Hurricanes are an awesome force of nature. We’ve all witnessed the mass destruction these beasts are capable of–from the comfort of our living rooms. If you’re like me, you’ve wondered what it might be like to actually experience a hurricane in person. After all, if those news reporters can stand outside in the wind why can’t I? As a matter of fact, I would be willing to bet that there’s a large market for people who would actually pay an expert hurricane hunter to take them out on a hurricane safari.

As a hurricane hunter you’ll already be out chasing storms as they roll in, why not take some people with you and monetize your operation. At the very least, you’ll subsidize your hobby. Sure it can be dangerous, but so is swimming with sharks and skydiving and millions of people pay hundreds of dollars for the chance to participate

Overview

Every time a hurricane rolls around we’re bombarded with footage of reporters blowing in the wind while attempting to deliver a report on the current conditions and rooftops flying through the air during previous storms. Strangely enough we find ourselves drawn to it. We know it’s bad but for some inexplicable reason we find ourselves curious and continue to watch, secretly hoping we’ll see a roof blow away or a moving car sucked into a raging torrent.

Tornadoes Suck, Hurricanes Rule

The nice thing about hurricane hunting vs tornado chasing is that hurricanes are a lot more predictable. They can easily be monitored from the National Hurricane Center’s website, Weather Underground’s awesome Wundermaps, the fancy new Stormpulse.com, or Google Earth. You can chase tornadoes all day long and not get close to a single one. Get anywhere within a few miles of a hurricane and there will be plenty of action. The idea here is not to guarantee getting into the eye of the storm (though this might provide some extra entertainment), but simply to allow people to experience hurricane force winds and the damage that they can do up close in person as safely as relatively possible. From a business perspective we’re going to assume that as an amateur hurricane hunter you already possess the knowledge, experience, and equipment to chase hurricanes and you’re simply looking for a way to monetize your hobby.

Building a New Market

The key here is going to be exposure and the illusion of exclusivity. You’ll want to be well exposed before attempting to commercialize your operation. Prior to launching your public tour offerings, gather your best footage, photos, and stories and start making a name for yourself online. Submit footage to cnn.com, youtube, and even your own website. If you can, try to get an interview on a major national news network as you’re setting up camp when the next major hurricane rolls in. News reporters love to interview people who intend to “ride out” the storm.

If you’re lucky and you have a major hurricane about to make landfall in the United States public interest will be stirred. Once you’ve gotten some exposure you can start marketing your service. All of a sudden you’ll be the guy that had that gnarly video on youtube, or the guy that was on CNN setting up camp in the last major hurricane who had the only footage of the flood wall breaking. If you can achieve that status, people will be knocking down your door trying to get booked on one of your safaris when they hear that you’re now taking reservations.

The Numbers

How much you can bring in if you take some people along with you?

There are currently several other companies which offer similar services (check out Stormchasing.com) and it seems that for the most part they all follow the same business model. Customers make reservations well in advance and are called in order of reservation just a few days before a hurricane is scheduled to make landfall. The guests are responsible for getting themselves out to a pre-determined rendezvous point at which time the tour company will herd everyone into SUVs and take them out to another pre-determined spot which the crew has deemed reasonably safe to ride out the hurricane. These spots are sometimes associated with hotels so the guests have a place to stay while waiting for the hurricane to make landfall but often you will end up sleeping in the SUVs for days as most hotels close up shop before the storm rolls in. The tour company’s job is simply to act as a guide and take people out into an area where they can experience hurricane force winds and lead them back to an airport once the storm has passed.

Typically these expeditions will last at least three or four days at a rate of around $2000 per person. Again, as a tour guide you’re only job is to get people into or near the eye of a hurricane and get them back out as safely as possible. Your customers will be responsible for everything else including airfare, SUV rental, food, and hotel fees. The math here is pretty simple, your income will mainly depend on the number of guests you choose to bring with you and of course the number of landfalls you get in any particular year. According to Stormchasing.com they bring no more then two guests per expedition but I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t safely bring four or six with each pair driving there own SUV.

Equipment Costs

Equipment costs related to hurricane hunting are fairly minimal. As a Startup I would recommend the following.

  • Laptop computer with mobile internet access - $1500
  • Two Sea Eagle 9 Inflatable Rafts good for class 3 rapids (just in case) - $600
  • CB Radio - $150
  • GPS unit - $200

Total Gross Revenue per expedition - $12,000 (6 guests at $2000/each)

Expenses:

  • SUV Rental (you really don’t want to take your own) - 2 x $320 ($80/day for 4 days–includes the $15/day anything-goes insurance)
  • Hotel Stay (if possible) - $200
  • Food and Supplies - $200 (yourself and your partner)

Total Expenses - $1040

Conclusion

Hurricane hunting is definitely one of the cooler businesses to be involved in. As a hurricane hunter if you’ve already got the equipment and are planning on being in all the named hurricanes anyway, then I see no reason why you shouldn’t bring guests along with you to help subsidize your hobby. Each expedition can easily gross in excess of $12,000 but just be aware that your business will be at the mercy of mother nature. According to Wikipedia the 2007 Hurricane Season produced only six hurricanes. Of these six hurricanes, only one made landfall in the United States, and unless you plan on giving international tours you would have been SOL for most of the season.