Storm-chasing 'Dorothy' blows into Aurora

Dorothy found her way home Wednesday, but it's not in Kansas, anymore.

"Dorothy," the 1992 Chevy Blazer storm-chasing vehicle, has logged hundreds of thousands of miles to record hurricanes, tornadoes and floods and to educate adults and children about disaster preparedness. The vehicle is now a permanent fixture in a new tornado and storm chase exhibit on display at Aurora's SciTech Hands-on Museum at 18 W. Benton Street.

Pockmarked from hail and other debris, the vehicle and it's former owner Eddy Weiss have appeared in numerous storm-related programs.

"Just look at this thing. What a beast," interim executive David James said during Wednesday's unveiling. "She just looks like she belongs in a museum and I'm glad she's now in ours."

Along with "Dorothy," donated by Weiss and his national Chasing4Life

organization, the exhibit also features a 10-feet-tall tornado simulator that allows children to create their own mini-twisters.

Visitors to the museum will also get a close-up look at the vehicle and its onboard weather monitoring equipment that enabled the driver to upload live videos of storms and tornadoes to television newsrooms across the country.

"We're not completely finished with the weather exhibit but getting Dorothy in here certainly is a big piece we wanted to celebrate," Jame said. "We think this is going to be an extremely popular attraction for children and adults alike."

Chasing4Life, founded by Weiss, is a Nebraska-based organization that presents disaster preparedness in schools, community halls, churches and businesses, in an attempt to create safer communities across the country.

Admission to the museum is $8 and free for children 3 and under. For more information, visit www.scitechmuseum.org or call (630) 859-3434.