Eight Western Kentucky University students spent the three-week May summer term chasing storms across the Great Plains.

They wound up traveling more than 8,000 miles across 14 states and totaled 17 tornado touchdowns.

The class covered field methods in weather analysis and forecasting, which was taught at Western for the first time. Assistant Professor Josh Durkee of Western’s Geography and Geology Department taught the course, along with an assistant professor from Mississippi State, Grady Dixon.

Durkee says the course gave the students a chance to forecast under pressure and outside the classroom.