(WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com)– An Erie weather specialist was among eight people named as the world’s top Waterspout Hunters in the World by the International Centre For Waterspout Research (ICWR).

Certified Weather Specialist and former JET 24/ FOX 66 employee Steve Marshall was named as one of the top Waterspout Hunters in the world along eight others and one rising star. The list included Waterspout Hunters from around the world including Greece, the Bahamas, Germany and parts of the United States and Canada.

The ICWR is an international organization comprised of meteorologists, researchers, storm chasers, and others interested in the field of waterspouts with the goal of fostering the advancement of waterspout research and development.

Chasing storms since 1972, Marshall got his start in southeast Oklahoma long before any of the modern tools used to track storms and worked in television as a Certified Severe Weather Specialist in 1994.

He also became the first and only Storm Chaser to be sponsored by an auto manufacturer in 1998 with Hyundai then Saturn from 2000 to 2002, appearing at dealer events and in a limited run TV commercial. 

Having joined JET 24/FOX 66 in 2001, Marshall now focuses on storm chasing and spout hunting for JET 24/FOX 66 getting video and doing live reports to give meteorologists “ground truth.”

With the Erie area being nearly 100 miles from any of the four National Weather Service Doppler Radars that cover the region which also lack low level radar coverage, the importance of his work helps warn residents of any “unpleasant weather surprises.”

Even though Erie may not experience the same scale of waterspouts that regions like the Mediterranean or tropics do, he serves as a watchful eye in the fall for the massive boating and beach life here in Erie.

For more information on the ICWR as well as the full list of top Waterspout Hunters, check out their website here.