Into the eye of Bavi: Storm chasers capture Rota's destruction and resilience
- Admin
- 57 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Bryan Manabat
When Jordan Hall was growing up in the small town of Baker, Montana, he was captivated by the movie "Twister." What began as a childhood fascination with severe weather eventually became a profession that now takes him around the world in pursuit of nature's most powerful storms.
Today, Hall is an international storm chaser and multimedia journalist who has tracked hurricanes and typhoons across the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia and the Northern Mariana Islands.
His latest adventure brought him to the CNMI as Super Typhoon Bavi approached the Marianas.
Hall was accompanied by fellow storm chaser Aaron Rigsby, who helped document the storm and its aftermath, including aerial drone imagery of Rota. The pair traveled to the CNMI to intercept Bavi and record one of the most intense tropical cyclones to affect the region.
"The forecast models and guidance were very bullish on this storm being a violent one," Hall said. "My dream capture is to get a stadium effect in the eye of a super typhoon. And one of the only ways to do that is to get an island intercept. So coming out here was my opportunity to play Island Roulette."
Hall said his storm-chasing career became a full-time pursuit in 2021 when he moved from Rapid City, South Dakota, to Norman, Oklahoma, a center for weather forecasting and research. Rather than attending meteorology school, he developed his skills through field experience and mentorship.
Over the years, he has witnessed countless storms, from tornado outbreaks in the American Midwest to powerful typhoons in the Pacific. Yet Hall said chasing storms in the Pacific presents a unique challenge.
"The amount of logistics and hoops you have to jump through in the Pacific makes it such a challenge that I honestly love," he said. "It's unique, and the places it takes you is what it is all about."
After Bavi's passage, Hall and Rigsby visited Rota to document the destruction left in the typhoon's wake. Hall said the scale of the damage was unlike anything he had previously encountered.
"My initial reaction to the destruction in Rota was mostly disbelief," Hall said. "Seeing that level of tree damage is comparable to seeing damage from a high-end EF4-EF5 tornado. It is the most violent damage you can see and trees really tell a story."
Amid the devastation, Hall found reasons for optimism.
"My other reaction was surprise at how well the buildings held up in Rota, and how every neighbor helped one another," he said.
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For someone who has spent years studying severe weather around the globe, Hall did not mince words when assessing Bavi.
"Bavi was not comparable to any storm I have studied and witnessed," he said. "Bavi was a top .1% as far as intensity goes. It was one of the strongest storms on earth during its passage of Rota."
While the storm's power was extraordinary, Hall said the CNMI's response demonstrated the value of preparedness.
"Saipan really impressed me with its storm preparedness," he said. "This was an island that had experienced typhoons before and wasn't scared, but was actually prepared. They took preventative action instead of reacting."
Hall contrasted that approach with attitudes he has observed elsewhere.
"In the States we see a lot of 'this won't happen to me' mentality and when it does people are just caught off guard when they shouldn't be," he said. "That is something I seriously respect about the islands. You guys are ready and get things done."
After years on the road and tens of thousands of miles traveled annually in pursuit of storms, Hall said his greatest takeaway has little to do with weather itself.
"After all my years of chasing, I have really just learned that the storm isn't the destination," he said. "It's the tour guide that takes me to the final destination. The places I get to explore and discover, and the people I get to meet along the way is what it is all about."
Reflecting on his time in the Marianas, Hall said the people of the islands left an impression that will stay with him long after Bavi.
"My message to the people of the islands is never change," he said. "You guys are seriously a diamond that is hidden in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and the hospitality and sense of community and understanding of weather is so far ahead of everywhere else I have ever been."
Looking ahead, Hall plans to expand his work by deploying pressure sensors ahead of powerful typhoons to gather real-time data from inside storms, helping scientists and communities better understand the forces that shape extreme weather events.
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