Joel Taylor

Growing up near the heart of tornado alley, Joel had a front-row seat to plenty of severe storms and tornadoes. Always fascinated by these phenomena, he attended the University of Oklahoma to study meteorology. There, he met someone who shared his passion for severe weather and storm chasing, Reed Timmer. The two have intercepted countless tornadoes, and with Joel's keen knowledge of the back roads of the Great Plains, he has long been the trusted driver of Reed's TVN team. Last year, Reed and Joel's working relationship soured when Reed expanded TVN's scientific mission, in which Joel had little interest. With a new chase season underway, Joel has reconnected with Reed and recommitted himself to the team. Though some tension still lingers between him and Reed, Joel is back behind the wheel of the Dominator.

In 2018, Joel died from a drug overdoes whilst on a cruise ship in Puerto Rico. He is laid to rest at the Martin-Dugger Funeral Home in Elk City, OK.