My name is Kurt Hulst, I have been chasing severe weather for 12 years, including high winds of 80-90mph, large hail the size of soft balls, and witnessing close to 100 tornadoes rated from EF0 to EF5 in more than 15 states. I have chased from as far west as New Mexico to Montana and as Far East as Georgia to Pennsylvania. I have won an award for one of my lightning photographs in 2002 and I have had footage on the Discovery Channel following the Iowa, Parkersburg EF5 in 2008. My footage has been used in several Skywarn Trainings through out the Midwest during the 2010-2011 training season. I have the potential for several of my lightning photographs to be in a weather calendar for 2012.

I started chasing storms in and around south west Michigan when I was 19 (1999) years old. I was at a point in my life that I was struggling with substance abuse. I was attending Narcotics Anonymous (NA) at the time and they suggested finding a hobby. This was also a point in my life where I was discovering who God really is, and lightning became a symbol in my life which represented God’s power to pierce the darkness I was living in at the time. I struggled for a while with relapsing and staying clean getting in trouble with local authorities and being placed on probation for several years. I rededicated my life to Christ on March 2nd, 2001 which also marks my sobriety date being the last time I used substances. I stopped hanging around the people I use to use with and found positive people to build relationships with. I found many of these relationships in the church I was drawn back to. I had been developing a passion for helping youth that were struggling with what I had been through as well.

For the past 10 years God has given me the opportunity to meet new people, witness many tornadoes , help several families that have been directly effected by the tornadoes I observed being able to be to their homes within minutes of the tornadoes impact. I have since obtained my associates degree in 2004, in adolescent ministry as I was aiming to help young men and women in their faith and struggles in life. In 2010 I graduate with my Bachelors of Social Work looking to increase my skills in counseling and advocacy. I hope to continue on to pursue my Masters of Social Work in 2012.

I have been married to my beautiful wife since March 10, 2007, introducing our handsome little boy into the world on the early morning of September 11, 2010. Life has not been easy but it has been blessed by many blessed moments and prayerfully more to come. God does not promise life will be easy but he does open the door for a relationship with him and longs to have our hearts.