnes guides Lied into new season
Hallam destruction provides baseline for Bower's thesis
J.D. Edwards name change proposed
Alumni association suspends 'Screamers'
Chancellor announces Alumni Association restructuring
Climate change event draws 150
Museum breaks ground on Hubbard Rhino Barn
Nebraskans headline summer writers conference
Study eyes predicting tenderness of steaks
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