DETROIT, MI — Michigan Storm Chasers has turned its around-the-clock severe weather coverage into a fast-growing following across the state. The website’s chief meteorologist, Joel Fritsma, says the team has tracked every tornado warning in Michigan this year, including the storm system that brought three confirmed tornadoes to Metro Detroit.
Fritsma says the site’s goal is simple: get useful warning information in front of people quickly enough that they have time to take shelter.
How The Coverage Works
The website launches live streams as soon as the National Weather Service issues the first warning for a severe event, then stays on until the last warning is over. Fritsma says that can mean a broadcast lasting 10 or 11 hours when storms keep moving through the state.
He said the team has not missed a single warning since 2024. Even overnight events do not stop the coverage, including a brief tornado that hit Lincoln Park between 2 and 3 a.m. on April 15.
A Team Built Around Alerts
Michigan Storm Chasers launched in 2022 and hired Fritsma right out of Central Michigan University, where he studied meteorology. What began as a small operation has grown to about 30 people, according to Fritsma.
When the weather is calm, the crew is still working ahead of the next system, checking forecasts days in advance and hosting live streams before storms arrive so viewers can ask questions.
Audience Keeps Growing
Fritsma says the site now has more than one million followers across its platforms. People can watch and interact through Facebook and YouTube, with a new mobile app expected to launch this summer.
The app is designed to bring live streams to phones and let users report storm damage. Fritsma said that kind of information can be valuable when it is passed along to the National Weather Service.
Why Viewers Keep Watching
Michigan has already seen 22 confirmed tornadoes in 2026, along with more than 50 tornado warnings statewide, so many residents are paying close attention to every update. That steady need for clear information has helped make the site a regular stop for people following severe weather.
For Fritsma and his team, the work is part forecasting and part public service. He says the aim is to keep the lines of communication open between weather officials and the people who need to hear the warnings most.
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