‘Tornado Tuck’ Coffman is finding his place in weather and in his hometown

‘Tornado Tuck’ Coffman is finding his place in weather and in his hometown

When Tuck Coffman sent Lebanon Now a message asking whether there was a place for him to help with weather coverage, he was taking an interest he had carried since childhood and asking for a chance to do something more with it.

The 14-year-old Lebanon High School student, known online as “Tornado Tuck,” had already been sharing his interest with an audience of his own. In the interview, he said he had about 4,000 followers on TikTok. He wanted to reach more people, but he also wanted a role in the community where he lives.

“I really wanted to get that reach and be part of the community as well,” he said.

Now, Tuck is joining Lebanon Now to help with weather coverage. During their conversation, owner Ryan Sherrer invited him to participate in future live weather coverage, helping explain what viewers are seeing when storms move through.

For Tuck, it is an opportunity to contribute to his hometown while building toward a future in meteorology. And the response from people welcoming him aboard has already made a difference.

“Everybody’s excited for me to be on it,” he said. “And that helps me too, you know, just not to be as nervous about it.”

From watching storm chasers to talking with them

Weather has held Tuck’s attention since he was little. One of his favorite childhood birthday presents was a weather radio. He remembers watching a documentary about the Joplin tornado and being struck by both the destruction and how close it happened to home.

That interest followed him outside. He watches cloud features, notices their height and pays attention to changes overhead.

“I know that sounds nerdy,” he said. “But like, I mean, it’s just part of it, you know?”

It has also brought him into contact with people whose work he admires. Tuck said he now exchanges messages with professional storm chasers, some of whom follow him online.

For someone still considering where his own interest might lead, seeing those names among his followers means something. These are people he has watched on television. Now, he can talk with them.

“A lot of them follow me, which, I mean, that is so cool,” he said.

The excitement was clear as he described the distance between watching someone do the work he hopes to pursue and finding himself in a conversation with them.

A closer look at the weather

Tuck has started getting experience watching storms in person, with his mother driving him on storm-chasing outings.

He recalled seeing a supercell move in near the lake and, on another trip, watching clouds rotate overhead in Sullivan, Missouri. Seeing that movement firsthand felt “surreal,” he said.

But his account of those trips also turned to the people in a storm’s path.

“It’s not all fun and games,” he said. “Like, it’s cool to see it, but you also got to be, like, cautious about it too, because you want to inform the public.”

He sees sharing information as a central reason to pursue the work.

“That’s the whole reason I do it,” he said. “It’s just so we can keep everybody safe.”

That is the purpose he hopes to bring to Lebanon Now: helping neighbors understand what is coming and paying attention when the weather changes.

A chance to take the next step

Tuck intends to pursue a degree in meteorology. He named Mizzou, Illinois and Oklahoma among the schools he is considering, although he has time to decide where he wants to go and whether storm chasing will become his full-time work.

His role with Lebanon Now gives him something to work on now.

During the interview, Sherrer recalled the role local radio personalities played in talking residents through severe weather. Lebanon Now has provided live coverage using its weather camera, and he told Tuck he would like to have him join that coverage when storms return.

Tuck will have an opportunity to explain the cloud features and storm behavior that already hold his attention, this time for a local audience.

He is excited about that responsibility, and about the welcome he has received.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “I’m excited to keep Lebanon safe as well and knowing what’s coming.”

The college decision and career path are still ahead. Right now, a message asking for a chance has turned into a place to contribute, with people in his hometown ready to see what Tornado Tuck does next.

Watch the accompanying interview to meet Tuck and hear more about his interest in meteorology, his experiences watching storms and his new role with Lebanon Now.