These real-life storm chasers inspired the design of the crazy trucks in ‘Twisters’

Frontline researchers barrel into severe weather with an army of high-tech trucks. Here’s how they design their rigs to withstand extreme conditions.

In 2019, Elizabeth Smith was sitting with her team in the middle of Nebraska watching a tornado roll in. As the giant twister—wider than a football field, with winds reaching 120 mph—approached from across the field, her truck suddenly died.  

A research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and a faculty member at the University of Oklahoma...